The Camäleon-class gunboats came about as a result of a program to strengthen the Prussian Navy in the late 1850s in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Reichsflotte and in the midst of rising tensions with Denmark.

In 1859, Prince Regent Wilhelm approved a construction program for some fifty-two gunboats to be built over the next fifteen years, of which eight became the Camäleon class.

[2][3] The keel for Camäleon was laid down in September 1859 at the Königliche Werft (Royal Shiypard) in Danzig, and she was officially named on 18 October.

Since the initial sea trials that were conducted by the shipyard proved to be unsatisfactory, commissioning of the ship was delayed from the originally scheduled date of 23 June 1861 to 6 August.

After entering service, she joined her sister ship Comet and the Jäger-class gunboats Fuchs, Jäger, Salamander, and Scorpion for a visit to Skagen in Denmark and the free imperial cities of Hamburg and Bremen.

The tour was commanded by Korvettenkapitän (Corvette Captain) Hans Kuhn, who flew his flag in Camäleon.

The ship had not been able to reach her designed speed on the cruise, so AG Vulcan had to make modifications to the engine at its own expense.

[4] Camäleon remained laid up until the outbreak of the Second Schleswig War in February 1864, when she was mobilized into the coastal defense flotilla.

[4] After being pulled free, she was transferred to the Jade Bay to conduct survey work with Comet and the aviso Loreley.