Antelope served throughout the Second World War, taking part in the sinking of three enemy submarines and in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of French North Africa.

[6][7] For the rest of 1939 and the early months of 1940, Antelope carried out patrol and convoy escort duties in the English Channel and Western Approaches.

[6][7] In August 1940, Antelope sailed in convoy to take part in Operation Menace, the attack on Dakar, but after the cruiser Fiji was torpedoed on 1 September 1940, she escorted her back to the Clyde, Scotland.

[13] Antelope joined the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, with the job of escorting the capital ships of the Home Fleet.

Separated from the battleships during the battle of the Denmark Strait, Antelope searched for survivors from the sinking of Hood, and later was escort to the aircraft carrier Victorious.

In October, Antelope formed part of the escort for the Arctic Convoy PQ 1 to the Soviet Union.

[7][15] In July, Antelope took part in two further Spitfire resupply runs with Eagle, Operations Pinpoint and Insect.

In August 1942 Antelope formed part of the main escort force for Operation Pedestal, another Malta convoy.

[7][16] On 30 January 1943, Antelope, together with the Canadian corvette HMCS Port Arthur, sank the Italian submarine Tritone.

By this time she was in poor physical condition, and was paid off into reserve on the Tyne in October to free her crew to help ease a manpower shortage in the Royal Navy.