Following her commissioning into the fleet, Emden was assigned to the East Asia Squadron.
In 1913, Korvettenkapitän (Corvette Captain) Karl von Müller became the ship's commander.
At the outbreak of war, Emden was the only major German warship in Tsingtao, the main German naval base in Asia.
Müller immediately began to operate as a commerce raider, and captured one ship, the Russian steamer Ryazan.
Emden was thereafter ordered to rendezvous with the rest of Spee's cruisers.
She remained with the East Asia Squadron for only a few days, as Müller convinced Spee to detach Emden as an independent raider in the Indian Ocean.

After arriving in the Indian Ocean in September, Emden captured several British merchantmen along the sea lanes from India to Aden.
On 22 September, the ship bombarded Madras, before resuming the hunt for merchant ships.
She captured several more vessels, and then raided the port of Penang.
There, Emden caught the Russian protected cruiser Zhemchug in the harbor and quickly destroyed her.
As Emden was departing, she encountered and sank the French destroyer Mousquet.
Emden thereafter proceeded to the Cocos Islands, where Müller intended to destroy a wireless station.
The Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney reacted to British wireless signals warning of the Germans' presence.
After a fierce gunnery duel, Sydney caused serious damage to Emden and forced her to beach on North Keeling island.
Most of her surviving crew, including Müller, were thereafter taken into captivity.
The wreck was eventually broken up in situ in the early 1950s by a Japanese salvage company, though parts of the ship remain scattered around the area.
Following her commissioning into the fleet, Emden was assigned to the East Asia Squadron. In 1913, Korvettenkapitän (Corvette Captain) Karl von Müller became the ship's commander. At the outbreak of war, Emden was the only major German warship in Tsingtao, the main German naval base in Asia. Müller immediately began to operate as a commerce raider, and captured one ship, the Russian steamer Ryazan. Emden was thereafter ordered to rendezvous with the rest of Spee's cruisers. She remained with the East Asia Squadron for only a few days, as Müller convinced Spee to detach Emden as an independent raider in the Indian Ocean.
After arriving in the Indian Ocean in September, Emden captured several British merchantmen along the sea lanes from India to Aden. On 22 September, the ship bombarded Madras, before resuming the hunt for merchant ships. She captured several more vessels, and then raided the port of Penang. There, Emden caught the Russian protected cruiser Zhemchug in the harbor and quickly destroyed her. As Emden was departing, she encountered and sank the French destroyer Mousquet. Emden thereafter proceeded to the Cocos Islands, where Müller intended to destroy a wireless station. The Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney reacted to British wireless signals warning of the Germans' presence. After a fierce gunnery duel, Sydney caused serious damage to Emden and forced her to beach on North Keeling island. Most of her surviving crew, including Müller, were thereafter taken into captivity. The wreck was eventually broken up in situ in the early 1950s by a Japanese salvage company, though parts of the ship remain scattered around the area.
Dresden-class cruiser