While patrolling the North African coast on 24 February with the destroyer , "Dainty" was sunk by German bombers. "Duncan", "Diamond" and "Defender" continued to provide escorts as needed in early 1941, although "Duncan" was transferred to Freetown in March. "Decoy", "Defender" and "Diamond" evacuated Allied troops from Greece and Crete in April–May, although "Diamond" was sunk by German aircraft on 27 April while doing so. After "Defender" participated in the invasion of Vichy French-controlled Syria and Lebanon in June, she joined "Decoy" in escorting convoys to Tobruk and was badly damaged when returning from one of these missions. The ship was attacked by a single German Junkers Ju 88 bomber on 11 July and had to be scuttled by her consort, the Australian destroyer . "Duncan" rejoined Force H that same month and she escorted several major convoys to Malta before returning to the UK in October for a lengthy refit. "Decoy" was damaged in a collision in December and was repaired at Malta until February 1942.