HMS Despatch was a Danae-class light cruiser built for the Royal Navy during World War I.

Despatch was powered by two Brown-Curtis steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, which produced a total of 40,000 indicated horsepower (30,000 kW).

[4] She was laid down by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company on 8 July 1918, launched on 24 September 1919,[6] towed to Chatham Dockyard,[7] and completed there on 15 June 1922.

- At 13.45hrs HMS Despatch intercepted Spanish ship Monte Naranco in position 14-42N, 23-01W and placed an armed guard aboard and ordered the Greek destroyer HHelMS Adrias to escort her for one day towards Gibraltar.

For her HQ Ship role, Despatch had had all her original guns removed and replaced with 16 Bofors 40 mm Anti-Aircraft guns manned by army gunners from 127th (Queen's) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, to support her role as "Traffic Control" in building the Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches.