Dorsetshire and Cornwall were lost under air attack during the 1942 Indian Ocean raid after serving in Admiral Somerville's fast Force A. That formation centered on Warspite and the carriers Indomitable and Formidable, so its heavy cruisers supplied useful speed, guns, and scouting capacity. They could take some pressure off the force's single fast battleship without becoming substitutes for battleships. The assignment therefore shows the County class contributing to a carrier force as part of a balanced fleet rather than through a simple ship-for-ship comparison.
Chapter · 8:55-10:28
Dorsetshire in Force A and the Indian Ocean raid
Dorsetshire's loss alongside Cornwall illustrates why a fast heavy cruiser still had real value inside an aircraft-carrier force.