The outbreak of the First World War, resulted in Germany seizing four large destroyers that were being built by Germaniawerft for Argentina (which entered service as the G101-class torpedo boat), and building the eight large B 97-class torpedo boats to take advantage of machinery that was being built by German suppliers for Russia.

The success of these larger ships resulted in a requirement for a second flotilla of large torpedo boats.

[8] Built at Vulcan's Stettin, Prussia (now Szczecin in Poland), shipyard as yard number 456, V116 was launched on 2 March 1818 and was completed on 31 July that year.

[12] The Allies and the United States decided to transfer 10 destroyers from the ships surrendered from the German and Austro-Hungarian to each of the French and Italian navies to replace wartime losses, with Italy choosing V116 as part of her allocation.

[13] She was transferred to the Italian Navy on 23 May 1920 and recommissioned on 1 July 1921 under the name Premuda, classed as an Esploratori (English: Scout).