[2] The reduction in size resulted in the ships' seaworthiness being adversely affected, however,[2] with the 1911 and 1912 torpedo boats acquiring the disparaging nickname "Admiral Lans' cripples".

[3] S17, yard number 868,[3] was launched at Schichau's shipyard in Elbing, East Prussia (now Elbląg in Poland) on 22 June 1912 and was commissioned on 7 December that year.

[5] S17 remained a member of the 13th half-flotilla of the 7th Flotilla, part of the German High Seas Fleet, at the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914.

[7] On the night of 19/20 December 1915, the two torpedo boats S22 and S23 of the 7th Flotilla stopped the Swedish steamer Argo, suspected of carrying contraband to Russia near Simrishamn on the East coast of Sweden.

Argo rammed S22 and made off, with the two torpedo boats not opening fire as the commanding officer was unsure whether they were in Swedish territorial waters.

Argo was seized at Utlängan in Swedish waters, and taken to the German port of Swinemünde (now Świnoujście in Poland) but was released after a few hours.

[10] S17 picked up some of the survivors from the British destroyers Nomad and Nestor, which had previously been disabled and then sunk by fire from German battleships at about 18:30–18:35 CET (17:30–17:35 GMT).