Allied Warships

Light cruisers

D class

8 ships


The light cruiser HMS Despatch (D 30) of the Royal Navy.

Technical information

TypeLight cruiser
Displacement4850 BRT 
Length472.5 feet (oa) 
Complement450 men 
Armament6 6" guns (6x1)
3 4" AA guns (3x1)
2 2pdr AA (2x1)
12 21" torpedo tubes (4x3) 
Max speed29 knots
EnginesGeared turbines, 4 shafts 
Power40000 HP 
Notes on classDeveloped from the Cairo-class.

HMS Delhi was rearmed as an Anti-Aircraft cruiser in 1942, for details see her page. 


All ships of the D class


Royal Navy Royal Navy (more on Royal Navy)

HMS Danae (D 44) (To the Polish Navy as Conrad)
HMS Dauntless (D 45)
HMS Delhi (D 74)
HMS Despatch (D 30)
HMS Diomede (D 92)
HMS Dragon (D 46) (To the Polish Navy as Dragon)
HMS Dunedin (D 93) Lost on 24 Nov 1941
HMS Durban (D 99) Lost on 9 Jun 1944


Polish Navy Polish Navy (more on Polish Navy)

ORP Conrad (D 44) (ex. HMS Danae)
ORP Dragon (D 46) (ex. HMS Dragon) Lost on 8 Jul 1944


8 Light cruisers (10 names) of the D class. 3 of them were lost.

Full wartime service history on this vessel.

See all Light cruiser classes.


D class ships hit by U-boats (1)

24 Nov 1941HMS DunedinSunkU-124


Otto Kretschmer

Lawrence Patterson

Books dealing with this subject include:

HMAS Sydney, Frame, T.R., 1993
Otto Kretschmer, Lawrence Patterson, 2018
Queen Mary and the Cruiser, Thomas, David A. and Patrick Holmes, 1997
The Cruiser Uganda, Stephen Conrad Geneja, 2000
USN Destroyer vs IJN Destroyer, Mark Stille, 2012



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