Until 1937 Enterprise served with the 4th Cruiser Squadron in the East Indies. On September 30, 1938, she was reduced to reserve service. In October 1939, she was recommissioned and began to escort Atlantic convoys and serving in the Northern Patrol at Scapa Flow.
In April and May 1940, Enterprise took part in the Norway Campaign. On April 19, a torpedo attack by U-65 missed, and on April 24 she bombarded German positions near Narvik, Norway.
After the fall of France in June 1940, Enterprise joined Force H at Gibraltar and took part in various operations in the Western Mediterranean. In September 1940 she was transferred to the South Atlantic for trade protection and escort duties.
In 1941, Enterprise moved to the Indian Ocean to suppress the revolt of Rashid Ali in Iraq in May and April of 1941. From March 11 to March 18 she entered refit and repair at Colombo. In December she helped escort troop ships to Singapore and Rangoon, Burma, and then joined the Eastern Fleet under Admiral Sir James Somerville, taking part in protection of trade for the next year. On December 25, 1942, she returned to Clyde for refit and modernization. On October 31, 1943, she returned to service, and on December 28, 1943, in the Bay of Biscay, Enterprise and HMS Glasgow intercepted a force of eleven German destroyers, the tardy escort for their blockade runner Alsterufer (which had been sunk the previous day by air attack). Three of the destroyers, T-25, T-26 and Z-27, were sunk and four damaged.
From February 3 to February 29, 1944 Enterprise was docked at Devonport for refit, and from March 27 to March 31 she was fitted for missile jamming gear at Devonport. Enterprise was then assigned to Task Force 122 Western Naval Forces, under the command of Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk. Her sub-group was TF125 Assault Force "U" (for Utah Beach). In June 1944 Enterprise took part in the Allied landings in Normandy as part of the bombarding force, serving with USS Nevada (BB-36), HMS Black Prince, and USS Quincy (CA-71).
On June 25, 1944, Enterprise departed Portland to support troops at Cherbourg. She fired on Querqueville, silencing the German guns there.
On January 5, 1945, Enterprise was placed in reserve service at Rosyth. In May she helped return British troops from the Far East, and on January 13, 1946, returned to the United Kingdom for the final time. On April 11 she was sold off, and on April 21 she arrived at Newport for scrapping.
Enterprise received battle honors for her service in the Atlantic in 1939 and 1940, Norway in 1940, the Bay of Biscay in 1943, and Normandy in 1944.
General Characteristics
See HMS Enterprise for other Navy ships of this name.