HMS Jervis was launched on 9 September 1938 and commissioned on 8 May 1939.

When WWII broke out Jervis was leader of the 7th Destroyer Flotilla based in the Humber. The first six months of hostilities was taken up with sweeps across the North Sea, in appalling weather conditions which saw the Flotilla suffer a succession of storm and collision damage. During this time Jervis captured three blockade runners, one on the second day of the war. In March 1940 Jervis was involved in a collision with SS Tor, a Swedish freighter, that put her in dock for the next three months for repairs.

During this time as Captain (D) led the Flotilla from HMS Janus and in May 1940 sailed with her for the Mediterranean to take command of the 14th Destroyer Flotilla. Jervis' pennant number changed to G00 around this time. In July, after working-up trials, she joined him in Malta. For the next two years Jervis saw action in a constant round of operations; sweeps along the coast, bombarding shore targets for the Army, protecting convoys to Malta, and screening major fleet movements.

In 1941 Jervis was involved in a number of fleet actions. In March she was at Battle of Cape Matapan. In the course of the battle she was involved in the destruction of the Italian cruiser Zara which had been crippled by heavy guns.  In April she led the force that annihilated an Axis convoy at the action off Sfax. In May she took part in the Battle of Crete where her sister ship HMS Kelly was lost. During the summer Jervis ran supplies to the beleaguered port of Tobruk, and in December she led the destroyers at the first Battle of Sirte. On returning to Alexandria, she was damaged in the Italian human torpedo attack on the fleet. This left her in dock for six weeks

Jervis also saw action during the landings in Sicily, Calabria, Salerno and Anzio, as well as operations in the Adriatic. She supported both the 8th Army and Yugolav partisans.

Having returned to Britain after a refit, and no longer Flotilla leader, Jervis saw action at the Normandy landings landings. She decommissioned in September 1944, paying off at Chatham prior to a further, major re-fit.

Re-commissioned in May 1945, Jervis saw further service in the Mediterranean, policing the aftermath of World War II. She paid off into the reserve at Chatham in May 1946, and was then laid-up in the Gareloch where she was used for training of local Sea Cadets.

 Placed on the Disposal List in October 1947, she was one of a number of ships used for explosives trials in Loch Striven and sold for scrap in 1954