Ordered on 12 November 1935, "Le Hardi" was laid down by Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire at their shipyard in Nantes on 20 May 1936. She was launched on 4 May 1938, commissioned on 1 December 1939, and completed on 31 May 1940, entering service two days later. The ship escorted the passenger ship from La Pallice to Casablanca, French Morocco, and then steamed to Brest, France. On 19 June, "Le Hardi", together with her sisters and , helped to escort the incomplete battleship from Saint-Nazaire to Casablanca, where they arrived three days later. On 28 July, "Le Hardi" and "Épée" sailed for Dakar, French West Africa. During the British attack on Dakar on 23–25 September, "Le Hardi" was tasked to make a smoke screen to protect the light cruisers and and fired 60 rounds at British ships. The destroyer departed Dakar for Casablanca on 30 September. The following months saw five of the "Le Hardi"-class ships ordered to Oran, French Algeria, to escort the battleship that had been damaged during the attack on Mers-el-Kébir; "Le Hardi" arrived there on 25 October. Departing on 5 November, they arrived at Toulon three days later. All of the ships in the class were assigned to the 10th DT () at this time, although only three were allowed to be in commission at any time in accordance with the rules imposed by the Italian and German Armistice Commissions.