SMS Zenta was a small light cruiser built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy, lead ship of her class, named after the town of Senta. and were her sister ships. Zenta was originally conceived for foreign cruise deployment, primarily to show the flag abroad despite the Austro-Hungarian empire having no great colonial ambitions.
News reached Austria-Hungary that the Boxer Rebellion in China was fast getting worse. Zenta was recalled to assist in the evacuation of international embassy staff as well as the Austro-Hungarian delegation. Seventy-five members of her crew were attached to the relief expedition led by Admiral Seymour, which headed for Tientsin.
Zenta was joined by the armoured cruiser , and 160 sailors from both ships (and two landed guns) assisted German marines in the assaults on the Taku forts. Zenta had her commanding officer, Kapitän von Thomann, killed in the action.