The Torpedoboot 1897 was the last design of a small torpedo boat (Kleines Torpedoboot) made in Germany before World War I.

They did not differ much from their predecessors, they were slightly smaller in size but had the same armament, the biggest improvement was the more powerful engine which had a more than 50% increase of engine power.

With the outbreak of World War I, those boats were seen to be obsolete to be used as front line torpedo boats, therefore they were reclassified as Minehunters in September 1914. Most of them were only used as training ships and as coastal patrol boats, only a few operated in their designated role as a mine hunter.

All boats survived the war and they were all scrapped in 1921/22.