Great Britain's Dido class cruisers

Photos
Design
Ships
Specifications

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Photos

HMS Argonaut's damage on December 19, 1942:

©IWM, A-13756

HMS Argonaut with a Spitfire flying overhead:

©IWM, A-11050

HMS Argonaut en route to Algiers on December 19, 1942:

©IWM, A-13753

HMS Argonaut on February 11, 1943:

©IWM, A-14299

HMS Argonaut in Philadelphia:

©IWM, FL-921

HMS Bonaventure in the Firth of Forth in August 1940:

©IWM, A-443

HMS Bonaventure's bridge in 1940:

©IWM, A-1725

HMS Bonaventure in 1940:

©IWM, A-1731

HMS Bonaventure in 1940:

©IWM, A-1732

HMS Charybdis in 1941:

©IWM, A-6739

HMS Charybdis during Operation Pedestal on August 12, 1942:

©IWM, A-11258

HMS Charybdis:

©IWM, FL-5201

HMS Cleopatra in Scapa Flow on January 9, 1942:

©IWM, A-7062

HMS Cleopatra in Clyde:

©IWM, FL-5210

HMS Dido in the Firth of Forth in February 1941:

©IWM, A-9265

HMS Dido's 20 mm Oerlikon while in the Mediterranean:

©IWM, A-9575

HMS Dido in the Firth of Forth in February 1941:

©IWM, A-9266

HMS Dido in the Firth of Forth in February 1941:

©IWM, A-9267

HMS Dido on mission to bombard Italian coast:

©IWM, A-23709

HMS Euryalus during Sunday morning services en route to bombard Rhodes on March 15, 1942:

©IWM, A-8580

HMS Euryalus transiting the Suez Canal on October 27, 1942:

©IWM, A-13496

HMS Euryalus engaging Italian warships while HMS Cleopatra lays a smoke screen on March 22, 1942:

©IWM, A-8160

HMS Euryalus transiting the Suez Canal on October 27, 1942:

©IWM, A-13496

HMS Euryalus engaging Italian warships while HMS Cleopatra lays a smoke screen on March 22, 1942:

©IWM, A-8171

HMS Euryalus en route to engage Italian warships on March 22, 1942:

©IWM, A-8175

HMS Hermione transferring a patient from the Zulu in the Atlantic on November 17, 1941:

©IWM, A-6374

HMS Hermione refueling from the RFA Dingledale on January 30, 1942:

©IWM, A-7341

HMS Hermione refueling from the RFA Dingledale on January 30, 1942:

©IWM, A-7342

HMS Naiad's Oerlikon gun in the Mediterranean on December 14, 1941:

©IWM, A-7594

HMS Naiad in 1941:

©IWM, A-6454

HMS Naiad firing at aircraft in the Mediterranean on March 11, 1942:

©IWM, A-8320

HMS Naiad in the Firth of Forth:

©IWM, A-447

HMS Phoebe being inspected by the King and Queen while in Belfast on June 24, 1942:

©IWM, A-10039

HMS Phoebe being inspected by the King and Queen while in Belfast:

©IWM, A-10045

HMS Phoebe:

©IWM, FL-5271

HMS Scylla escorting a convoy in the North Atlantic on March 13, 1943:

©IWM, A-15365

HMS Scylla:

©IWM, A-9311

HMS Scylla covered in ice while in the North Atlantic:

©IWM, A-15352

HMS Sirius in Oran on November 20, 1942:

©IWM, A-13036

HMS Sirius off North Africa:

©IWM, A-12798

HMS Sirius with empty shell cases after supporting the Normandy landings off Sword Beach in June 1944:

©IWM, A-24324

HMS Sirius:

Design

With aircraft becoming more deadly it was felt the fleets needed better anti-aircraft protection so Dido class cruisers dedicated for the anti-aircraft role were designed. The ships had to provide a steady platform for the guns to work properly.

A design was finished in June 1936.

Armament

	Weight of Shell	Elevation	Height
5.25" QF Mk I	80 lb	70°, 90°	46,500' 14,170 m

Production of the 5.25" turrets were being diverted to the King George V class battleships so the mid-production Dido class ships had only four turrets.

Structural Problems

The first four of the Dido class cruisers were used for patrolling in the Arctic and North Atlantic. It was found that they sustained structural damage from the heavy pitching in the weather that shouldn't have been occuring. All the ships had additional pillars installed to help stiffen the structure of the ships.

