The ship was laid down on 24 August 1925 at the Burgerhout's Scheepswerf en Machinefabriek in Rotterdam and launched on 30 June 1927. The ship was commissioned on 3 September 1928. On 11 June 1929 a detachment of marines was ship on the Kortenaer. The ship was send to Curaçao after Venezuelan rebels had raided Fort Amsterdam in Willemstad on 8 June.