"helgoland" saw some action against britain's royal navy during world war i. the ship was part of the i scouting group in the north sea. she also served in the baltic sea against the russian navy, including the battle of the gulf of riga in august 1915. "helgoland" was at the battle of jutland on 31 may – 1 june 1916. she was given to great britain at the end of the war and broken up for scrap in the early 1920s. her coat of arms is now in the military history museum of the bundeswehr in dresden.