SMS Emden was the second and final member of the Dresden class of light cruisers built for the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine). She was launched in May 1908, and completed in July 1909. Emden was armed with ten 10.5 cm (4.1 in) guns and two torpedo tubes. Emden spent the majority of her career overseas in the German East Asia Squadron, based in Tsingtao, China. In 1913, she came under the command of Karl von Müller, who would captain the ship during her career in World War I. At the outbreak of hostilities, Emden captured a Russian steamer and converted her into the commerce raider Cormoran. Emden rejoined the East Asia Squadron, after which she was detached for independent raiding in the Indian Ocean. The cruiser spent nearly two months operating in the region, and captured nearly two dozen ships. Müller took Emden to raid the Cocos Islands, where he landed a contingent of sailors to destroy British facilities.