Q Ship vs U-Boat - 1914-18

Q ships came in all shapes and sizes - coastal steamer, trawler, barque, yacht or schooner - but all had to look harmless in order to lure their opponents to the surface and encourage them to attack. Armaments differed according to ship size; steamers commonly had 4in guns mounted amidships and in the bow, trawlers 3-pdrs and sailing ships 12-pdrs. Those who served on Q ships had to accept that their U-boat opponents would be able to strike first. Q ship captains kept ready a ''panic crew'', which was trained to act out an elaborate evacuation to convince the U-boat commander that the ship was being abandoned by its crew. The Q ship captain would remain behind with a handful of other crewmen manning the guns, which remained hidden until the most opportune time to unmask and engage the U-boat. The Q ship concept had emerged early in the war when no other method seemed likely to counter the U-boat threat, and flourished until new technologies and tactics were developed, tested and implemented.>

Product details

• Authors: David Greentree, Greentree David
• Assisted by: Peter Dennis (Illustration), Peter (Illustrator) Dennis (Illustration), Ian Palmer (Illustration), Ian (Illustrator) Palmer (Illustration)
• Publisher: Osprey Publishers
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 20.02.2014
• EAN: 9781782002840
• ISBN: 978-1-78200-284-0
• No. of pages: 80
• Dimensions: 180 mm x 246 mm x 8 mm
• Series: Duel; Duel
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > 20th century (up to 1945); Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Europe, European History, True war & combat stories, First World War, HISTORY / Military / World War II, HISTORY / Military / Naval, Military vehicles, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, Warfare & defence, c 1910 to c 1919, Naval forces and warfare, Military & Naval Ships, HISTORY / Wars & Conflicts / World War II / General