SMS Wolf was a gunboat cruiser of the Kaiserliche Marine launched on 21 March 1878 and commissioned on 1 October 1878.

Upon her commissioning, SMS Wolf was assigned to Ostasiatische Station, the first warship to be assigned to the new station.  She would server there for approximately before returning to Germany for refit in 1884.  On the way back to Germany, she took part in the founding of Deutsch-Südwestafrika by claiming certain coastal territory for Germany.  She was decommittioned for refit upon her arrival in Germany.

SMS Wolf was recommissioned upon completion of her refit in 1886, and returned to Ostasiatische Station.  She remained in service there until 1895, when she returned to Germany for another period of  decommissioning.

She was recommissioned for a final time in 1897, at which time she was deployed to Westafrikanische Station.  She served there until 1905, when she returned to Germany for a final decommissioning.  She served as a repair ship in the Danzig shipyard until 1919, when she was scrapped.