These ships were laid down in 1904, when the Russo-Japanese War was in full swing in the Far East. It was clear to everyone that by this war they would not have time to be launched and, in fact, they were already being built for the future fleet, but the characteristics laid down in them lagged behind even the ships that existed then. Built at German shipyards, which produced the most tenacious and combat-ready ships, destroyers of the Volunteer type were inferior in their characteristics to the ships of the German fleet. But, despite all their shortcomings, these ships took an active part in the First World War - they set mines near Danzig, Memel and Königsberg, participated in the battles for Moonsund in 1915 and 1917, in attacks on German convoys going to Sweden.