"Hero" escorted the LSI(L) as she conducted an amphibious landing in early June 1941 on the Lebanese coast during the opening stages of the Operation Exporter. She spent most of the rest of the year escorting convoys to Tobruk. Together with her sister and the destroyer , the ship escorted on 25 October whilst en route to Tobruk. They were attacked by Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" dive bombers of I./StG 1 that hit "Latona" and set her afire. "Hero" and "Encounter" came alongside and rescued the crew and passengers before "Latona"s magazine exploded, but "Hero" was damaged by three near misses whilst alongside. The ship returned to Alexandria for repairs and escorted a convoy to Malta in January 1942. She participated in the 2nd Battle of Sirte on 22 March whilst escorting a convoy to Malta. Together with the s and on 29 May, she sank the north-east of Tobruk, at , and rescued 42 survivors.