The four ships that remained with the Mediterranean Fleet sank three Italian submarines in 1940 while escorting Malta convoys and larger warships of the fleet. Several participated in the Battles of Calabria and Cape Spartivento that year. "Duncan" joined Force H at Gibraltar in October and escorted that group. "Dainty" was sunk by German bombers in February 1941 and "Diamond" in April while evacuating Allied personnel from Greece. "Defender" had to be scuttled in July when she was crippled by a German bomber when returning from escorting a convoy to Tobruk. "Duncan" and "Decoy" remained on escort duties for the rest of the year before being transferred to the Eastern Fleet in early 1942. They returned to the UK late in the year to begin conversions to escort destroyers. "Decoy" was transferred to the RCN in early 1943, but both became convoy escorts in the Atlantic. They sank two German submarines before being assigned to the UK to protect Allied shipping during Operation Overlord. They sank three more submarines before the end of the war and were paid off in 1945. "Duncan" was scrapped 1945–49 and "Decoy" during 1946.