Like the other small torpedo boats designed in the late 19th century, the boats of the Kleine Torpedoboot 1892 were too old and too lightly armed to be used in front line operations during World War I.
Being very similar to their predecessors, all boats of this class were reclassified as mine hunters at the outbreak of the war - due to the fact that there were no special build mine hunters available at this time to counter the threat of large mine fields.

Therefore, all boats were rebuild in 1914, removing all torpedo tubes, adding a second funnel and installing mine hunting equipment. Their names then changed form "S" + number to "T" + number.

Besides the four boats that were lost because of mine hits, all other ships survived the war and were used as tenders or auxiliary ships by the Reichsmarine until they were sold and scrapped in 1921.