WWII HMS Argonaut Signed 50th Anniversary Entering Shanghai After End of the War Against Japan on 20th September 1945 Commemorative Royal Naval Cover Autographed by Lt W Proctor - 20th September 1995. 5x7 inches HMS Argonaut was a Dido-class cruiser of the British Royal Navy which saw active service during the Second World War. Constructed at the Cammell Laird shipyard, Birkenhead, Argonaut was laid down in 1939, launched in September 1941, and formally commissioned into service on 8 August 1942.