the ship was ordered on 4 august 1934 and laid down at germania, kiel on 26 march 1935 as yard number g537. she was launched on 8 july 1936 and completed on 6 july 1938. when world war ii began in september 1939, "bernd von arnim" was initially deployed in the baltic to operate against the polish navy and to enforce a blockade of poland, but she was soon transferred to the german bight where she joined her sisters in laying defensive minefields. the ship also patrolled the skagerrak to inspect neutral shipping for contraband goods. "bernd von arnim" joined the other destroyers in laying minefields off the british coast in november, when "bernd von arnim", "hermann künne" and "wilhelm heidkamp" laid about 180 magnetic mines in the middle of the thames estuary on the night of 17/18 november. the destroyer , one trawler, and seven other ships totalling 27,565 gross register tons (grt) were sunk by this minefield. four days later, she was one of the destroyers escorting the battleships and through the north sea to break out into the north atlantic. together with her sisters "hans lody" and "erich giese", "bernd von arnim" was to lay a minefield off cromer during the night of 6/7 december, but she had trouble with two of her boilers and had to shut them down. the ship was ordered to return to port while the other two destroyers continued their mission.