"Eskimo" participated in the Second Battle of Narvik in April 1940. On 12 April, "Eskimo" was hit by a torpedo fired from German destroyer . The explosion caused severe damage, blowing off "Eskimo"'s bow. After temporary repairs by the shipwrights of the fleet repair ship "Vindictive" at Skjelfjorden in Norway, "Eskimo" was able to return to the Vickers-Armstrong works at Newcastle for rebuilding, which took until Sept. 1940.