The Didos combined a speed of 32.25 knots with a stated endurance of 4,850 nautical miles at 11 knots. The Town class could cover 5,300 nautical miles at 13 knots, travelling farther at a higher cruising speed. The larger fuel provision suited the Towns to searching for surface raiders. Dido's more limited endurance fitted a cruiser intended to serve with fleet formations and support their destroyers.
Notable Point · 30:20-31:03
Dido endurance suited fleet work
Published range figures distinguish Dido's fleet-screening role from the longer independent searches assigned to Town-class cruisers.