SMS Sperber was an unprotected cruiser of the Kaiserliche Marine launched on 23 August 1888 and commissioned on 2 April 1889.

Upon commissioning, SMS Sperber briefly served at Ostafrikanische Station in German East Africa before being assigned to the South Pacific.  After three years serving around German New Guinea, she was transferred to Westafrikanische Station, spending almost 3 years in German Southwest Africa.

In 1896, she was decommissioned for overhaul, then re-commissioned in December 1902.  Upon her re-commissioning, she embarked on short stints of service at several stations – Ostamerikanische (early 1903), Ostafrikanische (mid-1903), Ostasiatische (late 1903 to mid-1905), Westafrikanische (mid-1905 to mid-1910), and finally, back at Ostafrikanische Station (mid-1910 to mid-1911), before returning to Germany for her final decommissioning.