The Greenlandian Admiralty had ordered the Tallai class to replace the older light cruisers, but with the first pair under construction a need was identified for a smaller anti-aircraft cruiser, that could be constructed quicker than the Tallai. An armament of the 5" dual purpose weapons and smaller AA guns would constitute the main armament. A set of torpedoes on either beam would be the rest of the armament. No aircraft handling facilities were contemplated as these cruisers were not expected to be on the trade routes but tied to the Fleet.
By 1940, when the first ships of the class were being completed, the basic design had changed several times to take in the advent of all the electronic aids coming into service. One of the main things was a set of much heavier tripod masts to take the electronic equipment being mounted. The previous pole mast design would not have been strong enough. Compared to the competition, the Qos class never needed to remove main armament to decrease topweight, unlike the Dido and Atlanta class ships.
The highlight for the Qos class, was the Qos itself and two destroyers being detailed to intercept an Italian convoy escorted by a destroyer and two corvettes. The three ships fell in with the convoy, each Greenlandian ship taking its assigned escort and blowing it away. That left the two merchantmen to be picked off, clean sweep!
Two Italian supply ships with their three escorts. Little did they know what was in store for them.
