Royal Navy 'Q' Ships

by Cliff McMullen (celtic2@grey-bruce.net)

(c) Cliff McMullen, 2001

In World War I the term " mystery ship " originally referred to a submarine decoy vessel. These ships were developed because of the large loss of shipping caused by German U-boats in the opening months of the war. It did not go unnoticed that the submarines preferred to attack unescorted, older and smaller vessels by using surface gunfire thus preserving their torpedoes for larger vessels or warships and extending their sea cruise durations. Thus it was conceived that a vessel, such as a coaster, if provided with a concealed armament, could meet a surfaced submarine on fairly equal terms. The vessels chosen, code-named Q-ships by the Admiralty and also known as Decoy Vessels and Special Service Ships, were comparatively small, ranging in size from 4,000 tons to small sailing ships, old and made to look poorly maintained. Their outward appearances were indistinguishable from ordinary merchantmen. When attacked, the Q-ship would allow the U-boat to come as close as possible before dropping the disguise, raising the White Ensign ( a requirement of international law ), and opening fire. The sinking of about 30% of the U-boats destroyed by surface forces by this method proved its success. In the early part of the war when successes were highest the number of such vessels was limited but, later as the numbers increased, the Germans became aware of the operation and successes declined. One source has been quoted that there were as many as 366 Q-ships, of which 61 were lost during the war, nearly all the larger vessels being torpedoed without warning. The first success was in July 1915, when a converted coaster of 373-tons, the Prince Charles, sank U36. The first Q-ships, the British Victoria and the French Marguerite, went into service in November 1914. In addition to the cargo vessels, colliers, and other ships listed, a large number of small sailing vessels ( mainly schooners and brigantines ), fishing vessels ( trawlers, drifters, smacks, et cetra ), a tug ( Earl of Powis ), a salvage vessel ( Lyons ), the lighter X22 and other minor craft were employed as Q-ships.

The Q-ships armament, usually consisting of one 4-inch ( 102 mm ) and two 12-pdr guns, was disguised in various ways : behind hinged bulwarks, inside dummy superstructures and deck cargoes, and even inside dummy boats. The ships adopted greater secrecy and elaborate disguises. They changed their disguises and names from time to time, some vessels having had as many as five different names. Many ruses were developed to convince the U-boats that vessels were genuine. These included disguises for the crew - men made up as black merchant seamen, the captain's " wife ", and in one crew the ' cook ' was equipped with a stuffed parrot in a cage. Also a simulated abandon-ship routine was operated whereby half the crew, nicknamed the " panic party ", would leave ship while the other half would remain hidden aboard to man the guns. When it became apparent that the decoys were likely to be torpedoed, their holds were filled with buoyant material to keep them afloat. Other methods adapted included the trawler+submarine plan. A trawler put to sea towing one of the older sbmerines, submerged, and connected to it by telephone. If a U-boat surfaced the trawler engaged its attention while the submarine was released for attack. The first success of this scheme was in June 1915 when the trawler Taranaki with submarine C24 sank U40 off Aberdeen. This method provided employment for the older A, B, and C classes of coastal submarines. There was only one purpose-built Q-ship, the Hyderabad. This was a 600-ton vessel, launched in 1917, with a very shallow draught to allow torpedoes to pass under the ship and armed with one 4-inch, two 12-pdr, and one 2 1/2-pdr guns, two 18-inch torpedo tubes, four depth charges and four A/S howitzers, all, except the 2 1/2-pdr, concealed.

In addition to the converted merchant ships there were 40 Flower class sloops and 20 PC-boats. The PC-boats were completed as Q-ships, disquised as coastal freighters and differed from regular service PC-boats. None were lost in the war. The Flower class sloops were designed on merchant ship lines thus making them easily adaptable for conversion to Q-ships, 39 being completed as such while the other was converted after being torpedoed. These all had single funnels, and as the merchant ship silhouette was left to the builders, variations were many. The " Flower-Q's " were employed mainly on convoy and anti-submarine work. Nine were lost during the war.

The idea was revived in 1939 when ten vessels ( Antoine, Brutus, Cyprus, Edgehill, Fidelity, Lambridge, Looe, Maunder, Prunella, and Chatsgrove ( ex-RN PC-74 )) were hired to serve as decoy vessels. They met with very little success and Edgehill, Prunella, and Fidelity were sunk by U-boats in 1940. The survivors were eventually transferred to the Ministry of War Transport service.

Source: Warships of World War I by H.M. LeFleming - Ian Allan Ltd c-1967.

DECOY VESSELS ( names in brackets are the disguised identities )

Ex-Cargo Vessels

Ex-Supply Ship

Ex-Armed Boarding Steamer

Ex-Colliers

Ex-Fleet Messengers

Ex-Store Ships

Ex-Coasters

Purpose - Built

PC - Boats

Flower Class Sloops

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