In mid-May, "Liverpool" joined a group of warships that was to have escorted "Trinidad" on her return journey to Britain. After temporary repairs in Russia, "Trinidad" got underway on 13 May. The group that included "Liverpool" positioned itself west of Bear Island, in the Barents Sea, to rendezvous with the cruiser. On 14 May, "Trinidad" came under repeated attack and was set ablaze by bombs. The British had to evacuate and sink her the following day when the fire became uncontrollable. "Liverpool" and the rest of Rear-Admiral Burrough's group came under attack themselves on the return journey. On 25 May, "Liverpool" began escorting PQ 16, a convoy of 35 merchant vessels bound for Murmansk, the largest convoy yet undertaken in support of the Soviet Union. PQ 16 had considerable protection, including the light and heavy cruisers , "Kent", and "Norfolk", and numerous destroyers and submarines, with distant cover provided by the Home Fleet. Inevitably, the convoy came under attack, beginning with a sortie on 25 May that damaged the freighter SS "Carlton". Sustained attacks from U-boats and at least 242 German aircraft yielded a total of seven vessels sunk on 26–27 May. The cruiser escort switched to the returning convoy QP 12 on 26 May.