On 4 September 1901, "Sachsen" collided with the aviso while on extensive training maneuvers with the rest of the fleet. "Wacht" was sunk, but the crew was safely evacuated and neither ship suffered casualties. During the maneuvers, "Wacht" attempted to pass between "Sachsen" and her sistership "Württemberg". However, "Wacht"s helmsman misjudged the distance and passed too closely in front of "Sachsen". "Sachsen" immediately attempted to reverse course to avoid ramming the cruiser, but the ships collided. "Sachsen"s ram bow tore a large hole in "Wacht", which began to slowly sink. The battleship attempted to tow "Wacht" to shallow water, but several of "Wacht"s internal bulkheads collapsed under the strain and the ship quickly sank.