SMS Habicht was a gunboat of the Kaiserliche Marine launched on 13 May 1879 and commissioned on 1 October 1880.

Upon her commissioning, SMS Habicht conduct cruises through Germany’s Pacific colonies and North Africa before being temporarily deactivated.  She was reactivated in 1885 and sent to West Africa, where she patrolled the waters around Germany’s West Africa colonies and conducting mapping operations until 1892. 

Finally, in 1896, she was sent back to Westafrikanische Station, where in 1904, she was the first reinforcement to the Deutsch-Südwestafrika Schutztruppe at the outbreak of the Herero wars.  Her sailors saw extensive combat and, until more substantial reinforcements arrived from Germany, her captain served as commander of all German forces in D-SWA.   In late 1905, she returned to Germany, where she was decommissioned and scrapped.