In early April, "Ivanhoe" and three other destroyer minelayers were escorted by the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla as they laid mines as part of Operation Wilfred, an operation to lay mines in the Vestfjord to prevent the shipment of Swedish iron ore from Narvik to Germany. The mines were laid on the early morning of 8 April, before the Germans began their invasion, and the destroyers joined the battlecruiser and her escorts after they each successfully laid their 60 mines. The ship was present during, but played no significant part in, "Renown"s brief engagement off Lofoten with the German battleships and on 9 April. Later in the month, the ship carried troops of the 15th Infantry Brigade to Åndalsnes. "Ivanhoe" then loaded mines and laid a minefield in the approaches to Trondheim, together with "Icarus" and , on the night of 29/30 April.