Ships

HMS Argonaut

1939 Program
Manufacturer: Cammell Laird
1939, November 21, 1939: Laid down.
September 6, 1941, 1941: Launched.
1942, August 8, 1942: Completed.
1942, August 1942: Home Fleet.
October 1942: Escorting Soviet Union bound convoys.
November 1942: Operation Torch. Invasion of North Africa.
November 1942: Member of Strike Force in Bone.
December 12, 1942, February 14, 1943: Badly damaged by two torpedoes. Bow and stern blown off.
December 1942 - November 1943, 1943, 1943 - 1944, March 1943 - November 1944: Repairs in Philadelphia. Q turret and four 20 mm guns removed. One 2 pdr quad mount and five 20 mm twin mounts added.
1944: Home Fleet.
June 1944: Supported Normandy landings off Gold Beach.
August 1944: Operation Dragoon. Invasion of Southern France.
September 1944: Aegean.
November 1944: East Indies.
December 1944: Supported raids on Sumatra and Arakan.
1945: Pacific Fleet.
January 1945: 5th Cruiser Squadron, Pacific Fleet.
August 1945: Participated in occupation of Shanghai.

HMS Bonaventure

1936 Program
Manufacturer: Scotts
August 30, 1937: Laid down.
April 19, 1939, 1939: Launched.
May 24, 1940: Completed.
1940, 1940 - 1941: Home Fleet. Convoy escort.
November 25 - December 17, 1940: Repairs from weather damage at Rosyth.
December 25, 1940: Convoy WS5a attacked by KMS Admiral Hipper.
December 1940: Operation Excess. Member of Force F.
1941: Mediterranean Fleet.
January 10, 1941: Sank Italian torpedo boat Vega.
March 22, 1941: Damaged by near misses in Malta.
March 31, 1941: Sunk. Escorting convoy from Greece to Alexandria. Hit by torpedo from Italian submarine Ambra south of Crete.

HMS Charybdis

1938 Program
Manufacturer: Cammell Laird
November 9, 1939: Laid down.
September 17, 1940, 1940: Launched.
December 3, 1941: Completed.
1942, December 1941 - April 1942: Home Fleet. Force H.
April 1942: Force H in Gibraltar.
November 1942: Operation Torch. Force O, Eastern Task Force, North Africa landings.
1943: Home Fleet.
1943: Two 2 pdr guns removed. Two 20 mm twin mounts and two 20 mm guns added.
September 1943: Salerno invasion.
October 23, 1943: Sunk. Torpedoed by German torpedo boats T23 and T27 off Brittany.

HMS Cleopatra

1938 Program
Manufacturer: Hawthorne Leslie.
January 5, 1939: Laid down.
March 27, 1940, 1940: Launched.
November 20, 1941, December 5, 1941: Completed.
1942: Home Fleet. Gibraltar.
February 5, 1942, February 9, 1942: Off Malta damaged by near misses from bombs.
February 5 - March 6, 1942: Repairs in Malta.
March 1942: 15th Cruiser Squadron.
June 1942: Operation Harpoon. Operation Vigorous.
June 1942: Two 2 pdr guns removed. Five 20 mm guns added.
August 1942: Bombarded Rhodes.
1943 - 1944: Mediterranean Fleet.
January 1943: Force K.
June 1943: One 20 mm gun added.
July 1943: Supported landings at Sicily.
July 16, 1943: Torpedoed by Italian submarine Dandolo.
July - October 1943, July 18 - October 1943: Temporary repairs in Malta. One 20 mm gun added.
1943 - 1944, November 1943 - November 1944, November 24, 1943 - November 1944: Repairs in Philadelphia. Q turret, two 2 pdr quad mounts, and five 20 mm guns removed. Three 40 mm Bofors quad mounts, six 20 mm twin mounts, and four 20 mm guns added.
1944 - 1945: Home Fleet.
1945: East Indies.
September 1945: Singapore.

HMS Dido

1936 Program
Manufacturer: Cammell Laird.
October 20, 1937, October 26, 1937: Laid down.
July 18, 1939, 1939: Launched.
1940, September 30, 1940: Completed.
1940: 15th Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet.
1940 - 1941: Home Fleet.
December 20, 1940 - January 29, 1941: Refit at Tyne.
1941 - 1944: Mediterranean Fleet.
March 7 - 21, 1941: Repairs at Clyde for weather damage.
May 29, 1941: Bombed off Crete.
April 1941: Mediterranean Fleet.
June 25 - July 1941: Temporary repairs at Durban.
July 11 - 20, 1941: Temporary repairs at Simonstown.
August 10 - December 3, 1941, September 1941: Refit and repair at Brooklyn Navy Yard. Q turret, 4" gun, and two 0.5" machine guns removed. Five 20 mm guns added.
December 1941: Escorted Mediterranean convoys.
January 1943: Force Q at Bone.
April - June 1943, April 27 - June 14, 1943: Refit at Liverpool. Three 20 mm guns removed. Four 20 mm twin mounts added.
July 1943: Supported Sicily invasion.
1944 - 1945: Home Fleet.
August 1944: Supported Southern France invasion.
Late 1944 - May 1945: Patrolled off Norway and Arctic.

HMS Euryalus

1936 Program
Manufacturer: Chatham Dock Yard
October 21, 1937: Laid down.
June 6, 1939, 1939: Launched.
1940, June 30, 1941: Completed.
1941: Home Fleet.
1941 - 1943: Mediterranean Fleet.
September 1941: Two 0.5" machine gun quad mounts removed. Five 20 mm guns added.
September 1941: 15th Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet.
September 1942: Two 20 mm guns added.
1943 - 1944: Home Fleet.
January 1943: Force K bombarded enemy positions in Tunisia.
May - June 1943: Bombarded Pantelleria.
June 1943: Four 20 mm twin mounts and two 20 mm guns removed.
Two 20 mm guns removed. Four 20 mm twin mounts added.
July 1943: 12th Cruiser Squadron. Supported Sicily invasion.
October 20, 1942 - July 19, 1944, 1943 - 1944, October 1943 - July 1944: Refit at Clyde. Q turret removed. One 2 pdr quad mount and two 20 mm twin mounts added.
July 1944: Home Fleet.
July - November 1944: Raids off Norwegian coast.
1945: East Indies Fleet. Pacific Fleet.
January 16, 1945: Arrived in Trincomalee. 5th Cruiser Squadron, Pacific Fleet.
March - May 1945: Escort on carrier raids on Sakashima Gunto and Okinawa.

HMS Hermione

1937 Program
Manufacturer: Stephens
October 6, 1937: Laid down.
May 18, 1939, 1939: Launched.
March 25, 1941: Completed.
1941: Home Fleet.
1941 - 1942, June 1941 - March 1942: Force H in Gibraltar.
August 2, 1941: Sank the Italian submarine Tembien by ramming.
October - November 1941, October 26 - November 7, 1941: Repairs at Gibraltar. Two 0.5" machine gun quad mounts removed. Five 20 mm guns added.
1942: Mediterranean Fleet.
March 1942: Operation Ironclad escort.
May 1942: Occupation of Madagascar.
June 16, 1942: Sunk. Torpedoed by U205 south of Crete.

HMS Naiad

1936 Program
Manufacturer: Hawthorne Leslie
August 26, 1937: Laid down.
February 3, 1939, 1939: Launched.
July 24, 1940: Completed.
1940: 15th Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet.
1940 - 1941: Home Fleet.
December 1940 - January 1941: Escorted convoys to Freetown.
1941 - 1942: Mediterranean Fleet.
May 1941: Force H. Escort Malta convoys. Flagship of 15th Cruiser Squadron.
September 1941: Five 20 mm guns added.
March 11, 1942: Sunk. Hit by torpedo from U565 north of Mersa Matruh.

HMS Phoebe

1936 Program
Manufacturer: Fairfield
September 2, 1937: Laid down.
March 25, 1939, 1939: Launched.
1940, September 27, 1940, September 30, 1940: Completed.
1940: 15th Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet.
1940 - 1941: Home Fleet.
November 18 - December 14, 1940: Weather damage repairs at Clyde.
1941 - 1944: Mediterranean Fleet.
April 1941: Mediterranean Fleet in Alexandra.
June 1941: Operations against Syrian based Vichy French. Flagship.
July 3, 1941: Italian submarine Malachite attacked and missed.
August 27, 1941: Hit by aerial torpedo.
August 1941: Temporary repairs in Alexandria.
November 21, 1941 - April 21, 1942, 1942: Repair and refit in New York. 4" gun and two 0.5" machine gun quad mounts removed. Eleven 20 mm guns added. One 2 pdr pompom quad mount added.
May 7 - 30, 1942: Refit in Devonport.
May 1942: Mediterranean Fleet.
August 1942: Operation Pedestal.
September 1942: Cape Town. Hunted for blockade runners.
October 23, 1942: Hit by torpedo from U161 and heavily damaged off Pointe Noire.
October - December 1942: Temporary repairs in Pointe Noire. Turret A removed.
1943, January - June 1943, January 15 - June 14, 1943: Repairs in United States. Three 2 pdr pompom quad mounts and seven 20 mm guns removed. Three 40 mm Bofors quad mounts and six 20 mm guns added.
July 1943, July 8 - 29, 1943: Refit at Barrow. A turret added.
July 1943: Mediterranean.
January 1944: Supported Anzio landings.
1944: Eastern Fleet.
Late 1944: 5th Cruiser Squadron, Eastern Fleet.
1945: East Indies Fleet.
April - May 1945: Supported Burma and Rangoon invasions.

