[3] Early in March 1941, she escorted the convoy SC 23 and was damaged by strong weather, but was repaired shortly afterwards.

[3] Upon arriving in Freetown on 9 November, she would be a part of training exercises, along with HMS Severn, Brilliant, Bridgewater and Turcoman.

At the very end of March the Hollyhock was nominated to carry out the task of escorting ships that were laying mines.

It was also around this time that the Japanese navy increased aggression, starting with the bombing of an allied air base in Colombo on 5 April 1942.

[2] On 9 April 1942, Hollyhock was escorting the SS Athelstane as they and a few others fled southwards from Trincomalee.

[3] At around 12 o'clock, Hollyhock was bombed by Japanese naval aircraft launched from the carrier Sōryū in the Indian Ocean, 30 miles SSE of Batticaloa, Ceylon (7.30N 81.56E).

[1] During the same engagement, the aircraft carrier Hermes and the Australian destroyer Vampire that were part of the convoy going south from Trincomalee were also sunk.