What cruiser design would best suit the wartime Royal Canadian Navy?
Short answerAn Arethusa-derived light cruiser with conventional six-inch guns was more locally buildable and industrially useful than a Dido-class design.
NotesCanada or Australia might have built an Arethusa-derived light cruiser locally and used the project to develop national shipbuilding capacity. The Dido was a poor starting point because its 5.25-inch mount demanded difficult machinery and manufacturing expertise. Conventional six-inch turrets were more achievable, including a possible Argentine-inspired arrangement of three triples. Pairing them with several twin 4.5-inch anti-aircraft mounts could produce a useful cruiser while building industrial skill for later programs.