The original five-turret Didos can be compared with the four-turret Bellona subgroup. Reducing top weight improved room for close-range anti-aircraft weapons and made the later ships more manageable. Roughly another thousand tons of hull could have supplied the beam, stability, and accommodation needed to retain five mounts without sacrificing cruiser utility. Cunningham's choice of Warspite and Tribal-class destroyers for a diplomatic visit to Turkey shows that presence work could shape a coming war and required ships with suitable space and style. A cruiser needed room for upgrades, operations, and diplomacy as well as its primary armament.
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Dido shows the cost of overstuffing a cruiser hull
Dido-class anti-aircraft cruisers were useful ships, but five twin mounts crowded out stability, growth margin, and peacetime utility.