The Mediterranean repeatedly placed British forces in the kind of fleet contest practiced before the war, with the Battle of Cape Matapan closely resembling an exercise problem. Didos could screen formations, reinforce cruiser groups, and engage aircraft or light surface forces as circumstances changed. Their 5.25-inch guns combined useful reach with a sustained rate of fire slightly above the usual rate quoted here for 6-inch cruiser guns. That made them effective against lightly protected cruisers within expected visual engagement ranges. Against heavier opponents, damage to fighting capability followed by a torpedo attack offered a more plausible route to success than relying on shellfire alone.
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Didos came of age in Mediterranean fleet warfare
Mediterranean operations matched the prewar fleet-screening environment for which Didos had been designed, requiring responses to aircraft, torpedo craft, destroyers, and light cruisers.