HMS DIDO

Dido was built by Yarrow of Glasgow. She was laid
down as a Rothesay-class frigate to be called Hastings on 2 December 1959, but in
1960, it was decided to complete the ship as one of the new Leander class, with the new name Dido. The naming ceremony for Dido took place on 21 December 1961,
but her launch was delayed until the next day because of fog. Dido was commissioned on 18 September
1963. Total construction cost was £4600000.
The ship was 372 feet (113.4 m) long overall and
360 feet (109.7 m) at the waterline, with a beam of 41 feet
(12.5 m) and a maximum draught of 18 feet (5.5 m). Displacement was
2,380 long tons (2,420 t) standard and 2,860 long tons (2,910 t) full
load. Two oil-fired boilers fed steam at 550 pounds per square inch
(3,800 kPa) and 850 °F (454 °C) to a pair of double reduction
geared steam turbines that in turn drove two propeller shafts, with
the machinery rated at 30,000 shaft horsepower (22,000 kW), giving a speed
of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph).
A twin 4.5-inch (113 mm) Mark 6 gun mount was fitted
forward. While the Leander-class was
planned to be fitted with the Sea Cat surface-to-air missile, Dido was completed with two Bofors
40 mm anti-aircraft guns as a temporary substitute until Sea Cat could be
fitted. A Limbo anti-submarine mortar was fitted aft to provide a
short-range anti-submarine capability, while a hangar and helicopter deck
allowed a single Westland Wasp helicopter to be operated, for longer
range anti-submarine and anti-surface operations.
As built, Dido was
fitted with a large Type 965 long range air search radar on the
ship's mainmast, with a Type 993 short range air/surface target indicating
radar and Type 974 navigation radar carried on the ship's foremast. An MRS3
fire control system was carried to direct the 4.5-inch guns. The ship had
a sonar suite of Type 177 medium range search sonar, Type 162 bottom
search and Type 170 attack sonar, together with a Type 199 variable depth
sonar (VDS).
HMS DIDO F104 63-75 TRAVEL MUG
THIS TRAVEL MUG PROUDLY DISPLAYING THE PHOTOGRAPH AND THE BADGE OF HMS DIOMEDE F104 63-75 THIS 1..
£12.95
HMS DIDO F104 76-81 TRAVEL MUG
THIS TRAVEL MUG PROUDLY DISPLAYING THE PHOTOGRAPH AND THE BADGE OF HMS DIDO F104 76-81 THIS 14oz..
£12.95
HMS DIDO F104 63-75 COASTER
SET OF 4 MATCHING GLASS/MUG COASTERS HMS COASTERS THESE COASTERS PROUDLY DISPLAYING THE CREST AND PH..
£12.00
HMS DIDO F104 63-75 KEYRING/FRIDGE MAGNET/BOTTLE OPENER
HMS DIDO F104 63-75 KEYRING/FRIDGE MAGNET/BOTTLE OPENER PROUDLY DISPLAYING THE PHOTOGRAPH HMS DIOME..
£3.50
HMS DIDO F104 63-75 LASER ENGRAVED PHOTOGRAPH
HMS DIDO F104 63-75 LASER ENGRAVED PHOTOGRAPH THIS LASER ENGRAVED PHOTOGRAPH PROUDLY DISPLAYING THE..
£12.00
HMS DIDO F104 63-75 MUG
THIS COFFEE MUG PROUDLY DISPLAYING THE PHOTOGRAPH AND THE BADGE OF HMS DIOMEDE F104 63-75 WE CAN PU..
£6.50
HMS DIDO F104 76-81
SET OF 4 MATCHING GLASS/MUG COASTERS HMS COASTERS THESE COASTERS PROUDLY DISPLAYING THE CREST AND PH..
£12.00
HMS DIDO F104 76-81 KEYRING/FRIDGE MAGNET/BOTTLE OPENER
HMS DIDO F104 76-81 KEYRING/FRIDGE MAGNET/BOTTLE OPENER PROUDLY DISPLAYING THE PHOTOGRAPH HMS DIDO ..
£3.50
HMS DIDO F104 76-81 LASER ENGRAVED PHOTOGRAPH
HMS DIDO F104 76-81 LASER ENGRAVED PHOTOGRAPH THIS LASER ENGRAVED PHOTOGRAPH PROUDLY DISPLAYING THE..
£12.00
HMS DIDO F104 76-81 MUG
THIS COFFEE MUG PROUDLY DISPLAYING THE PHOTOGRAPH AND THE BADGE OF HMS DIDO F104 76-81 WE CAN PUT Y..
£6.50
