The D-class destroyers were initially assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet upon commissioning, but were transferred to the China Station in 1935. Like the C class, most were temporarily deployed in the Red Sea when the Italians invaded Abyssinia, but returned to the China Station when that was over. They were still there when the war began, but reinforced the Mediterranean Fleet shortly afterwards. Five ships were transferred to Home Fleet in December 1939, but "Duchess" was sunk en route when she was accidentally rammed by the battleship HMS "Barham", and "Duncan" was badly damaged when she collided with a merchant ship, requiring lengthy repairs. "Daring" was sunk by a German submarine in February 1940. The other two participated in the Norwegian Campaign of April–June, but "Delight" was sunk by German aircraft in July and "Diana" was transferred to the RCN as a replacement for the "Crescent" after she was sunk by the cruiser "Calcutta". However, she too was rammed and sunk several months later by a freighter that she was escorting.