T which had been formed to support the British invasion of Italian Somaliland with gunfire from Hawkins and three other cruisers in addition to the aircraft of the carrier . On 10–12 February, Hawkins captured five Italian merchant ships totalling that had attempted to escape from Kismayo, including . Ten days later the cruiser briefly joined the escorts of WS-5BX off Mombasa, British Kenya, but she was detached on the 22nd in an unsuccessful search for the German heavy cruiser after that ship had been spotted by a British aircraft. Hawkins remained in the Indian Ocean, escorting convoys and searching for Axis commerce raiders, until she returned to the UK to begin a refit at HM Dockyard, Devonport, on 4 December. Her light anti-aircraft armament was greatly augmented by the addition of two quadruple two-pounder mounts and the exchange of a pair of two-pounder single mounts for seven single Oerlikon AA guns. In addition, a Type 281 early-warning radar, a Type 273 surface-search radar and a pair of Type 285 anti-aircraft gunnery radars were fitted on the roofs of the newly-installed four-inch directors. The repairs were completed by May 1942 and Hawkins returned to the Indian Ocean where she was assigned to the Eastern Fleet. She resumed her convoy escort duties and continued to patrol in search of Axis commerce raiders for the next two years. During one of these escort missions, the troop ship was torpedoed with heavy loss of life by the on 12 February 1944. Later that year, Hawkins returned home to participate in the Normandy landings. Initially assigned to the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet, she was detached to the Western Task Force Gunfire Support Bombardment Force U to support American troops landing at Utah Beach. On 6 June, the ship bombarded the coastal artillery positions in Grandcamp-Maisy and Saint-Martin-de-Varreville with some effect. The following month she was paid off and was sent to Rosyth, Scotland, for repairs and to be converted into a training ship. The navy took advantage of the dockyard time and upgraded her anti-aircraft armament by exchanging her quadruple two-pounder mounts for octuple mounts and adding a pair of Oerlikon AA guns during 8–23 August. The conversion was cancelled in May 1945 and Hawkins was reduced to reserve. In 1947 she was used for target trials to test the effectiveness of and bombs, and was bombed by Royal Air Force