Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:11:36-1:11:59

Why build Crown Colonies instead of more Towns?

Crown Colony cruisers simplified the Town design for wartime production, while Didos answered the separate problem of an approaching air war.

Crown Colony Class CruisersDido Class Light CruisersNaval Anti AircraftNaval ProcurementTown Class Light Cruisers (1936)
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Question

Why did the Royal Navy build Crown Colony and Dido cruisers instead of simply ordering more Towns?

Short answer

Crown Colonies were simplified Towns suited to wartime production, while Didos were intended to meet the coming air threat.

Notes

The Royal Navy did not simply order more Town-class cruisers. The Crown Colony class is described as a stripped-down Town tailored for wartime production. The parallel Dido programme answered a different problem: the expected air war and the need for an anti-aircraft cruiser. Procurement split between a production-conscious conventional cruiser and a specialized response to air attack.