As part of the 1st Torpedoboot Flotilla, the ship got fully operational at the end of 1940. After operations near Jutland and mining operations in the North Sea, T1 was send to France in September 1940 for a short time. After a short visit in Germany, the 1st Torpedoboot Flotilla was relocated to Norway and disband in August 1941, T1 was transferred to the 2nd Torpedoboot Flotilla. After operations in Norway , some of those ships supported the advance of German troops during the invasion of the Soviet union and  some participated in  Operation Cerberus in 1942. 

The remaining ships were was part of the torpedo training school in the Baltic Sea until mid 1943.  From  1944, the 2nd Torpedoboot Flotilla was used for escort duties in the Baltic Sea.

T1 was sunk by American Bombers while being docked at the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel on 09.04.1945 at 22:30. The wreck was scrapped after 20.05.1946.