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The fateful decision having been made, Hampshire slipped her mooring buoy and cleared the harbour at about 1640. She steamed south out of Scapa Flow through Hoxa Sound, and then turned westwards into the Pentland Firth to rendezvous with her escort destroyers, Victor and Unity, off Tor Ness on the south-west of Hoy. By 1745 she had picked up the two destroyer escorts, which fell into line astern of Hampshire at 18 knots.

The prevailing weather conditions had however been misinterpreted, for within an hour the storm centre had passed overhead and the wind backed sharply to the north-west and increased to a Force 9 severe gale.. The conditions now facing Hampshire and her escorts were exactly the opposite of what had been predicted.

At 1805, the smaller and less powerful destroyer, Victor, signalled that she could only maintain 15 knots.

At 1810, Unity then signalled that she could only maintain 12 knots, and shortly afterwards at 1818, signalled that she could only make 10 knots. At 1820, Hampshire signalled that Unity should return to base.