The ship was transferred to Halifax, Nova Scotia that same month for convoy escort duties (as the circumference of the perimeter of one large convoy was relatively smaller for its area than those of two smaller convoys, requiring fewer escort vessels, convoys originating at Bermuda and Halifax, coded BHX- and HX- respectively, merged prior to crossing the Atlantic as HX- convoys, often with only a single escort early in the war, as was the case with the ill-fated Convoy HX 84). In October 1939, "York" was assigned to Force F at Halifax, which was active in hunting for commerce raiders and protecting convoys. She was briefly refitted in Bermuda between 31 October and 22 November before she returned to Great Britain for a more thorough refit in December. Upon its completion on 9 February "York" was assigned to the 1st Cruiser Squadron of Home Fleet. On 3 March 1940 the ship intercepted the German blockade runner "Arucas" in the Denmark Strait near Iceland, but she was scuttled by her own crew before she could be captured.