Dido-class cruisers would probably accompany the Royal Navy carriers sent east. These escorts were part of the normal deployment package: where a carrier went, a Dido tended to follow. A single-carrier reinforcement could bring at least one, while two carriers might draw two or three cruisers. ABDA's buildup therefore includes supporting surface ships rather than only headline flight decks and capital ships.
Notable Point · 1:26:15-1:26:36
Dido cruisers follow the carriers east
Royal Navy carrier reinforcements bring supporting cruisers as a deployment package rather than sending flight decks alone.