Enterprise's speed, endurance, and command capacity suited the newly formed Force H from June to December 1940. She participated in the Mers-el-Kébir negotiations and Operation Catapult and supported aircraft deliveries to Malta. When Force H was reorganized, the cruiser shifted to Cape Town because the South Atlantic command needed a flagship for trade protection and interception work. There she operated with Cumberland and Newcastle in the hunt for the German auxiliary raider Thor, showing how a flexible light cruiser could move rapidly between fleet and independent duties.
Chapter · 38:43-40:06
From Force H to South Atlantic raider hunts
Enterprise helped establish Force H, joined Operation Catapult, delivered aircraft to Malta, and then became a South Atlantic interception flagship.