Dido-class 4.5-inch refits and disputed wartime gun fits

Could a Dido-class cruiser be refitted with 4.5-inch Mark 6 guns?

A 4.5-inch Mark 6 refit was considered technically possible but of limited benefit. The separate discussion of wartime gun substitutions remains unresolved.

A 4.5-inch Mark 6 refit is accepted as technically possible, with limited benefit given as the reason it was not pursued. The follow-up shifts to the armament fitted when the cruisers were completed. Participants disagree over which ships received 4.5-inch or 4-inch guns and which mountings were available. Capital ships and carriers receive priority in the explanation of the shortage, but the exchange ends with a disputed recollection about Charybdis rather than an agreed account of each ship's gun fit.