During World War II, the ship became a naval accommodation ship for the Kriegsmarine in 1940 and served with the 7th U-boat Flotilla in Kiel.

From June 1943, Hamburg was relocated to Gotenhafen and assigned to 8th U-boat Flotilla.

On 7 March 1945 during the evacuation of Germans from the Eastern Front, she struck a mine and sank off Saßnitz in position 54°30′00″N 13°42′02″E / 54.50000°N 13.70056°E / 54.50000; 13.70056.

[1] The wreck was raised by the Soviets and converted to a whaler at Warnowwerft, Warnemünde, from 7 November 1950.

Becoming Yuri Dolgoruki, the ship was put in service on 12 July 1960.