A cikin watan Disamba na 1942, Sheffield da Jamaica sun kafa "Force R", a karkashin umurnin Rear-Admiral Robert Burnett (a Sheffield), wanda ya ba da kariya ga Convoy JW 51B. Wani dakarun Jamus mai karfi ya kai hari. A cikin aikin da ya biyo baya (Battle of the Barents Sea), 'yan Jamus sun janye kuma Sheffield ya nutsar da Friedrich Eckoldt na Jamus, yayin da yake lalata Admiral Hipper, Eckoldt ya yi kuskuren lalata Sheffield don Hipper.
3 ga watan Maris na shekara ta 1942