31 Aug, 1940
On 31 August 1940 a group of destroyers sailed from Immingham on a minelaying mission off the Dutch coast. The minelayers were from the 20th Destroyer Flotilla and consisted of the destroyers HMS Express (Cdr. J.G. Bickford, DSC, RN), HMS Esk (Lt.Cdr. R.J.H. Couch, DSC, RN), HMS Icarus (Cdr. C.D. Maud, DSC, RN), HMS Intrepid (Cdr. R.C. Gordon, RN) and HMS Ivanhoe (Cdr. P.H. Hadow, RN). The minelayers were escorted by members of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla consisted of the destroyers HMS Kelvin (Cdr. J.H. Allison, DSO, RN), HMS Jupiter (Cdr. D.B. Wyburd, RN) and HMS Vortigern (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Howlett, RN). Aerial reconnaissance detected a German force and the ships of the 20th and 5th DF were ordered to intercept, beliving wrongly that the German ships were part of an invasion force. HMS Express struck a mine and was badly damaged, HMS Esk went to her assistance and hit mine and sank immediately, HMS Ivanhoe also went to her assistance and hit a mine and was badly damaged, so much so she she had to be sunk by HMS Kelvin. The following day they were joined by the light cruisers HMS Aurora (Capt. L.H.K. Hamilton, DSO, RN) and HMS Galatea (Capt. B.B. Schofield, RN) and while returning to base HMS Galatea struck another mine and was slightly damaged off Cleaner Shoal Buoy near the Humber light vessel.

11 Oct, 1940
The battleship HMS Revenge sails from Plymouth with the destroyers HMS Javelin, HMS Jupiter, HMS Kelvin, HMS Kipling, HMS Jackal, HMS Jaguar and HMS Kashmir to shell the French port of Cherbourg.

17 Aug, 1942
The Canadian troop transport Princess Marguerite is torpedoed and sunk northwest of Port Said in position 32º03'N, 32º47'E by the German submarine U-83. The British destroyers HMS Hero (Lt. W. Scott, RN) and HMS Kelvin (Cdr. M.S. Townsend, OBE, DSC, RN) together pick up 1074 survivors.

8 Jan, 1943
The British destroyers HMS Nubian (Cdr. D.E. Holland-Martin, DSC, RN) and HMS Kelvin (Cdr. M.S. Townsend, OBE, DSC, RN) intercept three schooners near Kuriat, Tunisia and sink them with gunfire.

9 Jan, 1943
The British destroyers HMS Nubian (Cdr. D.E. Holland-Martin, DSC, RN) and HMS Kelvin (Cdr. M.S. Townsend, OBE, DSC, RN) intercept a sailing vessel near Kuriat, Tunisia and sink it with gunfire.

15 Jan, 1943
The British destroyers HMS Nubian (Cdr. D.E. Holland-Martin, DSC, RN) and HMS Kelvin (Cdr. M.S. Townsend, OBE, DSC, RN) intercept the Italian merchant D'Annuzio (4537 GRT) and it's escort, the Italian torpedo boat Perseo south of Lampedusa. The destroyers sink the D'Annuzio but the Perseo manages the escape.

20 Jan, 1943
The British destroyers HMS Kelvin and HMS Javelin intercept a small Italian convoy off Tripoli, Libya and completely destroy it. Some 11 ships were sunk among them the small Italian minesweepers RD 31, RD 36, RD 37 and RD 39.