16 November 1935: Ordered.

14 November 1936: Lay down at Schichau shipyard in Elbing. Construction number 1382.

23 June 1938: Launched.

03 February 1940: Commissioned.

February-July 1940: Conducts sea trials in home waters.

August 1940: Joins the 1st Torpedo Boat Flotilla (T1, T2 and T3) in the English Channel.

18 September 1940: T3 is bombed and sunk in Le Havre by British bombers. 9 men lost.

1941: Raised and towed back to Germany to be placed in dry dock.

1941-1943: Undergoes repairs at Schichau shipyard in Elbing.

12 December 1943: Recommissioned in Danzig.

January 1944 - November 1944: Assigned to the Torpedo School in Travemünde.

December 1944: Joins the 2nd Torpedo Boat Flotilla for operations in the Baltic.

04 January 1945: T3 rams and sinks the Soviet submarine S4 in the Gulf of Danzig.

14 March 1945: Torpedo boats T3 and T5 are sunk north of Hela after hitting mines that had been laid by the Soviet submarine L21. Approximate position 54º 39' North, 18º 47' East.

03 February 1940 - September 1940: Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Bruns.

12 December 1943 - 14 March 1945: Kapitänleutnant Harald von Diest.

Displacement: standard 840 mt, full load 1,088 mt.

Dimensions: Waterline length 82.16 m, overall length 84.3 m (87.1 m with Atlantic bow), beam 8.68 m, maximum draft 2.94 m, height 5.14 m.

Armament:
  •  1 x 10.5cm/L45
  •  1 x 3.7cm/L83
  •  2 x 2cm/L65
  •  6 x 53.3cm torpedo tubes in two triple mounts
  •  Up to 30 mines.

Propulsion plant: 4 Wagner boilers, 2 Wagner turbines, 31,000 hp.

Speed: 35.5 knots.

Endurance: 1,070 nm at 19 knots.

Fuel capacity: 180 mt.

Crew: 155.