History of Royal Navy cruiser
HMS Dido. Royal Navy cruiser website dedicated to
the Dido Class cruiser HMS Dido, including crew and families of ex-crew members notice board for
HMS Dido.
HMS Dido (Light Cruiser) built by
Cammell Laird and laid down 20th October 1937 was launched on 18th July 1939,
and commissioned into the Royal navy on 30th September 1940. Served with
the home Fleet 1940 - 1941, then moved to the Mediterranean , she took part
in the evacuation of troops and defense of Crete, where she was damaged
on B gun, killing 46 men. HMS Dido took part in the second Battle of
Sirte during 1942, she sank three supply ships off North Africa. She
also took part in the Anzio landings and the invasion of Southern France
in August 1944. then returned to the Home Fleet end of 1944 till the
end of the war. Due to being to cramped and not very
stable HMS Dido along with the rest of the class were not modified and
finally broken up on the 16th July 1958 at Barrow
Displacement:
5,450 tons Speed: 33kts Complement: 530 (556 as a
Flagship)
Armament:
Ten 5.25 inch de-perming guns in pairs. Eight 2pdr anti-aircraft guns in
fours as well as eight 0.5 inch machine
guns in fours. Six 21 inch torpedo tubes in threes.
