Delhi 1919
Dauntless 1940
Delhi 1943
Danae 1946
| Name | No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| group 1 | ||||||
| Danae | D44 | Armstrong, Elswick | 11/12/1916 | 26/1/1918 | 6/1918 | to Poland 4/10/1944 - 28/9/1946 (Conrad), sold for BU 1/1948 |
| Dauntless | D45 | Palmers, Jarrow | 3/1/1917 | 10/4/1918 | 11/1918 | sold for BU 2/1946 |
| Dragon | D46 | Scotts, Greenock | 24/1/1917 | 29/12/1917 | 8/1918 | to Poland 15/1/1943 (Dragon) |
| group 2 | ||||||
| Delhi | D47 | Armstrong, Elswick | 29/10/1917 | 23/8/1918 | 5/1919 | sold for BU 1/1948 |
| Despatch | D30 | Fairfield, Govan / Chatham DYd | 8/7/1918 | 24/9/1919 | 6/1922 | HQ landing ship 5/1944, sold for BU 4/1946 |
| Diomede (RNZN 10/1925 - 3/1936) | D92 | Vickers, Barrow / Portsmouth DYd | 3/6/1918 | 29/4/1919 | 10/1922 | sold for BU 4/1946 |
| Dunedin (RNZN 5/1924 - 3/1937) | D93 | Armstrong, Elswick | 5/11/1917 | 19/11/1918 | 9/1919 | sunk 24/11/1941 |
| Durban | D99 | Scotts, Greenock / Devonport DYd | 1/1918 | 29/5/1919 | 11/1921 | scuttled as breakwater 9/6/1944 |
| Daedalus | Armstrong, Elswick | 1918 | --- | --- | cancelled 26/11/1918 | |
| Daring | Beardmore, Dalmuir | 1918 | --- | --- | cancelled 26/11/1918 | |
| Desperate | Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn | 1918 | --- | --- | cancelled 26/11/1918 | |
| Dryad | Vickers, Barrow | 1918 | --- | --- | cancelled 26/11/1918 | |
|
Displacement normal, t |
4970 |
|
Displacement full, t |
5870 |
|
Length, m |
143.6 |
|
Breadth, m |
13.9 |
|
Draught, m |
5.0 |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines, 6 Yarrow boilers Dauntless, Diomede: Parsons geared steam turbines, 6 Yarrow boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
40000 |
|
Max speed, kn |
29 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 1050 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 5000(15) |
| Armour, mm |
belt: 76 - 38, deck: 25, CT: 76, gun shields: 25 |
|
Armament |
Danae, Dauntless, Dragon: 6 x 1 - 152/45 BL Mk XII, 2 x 1 - 76/45 QF Mk I HA, 2 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 4 x 3 - 533 TT, flying-off platform, 1 aircraft (Pup) Delhi, Dunedin, Durban: 6 x 1 - 152/45 BL Mk XII, 2 x 1 - 76/45 QF Mk I HA, 2 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 4 x 3 - 533 TT Diomede, Despatch: 6 x 1 - 152/45 BL Mk XII, 2 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V HA, 2 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 4 x 3 - 533 TT |
|
Complement |
450 (469 as flagship) |
Ship project history: The increased variant of Caledon, at the expense of hull slenderness on 6m fwd superstructure have moved on 2.4m astern. Second 152mm gun was placed on its lower deck, it was capable to shoot over "A" gun. Besides, triple TT mounts instead of twin have mounted. The increased upper weight has demanded to expand the hull breadth on 0.8 m approximately. Displacement raised on 430t. First three ships (1st group) had the usual flush forecastle, the subsequent (2nd group) have received the so-called "trawler" bow which has lowered deck wetness of a fore end.
By the end of 1930th all cruisers of D type were considered become outdated and were scheduled to conversion to AA ships as C type but with 114mm twin mounts. War has broken these plans.
Protection: Armoured belt protected ship at full length, its thickness was 76mm abreast machinery spaces (51mm armour on 25mm plating), 51mm (38mm armour on 13mm plating) aft and 38mm (25mm armour on 13mm plating) fore. Belt was closed by aft 25mm bulkhead near stern. It extended to main deck (and to upper deck abreast machinery). Machinery and steering gear were covered by 25mm deck. Magazines had additional 25mm box-shaped protection.
Modernizations: 1920s, Danae, Dragon, Dauntless: flying-off platform and hangar were removed
1920s, Diomede, Despatch: + 1 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V HA
1920s, Danae, Dauntless, Dragon, Delhi, Dunedin, Durban: - 2 x 1 - 76/45; + 3 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V HA
1938 - 1939, Despatch, Dunedin: - 2 x 1 - 40/39; + 2 x 4 - 12.7/62
10/1939, Danae: + 2 x 1 - 40/39 pompom
12/1940, Dunedin: + type 286M radar
(5 - 12/1941, New York N Yd, USA), Delhi: full new armament cnsisted of 5 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12, 2 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon. Full displacement rose to 6500t including 200t of solid ballast.
3/1942, Delhi: + type 271, 281, 2x 282, 2x 285 radars
1942, Danae: - 1 x 1 - 102/45; + 1 x 4 - 40/39 pompom (at short time, 102mm gun was returned later in this year)
3/1942, Dauntless; 7/1942, Despatch; 8/1942, Durban: + 8 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 273, 290 radars
4/1943, Danae: - 1 x 1 - 152/45, 3 x 1 - 102/45, 4 x 1 - 40/39, 4 x 3 - 533 TT; + 1 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI HA, 2 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 4 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 273, 291 radars
4/1943, Dauntless: - 2 x 1 - 102/45; + 2 x 4 - 40/39 pompom
4/1943, Delhi: - 2 x 1 - 20/70; + 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon
6/1943, Diomede: - 1 x 1 - 102/45, 2 x 1 - 40/39; + 1 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 273, 290 radars
9/1943, Diomede: - 2 x 1 - 20/70; + 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon
3/1944, Delhi: + 2 x 2 -20/70 Oerlikon, type 650 jammer
4/1944, Dauntless; 1944, Diomede: - 4 x 3 - 533 TT
Naval service: Dunedin was sunk 24/11/1941 by a torpedo from German submarine U124 off Brazilian coast. Delhi was damaged by German suicide boat 12/2/1945, temporarily repaired and laid up. Durban was badly damaged by Japanese aircraft at Singapore 11/2/1942, repair lasted more than a year, later she was scuttled as breakwater at Arromanche (Normandy) 9/6/1944. Despatch was reconstructed as HQ landing ship 5/1944. All 152mm guns and TTs was removed, 16 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors and 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon were added. She served in Normandy landing.
Danae 1918
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-09