The Imperial German Navy ordered 12 large torpedo boats (Große Torpedoboote) as part of the fiscal year 1910 shipbuilding programme, with one half-flotilla of six ships (V186–V191) ordered from AG Vulcan and the other six ships from Germaniawerft.

The ship's machinery was rated at 18,000 PS (18,000 shp; 13,000 kW) giving a design speed of 32 knots (37 mph; 59 km/h), with members of the class reaching a speed of 33.5 knots (38.6 mph; 62.0 km/h) during sea trials.

[4] 136 tons of coal and 67 tons of oil fuel were carried, giving an endurance of 2,360 nautical miles (2,720 mi; 4,370 km) at 12 knots (14 mph; 22 km/h), 1,250 nautical miles (1,440 mi; 2,320 km) at 17 knots (20 mph; 31 km/h) or 480 nautical miles (550 mi; 890 km) at 30 knots (35 mph; 56 km/h).

[11] V186, leader of the 1st half-flotilla of I torpedo Boat Flotilla, was again present in the Baltic in December 1915, and attempted rescue operations when the light cruiser Bremen and torpedo boat V191 were sunk in a Russian minefield on 17 December.

[13] On 31 May 1916 V186 sortied with the High Seas Fleet as part of VII Flotilla, in the operation that would result in the Battle of Jutland.

On 20 October, the British submarine C32 attempted to torpedo the German netlayer Eskimo, but was depth-charged and badly damaged by V186 and S176.