The SMS Iltis was a light cruiser of the Imperial German Navy built in the late 19th century. It was named after the Iltis weasel found in Central Europe. The ship was launched in 1898 and saw service in China during the Boxer Rebellion. The SMS Iltis was involved in the Battle of Taku Forts in 1900, where it played a key role in supporting the allied forces against Chinese rebels. After the war, the ship was used for patrols and training duties. In 1914, at the outbreak of World War I, SMS Iltis was disarmed and served as a tender for U-boats. It was finally decommissioned in 1919 and sold for scrap in 1921. The SMS Iltis had a displacement of 2,200 tons and was armed with a main battery of ten 10.5 cm guns. The ship had a top speed of 20 knots and a crew of 287 officers and sailors. SMS Iltis had a relatively short but eventful service history, participating in significant naval engagements during its time in service.

This description has been generated using GPT-3.5-TURBO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.