Light cruisers of the Dido class. British convoy air defense ships

Light cruisers of the “Dido” type were specially created as the basis of the air defense of the royal fleet. It was they who became the first British cruisers who received the universal artillery of the main caliber (133-mm guns in five paired tower plants), control of anti-aircraft fire using Poiso with power gyrostabilization and radiation in range, height, azimuth. Approving the names of the next series of cruisers, the Admiralty decided to continue the tradition of assigning to the ships of this class of the names of the heroes of ancient and medieval history and mythology (thereby emphasized continuity with predecessors, cruisers such as “Leander” and “Aestyuz”) So, Cleopatra, Hermione, Phoegon, Argonaut, Haribda, Scylla, Black Prince, etc., came off from the slipways, and the whole type became named after Didon, the legendary founder of Carphanage. In total, 16 cruisers of this class were built, who actively participated in the hostilities at all theaters of the Second World War, where their main task was to protect the convoys of the Allies (including in the USSR) “NAYADA” and “Hermione” were sunk by the Kriegsmarin submarines, Bonamentura - the Italian submarine, “Haribda” by a German destroyer, and Spartan became the victim of the world"s first radio -controlled air bomb. The longest was the Diadem service, which was part of the Pakistan fleet until 1985.

The new book of the leading historian of the Navy for the first time in all details talks about the design, construction, structure, tests, modernization, service and the combat use of all light cruisers of the Air Defense Type of Type .
The publication is illustrated by exclusive drawings and unique photos