Intended for service in the German colonial empire and as a fleet scout, Gefion was armed with a main battery of ten 10.5-centimeter (4.1 in) guns, had a top speed in excess of 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph), and could steam for 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km; 4,000 mi), the longest range of any German warship at the time.

Gefion initially served with the main German fleet and frequently escorted Kaiser Wilhelm II's yacht Hohenzollern on trips to other European countries, including a state visit to Russia in 1897.

At the same time, many elements of the naval command espoused the commerce raiding strategy of the French Jeune École (Young School).

[2] At the time, cruisers were divided between two broad types: vessels suitable for long-distances cruising and those optimized for fleet service.

The former task included policing German holdings and suppressing native unrest during peacetime, and in times of war the new ship would act as a commerce raider.

[3][4][5] With funding to begin work on the new ship secured, senior naval officers began the process of sketching out requirements for the new design in 1889.

A cruising radius of 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) was desired, but the Department of Construction informed the command that the ship would have to be enlarged to provide enough coal storage space.

[6] Arguments over the caliber of the main battery continued into 1890; Goltz pointed to contemporary French cruisers to justify heavier armament, since these would be the most likely enemies in a future war.

The hull was constructed from transverse and longitudinal steel frames, except for the lower stem and stern parts, which were made of bronze.

Gefion was crank, rolled badly, and made severe leeway, and her decks were wet in a head sea.

[10] Gefion was powered by two vertical, 3-cylinder triple expansion engines, which drove a pair of 3-bladed screw propellers that were 4.2 m (14 ft) in diameter.

[10] Gefion was armed with a main battery of ten 10.5 cm SK L/35 guns, which were carried individually in pivot mounts.

[10][11] The ship was protected with a light armored deck consisting of steel, though it only covered the propulsion machinery spaces.

Kaiser Wilhelm II attended her launching, and the speech was given by the director of the Kaiserliche Werft (Imperial Shipyard) in Danzig, KzS Graf Kurt von Haugwitz.

Serious defects in her design, in particular poor ventilation, were revealed through the trials, which necessitated modifications at the Kaiserliche Werft in Kiel.

[4] In July, she escorted Wilhelm II's yacht Hohenzollern on a visit to the king of Sweden and a trip to the Cowes Regatta.

She thereafter resumed her duties as escort for Hohenzollern, and during this period she conducted further sea trials that confirmed her cruising radius, which was the highest of all German ships at the time.

She took Admiral Koester on a trip to Sassnitz in April for celebrations to mark the opening of the first telegraph cable between Germany and Sweden.

After this work was completed in December, Gefion was assigned to the newly formed II Division of the East Asia Squadron.

The Division was commanded by Prince Heinrich, the brother of Wilhelm II, who flew his flag in the re-built armored cruiser Deutschland.

[13] On 15 December, the three ships left Germany, Wilhelm II having instructed their crews, "Should anyone seek to hinder you in the proper exercise of our legitimate rights, go for them with a mailed fist.

[13] Shortly before the arrival of the II Division, the United States Navy destroyed the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War.

[17] In late March 1899, Gefion was sent to Kiaotschou in response to mistreatment of German missionaries there; Kapitänleutnant (Captain Lieutenant) Franz Grapow went ashore with a landing party of 132 marines and artillerymen to punish the offenders.

At the end of the year, Gefion met Deutschland in Bangkok; the latter vessel was carrying Prince Heinrich back to Germany.

In January 1900, Vizeadmiral Felix von Bendemann arrived to take command of the East Asia Squadron, aboard his flagship, the protected cruiser Hertha.

[13] By the end of May 1900, the unrest that sparked the Boxer Uprising began to appear in the Shandong Peninsula, particularly around the German base at Tsingtau.

[13] After the outbreak of the rebellion, Gefion and the rest of the squadron joined ships from other European navies to launch a relief expedition under the command of Edward Hobart Seymour.

The ships bombarded Chinese coastal defenses southeast of Tianjin and sent an expeditionary force—the Seymour Expedition—ashore at the Battle of Taku Forts on 16–17 June.

[18] The contingent from Gefion was commanded by Kapitänleutnant Otto Weniger; these men participated in the storming of the Great Hsi-Ku Arsenal in Tianjin.