The Hans Lody was part of the 9th destroyer division at the outbreak of the war, operating in the Baltic Sea near Danzig and later transferred to the North sea after the Polnish campaign. The ship took part in two mining operations in British coastal waters. After the capture of French ports, the destroyer operated in the Channel since the end of the year 1940. Together with the destroyers Richard Beitzen and Karl Galster , the Hans Lody damaged the British destroyer Javelin in November 1941. In spring of 1942, the ship transferred to Norway where it was used  was used during Operation Sizilien in September 1943. In November 1943, Hans Lody was  used for escort duties between Norway and Germany and patrols at Jutland, in  the final days of the war,  the destroyer was part of the evacuation fleet in East Prussia.

Decommissioned on 09.05.1945 and taken over by the British after the war, the ship was transferred to Portsmouth on 06.01.1946. After trials in 1946, the ship was broken down between 1949-1962.