Also known as the Manxman class minelayers, the six ships of this class were very successful hard fought ships. Being able to achieve 38 knots/70km/h to avoid attacking ships and aircraft, these ships were often used as fast transport ships to forces besieged in Tobruk and Malta in 1941-43.
The Dido class were a class of sixteen (including the Bellona sub-class) light cruisers built for the Royal navy, and commissioned between 1940 and 1944. Designed to protect the Fleet against light surface forces and aircraft, these ships were excellent sea boats well loved by their crews.
The Town class were a group of twenty one cruisers built as long range cruisers to patrol the far flung British empire, and for escorting trade in times of war. These ships were built to a series of similar designs and were divided into 5 groups, the Bristol, Weymouth, Chatham, Birmingham and Birkenhead sub classes.
The six ships of this class were well armed, fast and very reliable. These ships built in the mid 1930's and had mixed fortunes in WW2. All served against the Axis powers early in the war, then fought the Allies defending Dakar and Mers-el-Kebir. In 1942 Hitler marched his army into southern France, so to stop the Germans capturing their Toulon based ships, the French scuttled their Fleet.
Armed with the excellent Twin 5inch 38 calibre guns and enlarged destroyer type machinery these Eleven ships were designed to be Fast Flotilla leaders of Destroyer squadrons. Not as successful in the surface role, (the Atlanta and Juneau were both lost in Guadalcanal waters with heavy loss of life), they were quickly utilised as anti-aircraft cruisers defending U.S. carriers shooting down many aircraft until the wars end.
Large enough to be heavy cruisers, these ships were very heavily armed with fifteen 6 inch guns in five triple gun turrets. Built under the terms of the Washington Treaty, and in response to the Japanese Mogami class in the mid 1930s, the seven Brooklyn and two modified St Louis class had an excellent rate of fire and battle worthiness.