HMS Scylla

1938 Program
Manufacturer: Scotts
April 19, 1939: Laid down.
July 24, 1940, 1940: Launched.
1941, June 12, 1942: Completed.
1942, June 1942: Home Fleet. Arctic convoy escort.
October 28, 1942: Sailed to Gibraltar.
November 1942: Operation Torch. Supported North African invasion.
1943: Force H.
1943 - 1945: Home Fleet.
January 1, 1943: Captured German blockade runner Rhakotis near Cape Finisterre.
February 1943: Home Fleet. Arctic convoy escort.
June 1943: Bay of Biscay anti-submarine patrols.
September 1943: Salerno landing. Member of Support Carrier Force.
October 1943 - April 1944, October 16, 1943 - April 8, 1944, 1944: Refit at Chatham. Six 20 mm twin mounts added. One 2 pdr pompom added.
June 1944: Normandy invasion. Flagship of the Eastern Task Force.
June 23, 1944: Heavily damaged by mine. Declared Constructional Total Loss.

HMS Sirius

1936 Program, 1937 Program
Manufacturer: Portsmouth Dock Yard
April 6, 1938: Laid down.
September 18, 1940, 1940: Launched.
1942, May 6, 1942: Completed.
1942, May 1942: Home Fleet. Mediterranean Fleet.
August 1942: Mediterranean Fleet. Operation Pedestal.
November 1942: Supported North Africa invasion.
1943: Force H.
1943 - 1944: Mediterranean Fleet.
June 1943: Two 20 mm guns added.
July 1943: Supported Sicily invasion.
October 5, 1943: Helped to destroy German convoy in the Dodecanese.
October 17, 1943: Damaged by bombs off Scarpanto.
November 1943 - February 1944, November 5, 1943 - February 1944: Repairs in Massawa. One 20 mm gun removed. Two 40 mm Bofors Mk III added.
December 1943: One 20 mm gun removed. Two 40 mm Bofors Mk III guns added.
June 1944: Member of Eastern Task Force during Normandy invasion.
July 3 - 21, 1944: Refit at Chatham.
August 1944: Operation Dragoon. Supported invasion of southern France.
October 1944: Helped to reoccupy Athens.
April 1945: Two 20 mm guns removed. Two 40 mm Bofors Mk III guns added.

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	Dido class
Crew	480 - 530, 487, 530, 530 - 556
Crew - Flagship	556
Displacement	5,450 tons, 5,600 tons
Displacement - Loaded	6,850 tons
Physical Characteristics
Length	512' 156.05 m
Length - Between Perpendiculars	485', 506' 147.82 m
Beam	50' 6", 51' 6" 15.39 m
Draft / Height	14', 16' 6", 16' 9" 5.11 m
Draft / Height - Maximum	17' 10"
Performance
Speed	32.2 knots, 32.25 knots, 33 knots
Range at 11 knots	4,850 nautical miles
Armament	5.25" dual purpose: 10 5.25" twin turrets: 5 5.25" Mk I twin turrets: 5 5.25" L/50 QF Mk I twin turrets: 5
Anti-Aircraft	2 pdr quad mounts: 2 0.5" machine gun quad mounts: 8
Torpedo Tubes	21": 2 mounts 3 tubes each
Aircraft	0
Armor
Belt - Machinery	3"
Belt - Magazines	3"
Belt - Main	2" - 3", 3"
Bulkheads	1"
Control Tower	1"
Deck	0.5" - 2"
Deck - Machinery	1"
Deck - Magazine	2"
Turrets	0.5", 1" - 2"
Engines
Boilers	Admiralty: 4
Shafts	4
Turbines	Geared Parsons geared
HP	62,000
Oil	1,042 tons - 1,100 tons, 1,100 tons

