As envisaged by the Marinekommandant (Navy Commander), Vice Admiral Friedrich von Pöck, Lussin would be the leader of a flotilla of torpedo boats, with the additional capability of carrying out scouting duties.

She took part in only one significant operation, an international blockade of Greece in 1886 to prevent the country from declaring war on the Ottoman Empire.

In 1910–1913, Lussin was rebuilt as an admiralty yacht, and she spent World War I as a barracks ship for German U-boat crews based in Pola.

In the early 1880s, Vice Admiral Friedrich von Pöck, the head of the Marinesektion (Admiralty), ordered four torpedo cruisers.

[1][2] While SMS Zara was still undergoing sea trials, Josef von Romako began design work on a fourth cruiser, along with the engineer A. Waldvogel.

The preceding Zara-class cruisers had been unable to reach their design speed, so Romako hoped to rectify the problem with Lussin.

The longer hull, with a propulsion system rated at 3,600 metric horsepower (3,600 ihp) should produce a top speed of 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) according to Waldvogel.

[6] Propulsion was supplied by two 2-cylinder compound steam engines with five cylindrical boilers, producing 1,767.5 metric horsepower (1,743.3 ihp) for an average speed of 12.14 knots (22.48 km/h; 13.97 mph).

She was commissioned for service the following day, and from 27 March to 30 April embarked on a cruise in the southern Adriatic Sea before operating with the main Austro-Hungarian ironclad squadron until it was disbanded for the year on 17 July.

Too slow to perform the duties of a fleet scout or a torpedo-boat flotilla leader, Lussin was removed from frontline service in 1890.

[2][11] The ship continued to take part in the annual fleet maneuvers, including serving with the summer training squadron from 10 May to 29 June 1890.

On 18 February 1895, the ship ran aground on the northern end of the island of Koločep, and had to be towed free by the cruiser Sebenico on the 24th.

On 30 December, the Marinesektion instructed the Marinetechnisches Komitee (MTK – Naval Technical Committee) to examine how Lussin should be modified so it could be rebuilt to replace the old paddle steamer Fantasie as an admiralty yacht.

[6] After the outbreak of World War I, Lussin was converted once again, in 1916, as a barracks ship for German U-boat crews based in Pola.