However, in spite of the heavy toll of cruisers in that year and the following one, the building of this new class had a relatively low priority and only three of the planned twelve were completed by end of World War II.

They played no significant part in the Second World War, though Swiftsure, as flagship of the British Pacific Cruiser Squadron, was selected by Admiral Cecil Harcourt to hoist his flag for the Japanese surrender at Hong Kong.

The third group of Minotaurs, the Tigers, were being built from quite early in their evolution with a different main battery consisting of three triple Mk 24 6-inch turrets, which were dual purpose, elevating to 60 degrees, and which automatically tracked and followed targets under Type 274/275 radar control.

Hawke represented a further development, surprisingly scrapped on the slip in late 1945,[3] with its boilers and machinery complete, and its guns nearly finished.

A more limited update of the Swiftsure and Superb with new L/70 Bofors firing proximity fused shells was approved and then cancelled,[6] because the time and cost of Swiftsure′s modernisation was proving too great and the necessary conversion from DC to AC power was considered too expensive on half-life ships.

The completion of Lion and Blake was in real danger of being stopped in early 1960, and automatic gun cruisers were considered obsolete in the United States and the Soviet Union.

Problems with cracking that occurred in the update of Swiftsure as a result of the collision with the destroyer Diamond slowed the refit, raised costs, and made recommissioning at the same time as Belfast impossible.