Seydlitz was launched on 30 March 1912 and commissioned in May 1913 before completing final trials as Germany tried to increase fleet numbers quickly. The nucleus of her crew came from the armored cruiser Yorck, providing experience while defects found in trials were corrected. She then joined the High Seas Fleet for the 1913 maneuvers off Heligoland, where Franz von Hipper could assess her performance directly. Hipper chose the ship as his flagship on 23 June 1914 because she appeared solid and dependable, a role she retained until October 1917.
Chapter · 40:12-42:50
Why Hipper selected Seydlitz as his flagship
Early commissioning, an experienced armored-cruiser crew, and reliable maneuver performance helped make Seydlitz Hipper's flagship through most of the war.