The protected cruisers Irene and Prinzess Wilhelm became a submarine tender and a mine-storage hulk rather than return to frontline cruising. Those roles still mattered because Germany entered both world wars short of cruisers. Kaiserin Augusta was reactivated as a gunnery training ship and repeatedly changed armament so crews could train on relevant weapons. Her return released the newer Blücher to join the High Seas Fleet, showing how a noncombat reserve activation could strengthen the fighting force indirectly.
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Old German cruisers release scarce modern ships for the fleet
Support conversions and gunnery training let Germany extract value from old protected cruisers despite a persistent shortage of modern cruiser hulls.