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ROYAL NAVY - UNITED KINGDOM

CRUISERS

DIDO AA cruisers

Scylla 1942

Dido 1945

 

Displacement standard, t	5600
Displacement full, t	6850 (later 7210 - 7515) Charybdis, Scylla: 6975
Length, m	147.8 pp 156.1 oa
Breadth, m	15.4
Draught, m	5.11 deep load (later 5.33 - 5.54) Charybdis, Scylla: 5.18
No of shafts	4
Machinery	Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Power, h. p.	62000
Max speed, kn	32.2
Fuel, t	oil 1042 - 1100
Endurance, nm(kts)	5560(15)
Armour, mm	belt: 76, bulkheads: 25, turrets: up to 13, deck: 51 - 25
Armament	Bonaventure, Dido, Phoebe: 4 x 2 - 133/50 QF Mk I, 1 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V, 2 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 x 3 - 533 TT Naiad, Euryalus, Hermione: 5 x 2 - 133/50 QF Mk I, 2 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 x 3 - 533 TT Sirius: 5 x 2 - 133/50 QF Mk I, 2 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 5 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 2 x 3 - 533 TT Cleopatra: 5 x 2 - 133/50 QF Mk I, 2 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 2 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 2 x 3 - 533 TT Argonaut: 5 x 2 - 133/50 QF Mk I, 2 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 2 x 3 - 533 TT Charybdis: 4 x 2 - 114/45 QF Mk III, 1 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V, 2 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 2 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 2 x 3 - 533 TT Scylla: 4 x 2 - 114/45 QF Mk III, 2 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 2 x 3 - 533 TT
Sensors	Bonaventure, Naiad, Phoebe: type 279 radar Dido: type 279, 281 radars Euryalus: type 279, 284 radars Hermione: type 281, 284, 285 radars Sirius, Argonaut: type 272, 281, 284, 285 radars Cleopatra, Charybdis, Scylla: type 281, 285 radars
Complement	480 - 530

Ship project history: Dido class cruisers have been intended for service with squadrons as AA cruisers for escort of new battleships of King George V class and aircraft carriers of Illustrious class. The design was based on a basis of earlier built cruisers of Arethusa class with new armament consisting of ten 133mm guns in five universal mounts (3 fwd and 2 aft), unified with standing on King George V class, and two quadruple pom-poms. Cruisers were not intended for self-supporting operations on enemy sea communications (Arethusa was put also this task) and a fuel stock in comparison with a prototype was decreased. The design has appeared successful, and under 1936, 1937 and 1938 Estimates 10 ships have been ordered. 6 more ships (including 5 under changed design) have ordered under the War Emergency program. Production of twin 133mm mounts lagged behind from hull building, and part of cruisers were completed with 8 such guns (Dido, Bonaventure and Phoebe) or with 4 х 2 114mm mounts (Charybdis and Scylla). Fwd superstructure of latter pair had increased because of non-standard artillery: 114mm mounts demanded additional shifting room. Usage of heavy unitary 114mm cartridge did service of artillerymen on Charybdis and Scylla especially hard.

Protection: Armoured belt protected machinery spaces and extended up to upper deck level abreast boiler rooms and fore engine room and to main deck level abreast aft engine room. Magazines had 76mm sides. Armoured deck was 25mm thick over machinery and steering gear and 51mm over magazines.

Modernizations: 9/1941, Naiad, Euryalus; 11/1941, Hermione: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 5 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon

9/1941, Dido: - 1 x 1 - 102/45; + 1 x 2 - 133/50 QF Mk I

12/1941, Dido: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 5 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon

4/1942, Phoebe: - 1 x 1 - 102/45; + 3 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 11 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 281, 284, 285 radars

mid-1942, Cleopatra: - 2 x 1 - 40/39; + 5 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 272 radar

9/1942, Euryalus: + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon

10/1942, Cleopatra: + 1 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon

1943, Charybdis: - 1 x 1 - 102/45, 2 x 1 - 40/39; + 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 272 radar

5/1943, Dido: - 3 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon; + 4 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 272, 282, 284, 285 radars

5/1943, Sirius: + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon

mid-1943, Euryalus: - 2 x 1 - 20/70, type 279 radar; + 4 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 272, 281, 282, 285 radars

7/1943, Phoebe: - 3 x 4 - 40/39, 7 x 1 - 20/70; + 3 x 4 - 40/56 Bofors, 6 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 272 radar

11/1943, Argonaut: - 4 x 1 - 20/70; + 7 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon

early 1944, Scylla: + 6 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon

2/1944, Sirius: - 1 x 1 - 20/70; + 2 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors

7/1944, Euryalus: - 1 x 2 - 133/50 ("Q"); + 1 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon

11/1944, Cleopatra: - 1 x 2 - 133/50 ("Q"), 2 x 4 - 40/39, 5 x 1 - 20/70, type 272, 281 radars; + 3 x 4 - 40/56 Bofors, 6 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 277, 281B, 293 radars

late 1944, Argonaut: - type 272, 281 radars + 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 277, 281B, 293 radars

4/1945, Sirius: - 2 x 1 - 20/70; + 2 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors

8/1945, Argonaut: - 1 x 2 - 133/50 ("Q"), 7 x 2 - 20/70; + 7 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors, 1 x 4 - 40/39 pompom

Naval service: Bonaventure was sunk by two torpedoes from Italian submarine Ambra 31/3/1941 SW off Crete. Argonaut was damaged by two torpedoes 14/2/1943 and repaired till December, 1943. Naiad was sunk by a torpedo of German submarine U565 at Egyptian coast 11/3/1942. Hermione was sunk by a torpedo from German submarine U205 15/6/1942 SE off Crete. Charybdis was sunk by two torpedoes from german torpedo boats Т23 and Т27 in La Manche 23/10/1943. Scylla was badly damaged by a ground mine 23/6/1944 and never repaired. Phoebe was repaired till April, 1942 after being damaged by an aircraft torpedo 27/8/1941, she was again damaged by submarine torpedo 23/10/1942 and repaired till July, 1943. Cleopatra was damaged by torpedo from Italian submarine Dandolo 16/7/1943 and repaired till March, 1945. Sirius was damaged by German aircraft (bomb) 7/10/1943 and repaired till February, 1944. Dido was badly damaged by German air bombs 29/5/1941 and repaired till the end of a year. 

       Sirius 1947

 

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© Ivan Gogin, 2008-09