While both ships served extensively in the first few years of the Second World War, it was "Exeter" that had the more notable career. Most famously, "Exeter" took part in the Battle of the River Plate against the German raider , and was badly damaged, though later she was repaired and modernized. She escorted a convoy to the Pacific in late 1941, and was again heavily damaged in the Battle of the Java Sea, then caught and overwhelmed a few days later by four Japanese heavy cruisers. "York" was sunk in Suda Bay, Crete, by Italian MT boats in 1941, and was raised in 1952 and towed away to be scrapped in Italy.