During World War I, Vendetta participated in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight, and operated against Bolshevik forces during the British Baltic Campaign.

Over the next six years, the ship was either involved in peacetime activities or was in reserve, but when World War II started, she was assigned to the Mediterranean as part of the 'Scrap Iron Flotilla'.

At the end of 1941, Vendetta was docked for refit in Singapore, but after the Japanese invaded, the destroyer had to be towed to Fremantle, then Melbourne.

[2] In April 1939, she was given the honour of transporting the body of Prime Minister Joseph Lyons from Sydney to his final resting place in Devonport, Tasmania.

[7] Following the outbreak of World War II, Vendetta and the other four RAN destroyers were deployed to the Mediterranean in October 1939,[2] where they quickly acquired the nickname 'Scrap Iron Flotilla' from German propagandists.

[8] During March, the ship was involved in Operation Lustre, the transportation of Allied troops and materiel to reinforce Greece.

[8] On 27 March, Vendetta was involved in the Battle of Cape Matapan, where Italian warships attempted to disrupt the Allied troop movements.

[8] On the morning of 11 July, it was decided that salvaging the ship was unachievable, and after taking the remaining skeleton crew aboard, Vendetta torpedoed Defender at 11:15.

[8] Vendetta performed twenty return voyages to Tobruk: the greatest number by a ship assigned to the supply run.

[9] After the Japanese commenced air attacks on Singapore on 8 December, Vendetta's anti-aircraft weapons were removed and used to supplement the dockyard's defences.

[10] Ping Wo started the tow, but only made it to Cape Leeuwin before her engines failed, and a British Phosphate Commission freighter took over, with the corvette HMAS Whyalla escorting.

[10] Three towlines were snapped by the weather conditions, and progress at some points was as low as 1.5 knots (2.8 km/h; 1.7 mph), but the ships arrived in Melbourne on 15 April.

[10] During the year-long refit, Vendetta had been modified into a dedicated escort vessel, with a reduced main armament and increased anti-aircraft capability.

[10] The destroyer's wartime service was recognised with seven battle honours: "Libya 1940–41", "Matapan 1941", "Greece 1941", "Crete 1941", "Mediterranean 1941", "Pacific 1941–43", and "New Guinea 1943–44".