The stated 5,600-ton standard displacement describes the intended Dido design rather than an identical result achieved by every completed ship. Material variation and different shipyard practices caused actual weights to diverge. Choices such as using more rivets or less welding could accumulate across a hull, and the gap between drawing-board figures and completed weight tends to grow with ship size. Published class statistics therefore need care: a design figure is a baseline, not a guarantee that every sister matched it exactly.
Notable Point · 18:37-19:55
Why completed ships miss their design displacement
The nominal 5,600-ton figure was a design target, while yard practices and material differences made each completed Dido slightly different.