Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt was part of the 3th 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 four mining operations in British coastal waters, including the ill fated Operation Wikinger in February 1940. During in Operation Weserübung  the Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt was part of the Kriegsschiffgruppe 2 heading for Trondheim. After a short time in the Channel, the ship returned to Norway in spring of 1942. It was sunk  by the British cruisers Jamaica and Sheffield on 31.12.1942 during the Battle of the Barents Sea at 73°15'N,30°20'E