D-class cruisers as global presence ships

The D class combined long range, six-inch guns, and twelve ready torpedoes in light cruisers suited to maritime presence after the First World War. Danae, Dauntless, Delhi, Dragon, and Dunedin accompanied Hood and Repulse on the Special Service Squadron's world cruise. The battlecruisers displayed concentrated capital-ship power, while the light cruisers represented the ships more likely to patrol trade routes and appear regularly on distant stations. Their modern appearance and combat capability signalled that Britain had emerged from the war with forces other navies still sought to emulate. Delhi's repeated use as a flagship also shows how these cruisers combined fighting power with command and diplomatic functions.