Although scuttled by Norwegian naval personnel to prevent her from being captured by the invading forces, she was soon salvaged by the Germans and put into service with the Kriegsmarine.

The Royal Norwegian Navy had requested 1,000 ton destroyers, but financial constraints led to the 735-ton Sleipner class being constructed as a compromise.

The funds were intended to improve the armed forces' ability to protect Norwegian neutrality against violations by the warring parties.

[4][5][6] The successful launch of Tor at Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted led member of parliament from the Conservative Party, naval captain Trygve Sverdrup, in a closed meeting of the Parliament of Norway on 11 March 1940, to argue for further Sleipner-class ships to be rapidly constructed at the shipyard in order to improve the numbers of the Royal Norwegian Navy.

The completion of the two destroyers was the first work carried out by the state-owned Norwegian naval yard for the German occupants during the Second World War.

[3][Note 3] In German service Tiger was made part of the 7th Torpedo Boat Flotilla; initially carrying out escort duties in the Skagerrak and Kattegat.

[20] The fellow captured Norwegian Sleipner-class destroyers Gyller (Löwe), Odin (Panther) and Balder (Leopard) also formed part of the same flotilla.

Tiger spent the rest of the war with the 27th U-boat Flotilla, being recovered in Korsør, Denmark in May 1945 and returned to the Royal Norwegian Navy.