By March 1944, HMS Defence and HMS Blake were reportedly close to transfer to the Royal Australian Navy for completion as 5.25-inch cruisers. The passage also notes competing accounts involving the Royal Indian Navy or South African Navy, so the intended recipient remains uncertain. The shifting proposals show how unsettled the unfinished hulls' future was before the Tiger redesign. Their final automatic-gun form was one of several possible Commonwealth and armament paths.
Notable Point · 2:14:54-2:15:13
Unfinished Tigers were offered across the Commonwealth
HMS Defence and HMS Blake were reportedly close to Australian transfer as 5.25-inch cruisers, while other accounts name India or South Africa.