The destroyer served in the Norwegian Campaign from 7 April, when she left Scapa Flow with the fleet in response to the sighting of the German invasion force in Heligoland Bight for what was erroneously thought to be a breakout into the Atlantic. The Home Fleet came under repeated air attack on 10 April, but "Escapade" was unscathed. The destroyer returned to Scapa Flow after the sortie and screened the light cruiser "Southampton" as the latter departed Scapa Flow alongside her sister ship "Electra" on 12 April. She was detached to protect troopships landing at Harstad on 15 and 16 April, and remained there for the rest of the month and much of May, escorting empty transports into the North Sea, pursuing U-boat sightings, and transporting orders and personnel between the landing sites. After screening the last evacuation convoys out of Norway in early June, the destroyer was sent to escort the aircraft carrier "Ark Royal" to join Force H at Gibraltar from 17 June. To guard against a German invasion of the British Isles, "Escapade" returned to that area with the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla in August, but was detached after three weeks to escort the battleship "Barham" in Operation Menace, the failed attempt to capture the West African port of Dakar from Vichy France.