Dido Class Cruiser

Dido Class Cruiser

Dido class designed:
Ten QF 5.25-inch (133 mm) guns in five dual mounts,
Two quadruple 0.5 inch Vickers machine gun mounts,
Two quadruple QF 2 pdr (40 mm) pom-pom mounts.
Two triple 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes.

Bellona class as designed:
Eight QF 5.25-inch (133 mm) guns in four dual mounts,
Six twin 20 mm gun power-operated mounts,
Three quad mount QF 2 pdr (40 mm) pom-poms,
Two triple mount 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes.

The Dido class was a class of sixteen (including the Bellona sub-class) light cruisers built for the Royal Navy. The design was influenced by the Arethusa-class light cruisers. The first group of three ships was commissioned in 1940, the second group (six ships) and third group (two ships) were commissioned in 1941–1942. The Bellona-class ships commissioned between 1943 to 1944. Most members of the class were named after figures of Greek mythology.

They were designed as fleet escorts to protect heavier units from both light surface forces and aircraft. The enthusiasm felt for them by the Board of Admiralty was borne out by good results in action and the only real problem with the type was shortage of gun-mountings and a need to stiffen them forward to take the weight of the forward turrets.