Why a Tromp-style hybrid solved the wrong Royal Navy problem

Could Britain combine Dido cruisers and destroyers into a Tromp-style ship with 5.25-inch guns?

Not usefully; Tromp answered a Dutch force-structure problem, while the hybrid would underperform both British cruisers and destroyers in their intended roles.

The Dutch needed a flotilla leader that could defeat any destroyer while supporting a small force built around projected 1047-class ships. A British hybrid replacing Tromp's 6-inch guns with three twin 5.25-inch mounts would not meet the same need. It would carry fewer weapons than a Dido and fire more slowly than a Tribal, leaving it ill-suited to either established British role. The Royal Navy's eventual anti-aircraft refit of Jacob van Heemskerck worked because wartime circumstances created a different, clearly defined requirement. The comparison shows why importing a foreign hull concept without its doctrine can produce an awkward compromise.