Screening duties completed, "Laffey" returned to England, arriving at Portsmouth on 22 June, where she tied up alongside the battleship . On 25 June, she got underway with the battleship to join Bombardment Group 2 shelling the formidable defenses at Cherbourg-Octeville. Upon reaching the bombardment area, the group was taken under fire by shore batteries; destroyers and were hit. "Laffey" was hit above the waterline by a ricocheting shell, but it failed to explode and did little damage.