[11] On 28 August 1914, the British Harwich Force, supported by light cruisers and battlecruisers of the Grand Fleet, carried out a raid towards Heligoland with the intention of destroying patrolling German torpedo boats.

[14] However, sister ship V187, leader of I Flotilla, ran into the midst of the Harwich force when trying to return to Heligoland and was sunk.

The intervention of the supporting British forces resulted in the sinking of the German cruisers Mainz, Cöln and Ariadne.

The British light cruiser Arethusa and destroyers Laurel, Laertes and Liberty were badly damaged but safely returned to base.

[15] On the evening of 12 April 1915, the German airship L7 sighted a British light cruiser and five surfaced submarines in the Heligoland Bight.

I Flotilla was ordered out to attack the submarines, but G197, V188 and V189 collided in thick fog, disabling the three ships and causing the sortie to be aborted.

It was planned to enter the Gulf via the Irben Strait, defeating any Russian naval forces and mining the entrance to Moon Sound.

[18] G197 took part in these operations, opening fire at what was believed to be a periscope of an enemy submarine when escorting the battlecruiser Seydlitz on 10 August.

[19] The operation was not a success, with Germany losing the torpedo boats S31 and V99 and the minesweeper T46, while failing to destroy any major Russian warships or lay the planned minefield.