	HMS Argonaut
Physical Characteristics
Displacement - Loaded - 1942	7,171 tons
Displacement - Loaded - 1945	7,515 tons
Armament	5.25" dual purpose: 8 5.25" Mk I twin turrets: 5
Anti-Aircraft	2 pdr quad mounts: 2 20 mm: 4
Anti-Aircraft - April 1944	2 pdr quad mounts: 3 20 mm twin mounts: 6 20 mm: 5
Anti-Aircraft - 1945	Bofors: 7
Anti-Aircraft - August 1945	Boffins: 5 Bofors Mk III: 2

	HMS Bonaventure
Armament	5.25" Mk I twin turrets: 4
Anti-Aircraft	4" Mk V: 1 2 pdr quad mounts: 2 0.5" machine gun quad mounts: 2
Torpedo Tubes	21": 2 mounts 3 tubes each

	HMS Charybdis
Physical Characteristics
Displacement - Loaded - 1941	6,975 tons
Draft / Height	17' 5.18 m
Armament	4.5" twin mounts: 4 4.5" Mk III twin mounts: 4 4.5" L/45 QF Mk III twin mounts: 4
Anti-Aircraft	4": 1 4" Mk V: 1 20 mm: 4 2 pdr quad mounts: 2 2 pdr: 2

	HMS Cleopatra
Physical Characteristics
Displacement - Loaded - 1941	6,975 tons
Displacement - Loaded - 1945	7,420 tons
Armament	5.25" Mk I twin turrets: 5
Anti-Aircraft	2 pdr quad mounts: 2 2 pdr: 2

	HMS Dido
Physical Characteristics
Displacement - Loaded - 1940	7,013 tons
Displacement - Loaded - 1945	7,420 tons
Armament	5.25" Mk I twin turrets: 4
Anti-Aircraft	4" Mk V: 1 2 pdr quad mounts: 2 0.5" machine gun quad mounts: 2
Anti-Aircraft - 1944	20 mm: 8
Torpedo Tubes	21": 2 mounts 3 tubes each

	HMS Euryalus
Physical Characteristics
Displacement - Loaded - 1945	7,500 tons
Armament	5.25" Mk I twin turrets: 5
Anti-Aircraft	2 pdr quad mounts: 2 0.5" machine gun quad mounts: 2
Torpedo Tubes	21": 2 mounts 3 tubes each

	HMS Hermione
Armament	5.25" Mk I twin turrets: 5
Anti-Aircraft	2 pdr quad mounts: 2 0.5" machine gun quad mounts: 2
Torpedo Tubes	21": 2 mounts 3 tubes each

	HMS Naiad
Physical Characteristics
Displacement - Loaded - 1940	7,081 tons
Armament	5.25" Mk I twin turrets: 5
Anti-Aircraft	2 pdr quad mounts: 2 0.5" machine gun quad mounts: 2
Torpedo Tubes	21": 2 mounts 3 tubes each

	HMS Phoebe
Physical Characteristics
Displacement - Loaded - 1940	6,985 tons
Displacement - Loaded - 1945	7,280 tons
Armament	5.25" dual purpose: 8 5.25" Mk I twin turrets: 4
Anti-Aircraft	4" Mk V: 1 2 pdr quad mounts: 2 0.5" machine gun quad mounts: 2
Anti-Aircraft - 1944	40 mm quad mounts: 3 20 mm twin mounts: 6 20 mm: 4
Torpedo Tubes	21": 2 mounts 3 tubes each

	HMS Scylla
Physical Characteristics
Displacement - Loaded	6,975 tons
Draft / Height	17' 5.18 m
Armament	5.25" dual purpose: 8 4.5" twin mounts: 4 4.5" Mk III twin mounts: 4 4.5" L/45 QF Mk III twin mounts: 4
Anti-Aircraft	2 pdr quad mounts: 2 20 mm: 8

	HMS Sirius
Physical Characteristics
Displacement - Loaded - 1945	7,210 tons
Armament	5.25" Mk I twin turrets: 5
Anti-Aircraft	2 pdr quad mounts: 2 20 mm: 5
Anti-Aircraft - 1944	Bofors: 5 20 mm: 7

Sources:

Cruisers of World War Two An International Encyclopedia, M. J. Whitley, 1995
British Cruisers of World War Two, Alan Raven, John Roberts, 1980
Warships of World War II, H. T. Lenton and J. J. Colledge, 1964
Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946, Robert Gardiner, 1987
Janes' Fighting Ships of World War II, 1989
The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998