In July 1912, "Moltke" escorted Kaiser Wilhelm II's yacht to Russia. Upon returning, "Moltke"s commander was replaced by "KzS" Magnus von Levetzow, and the ship became the Reconnaissance Force flagship until 23 June 1914, when the commander's flag was transferred to the new battlecruiser . There was some consideration given to deploying "Moltke" to the Far East in order to replace the armored cruiser , but the plan was abandoned when it became apparent that needed replacement in the Mediterranean. "Moltke" was then scheduled to transfer to replace her sister ship, but this plan was interrupted by the outbreak of World War I.