In December 1911, Nelles joined the battleship . In early 1914, Nelles transferred to the cruiser , which was assigned to the North America and West Indies Station based at Bermuda.
Nelles took command of the battleship in December 1911. Subsequently, in early 1914, he moved to the cruiser , which was stationed in Bermuda as part of a naval operation that covered the North America and West Indies region.