qship

The Q-ship was a type of naval vessel used during World War I and World War II, designed to masquerade as a merchant ship while carrying out decoy and attack operations against enemy submarines and other naval craft. These vessels were typically steampower merchant ships with auxiliary guns mounted on top of decks, often on platforms disguised as cargo containers.

The concept of the Q-ship was to blend in with normal merchant traffic, taking on the appearance of a commercial vessel, while concealing their formidable arsenal and enhanced military capabilities. The key design feature of Q-ships was the provision of unsuspecting sailors on board until the ship was threatened by an enemy attack, at which point the crew would man the auxiliary guns to attack the attacker. Q-ships operated most effectively in support of convoy escort duties.

Their onboard crews were often required to be skilled sailors, capable of directing the operations of the ship in order to complete the ruse. Q-ships could attack enemy vessels through clever plays, including dropping signs of distress to lure an enemy submarine or surface vessel into attacking the merchant ship, and then rapidly converting the target into feasible cannon scrare. However they also often received fire from the target towards friendly troops in operations on dual responding aircraft that identified the ship without the disguise.

Accounts indicate that the tactic was effective in convincing and deceiving enemy vessels and effectively reducing the load on escort vessels.