the ship was ordered on 19 january 1935 and laid down at blohm & voss, hamburg on 4 november 1935 as yard number b505. she was launched on 21 march 1937 and completed on 28 july 1938. the ship participated in the august 1938 fleet review as part of the 3rd destroyer division. on 23–24 march 1939, "z16 friedrich eckoldt" was one of the destroyers escorting adolf hitler aboard the pocket battleship to occupy memel. she participated in the spring fleet exercise in the western mediterranean and made several visits to spanish and moroccan ports in april and may.