Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Chapter · 30:42-37:03

Atlanta, Dido, and layered air defence

Atlanta and Dido introduce the treaty-era layered air-defence logic that Cleveland carries into a larger wartime cruiser.

5-inch GunsAtlanta Class CruisersCruisersDido Class Light CruisersFleet Air DefenceFleet ScreeningNaval AviationRoyal NavySecond London Naval Treaty (1936)Tribal Class Destroyers (1936)US Navy
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Notes

The Second London Naval Treaty strongly influenced the Atlanta and Dido classes, and the same treaty environment is linked here to the Tribal-class destroyers. U.S. and Royal Navy exercises, along with information shared between them, encouraged a layered defence model. Fighters would first break up incoming air groups, heavy anti-aircraft guns would split squadrons, lighter weapons would scatter flights, and close-range guns would engage the remaining aircraft. Against human pilots, the volume of fire could disrupt attack runs even when it did not destroy every aircraft. Missiles present a different problem because they cannot be frightened away and must be destroyed. Cleveland carries the layered approach into a larger general-purpose cruiser design.