The ship completed working up in July and sailed to Norway on the 22nd, accompanied by the destroyer . The two ships, with the addition of were assigned to the "4. Zerstörerflotille" (4th Destroyer Flotilla) upon their arrival. During Operation Zitronella, the German raid on the island of Spitsbergen in September, they were tasked with fire support for the troops ashore. During the mission "Z29" was hit four times by coastal artillery, killing three crewmen and wounding three others. The ship was one of the escorts for "Scharnhorst" during Operation Ostfront on 25 December, an attempt to intercept the British Convoy JW 55B that was bound for the Soviet Union. All of the battleship's escorts were detached the following day to increase the likelihood of intercepting the convoy and did not participate in the ensuing Battle of North Cape.