WhentheGermansinvadedNorwayinApril1940,theBritishAdmiraltyorderedCaptainWarburton-LeetoleadaflotillaoffivedestroyerstotheNorwegianportofNarviktopreventthemfromlandingthere.Warburton-LeelearnedbeforehearrivedthattheGermanshadalreadyoccupiedNarvik,andthattheyheldtheplaceinmuchgreaterforcethanhadbeenthought.Hedecidedtotaketheenemybysurprise.
Earlyonthemorningof10April,undercoverofaheavysnowstorm,theBritishenteredtheharbourandsanktwoGermandestroyersandsixmerchantships,damaginganotherdestroyer.WhentheBritishflotillawaswithdrawing,fiveGermandestroyerswereencounteredandengaged.Warburton-Leewasheavilywoundedbyashellthathithisship'sbridge.Dying,hegavehislastsignaltohisflotilla:"Continuetoengagetheenemy."
一九四○年四月，德國進犯挪威。英國海軍部命令沃伯頓─李上校率領五艘驅逐艦組成的小艦隊往挪威納維克港，防止德軍在那裏登陸。沃伯頓─李還未到達，就接到消息說，納維克已經落在德軍手上，而且駐守的德軍遠比預算多。他決定突襲。
四月十日清晨，英艦在暴風雪掩護下開入納維克港，擊沉兩艘德國驅逐艦和六艘商船，還擊毀了另一艘驅逐艦。他們撤退時，和五艘德國驅逐艦相遇並交火。一枚砲彈打中沃伯頓─李那艘船的指揮臺，沃伯頓─李身受重傷，死前給艦隊的最後信號說：「繼續戰鬥。」