"Hero" was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet on 17 May as part of the reconstituted 2nd Destroyer Flotilla. During the Battle of Cape Spada on 19 July, the ship escorted Australian light cruiser and rescued some of the 525 survivors from the together with the other escorting destroyers. "Hero", together with her sister, , and the destroyers and , were ordered to Gibraltar on 22 August where they were to join Force H. "Hostile" struck a mine en route on the early morning of 23 August off Cap Bon that broke her back. The explosion killed five men and wounded three others. "Mohawk" took off the survivors while "Hero" fired two torpedoes to scuttle her. The ship participated in Operation Hats in September, before refitting in Malta during November. She sortied into the North Atlantic when Convoy WS-5A reported that it had been attacked by the on 25 December to round up the scattered ships.