0t---Q Ships

Q Ships were decoy vessels appearing as merchantmen but concealing depth charges and guns up to 4 inch
--they were lures for german U Boats World War I --Battle of the North Atlantic is this focus

Q stands for Queenstown Ireland--home port for this class

the linked film is silent and a dramatic recreation of generally factual occurence

https://youtu.be/hnzjlxHuqpU

This is recounting a battle that was very late in the war, after the Germans had some experience with the Q ships. Earlier in the war they would never have used a torpedo on a merchant vessel but surface and use their deck gun...as it was, they wouldn't use a torpedo on a sailing vessel. I've read Gordon Campbell's account, "My Mystery Ships". The crews were Royal Navy but they maintained their disguise both afloat and on shore - such was the fear of spies. Campbell circulated the story he'd been cashiered from the Navy as a cover when he ran into officers he knew who were surprised by his "tramp steamer" outfit...He sank 2 U boats and won a VC.

A few years ago a friend of mine bought a very nicely engraved British 4" shell...with the legend something like "U502...April 10 1915...HMS Anacreon. (I'm making up the date and U boat - I don't remember the actual number). In any case, we later learned that on that date HMS Anacreon had sunk that U boat with a single shot from a 4" gun that pierced the conning tower. The U boat itself was only found a few years ago, resting on the bottom of the Firth of Forth.

[edit] I should add that some of the crew were able to get off and were rescued by the British.

JHOLLAND1 said:

Q Ships were decoy vessels appearing as merchantmen but concealing depth charges and guns up to 4 inch
--they were lures for german U Boats World War I --Battle of the North Atlantic is this focus

Q stands for Queenstown Ireland--home port for this class

the linked film is silent and a dramatic recreation of generally factual occurence

https://youtu.be/hnzjlxHuqpU

Click to expand...

Germany tried it too.. War Two. They didn't have much of an option besides U-boats.

The Merchants of Menace

Didn't work very well. For either side.

Especially once Liberty & Victory ships were armed-up with old but still hard-hitting recycled War One deck guns.

See USS Steven Hopkins:

SS STEPHEN HOPKINS | MARAD

Doc,

You post some very strange videos...you need to get a day job!

Stuart

atomarc said:

Doc,

You post some very strange videos...you need to get a day job!

Stuart

Click to expand...

And I enjoy 5hem

3512B said:

And I enjoy 5hem

Click to expand...

Them darn fat fingers...

3512B said:

And I enjoy 5hem

Click to expand...

How come you're dragging Noah's kid into the fray...he was on the ark, not a Q-ship

Stuart