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Mystery Ship redirects here. For the 1917 film serial, see The Mystery Ship. The Mystery Ship is a 1917 adventure Film serial directed by Harry Harvey and Henry MacRae.

Q-ships also known as Q-boats, Decoy Vessels, Special Service Ships or Mystery Ships are heavily armed merchant ships which are intended to lure submarines into surface attacks, in order to sink them. Armed Merchantmen has come to mean merchant ships equipped with guns usually for defensive purposes either by design or after the fact A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability

They were used by the British Royal Navy (RN) during World War I and by both the RN and the United States Navy during the Second World War (1939–1945), as a countermeasure against German U-boats and Japanese submarines. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku

Contents

World War I

In the First Battle of the Atlantic, by 1915, Britain was in desperate need for a countermeasure against the U-boats that were strangling her sea-lanes. The First Battle of the Atlantic ( 1914 &ndash 1918) was a naval campaign of World War I, largely fought in the seas around the British Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers Convoys, which had proven effective in earlier times (and would again prove effective during World War II), were rejected by the resource-strapped Admiralty and the independent captains. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. The depth charges of the time were very primitive, and thus the only method of sinking a submarine was by gunfire or by ramming while on the surface. Depth Charge is a character in the Beast Wars: Transformers universe A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability The problem was luring the U-boat to the surface.

One solution to this problem was the creation of the Q-ship, one of the most closely-guarded secrets of the war. Their codename referred to the vessels' home port, Queenstown, in Ireland[1]. A Vessel 's home port, or hailing port is its Port of origin as shown on its Registration documents and lettered on the Stern of the ship's Cobh (pronounced /koːv/ "cove" An Cóbh is a sheltered seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world These would be known to the Germans as a U-Boot-Falle ("U-boat trap"). The Q-ship would pose as an easy target for the U-boat but in fact carry hidden armament. A typical Q-ship would be an old-looking tramp steamer calmly sailing alone near an area where a U-boat was reported to be operating. By posing as a suitable target for the use of the U-boat's deck gun, the Q-ship would encourage the U-boat captain to bring his vessel to the surface rather than use one of his expensive torpedoes, which were in short supply. The cargoes of the Q-ships would be wooden caskets and wood (e. g. , balsa or cork) so even if torpedoed they would stay afloat, encouraging the U-boat to surface and use its gun. If necessary the crew could even stage an "abandon ship" routine. Once the U boat was in a suitable position the Q-ship would change rapidly, false panels would drop to reveal the hidden guns which would start firing. At the same time the White Ensign (Royal Navy flag) would be raised. The White Ensign is an Ensign flown on British Royal Navy ships and Shore establishments It consists of a red St George's Cross on The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) With the element of surprise the U-boat could be quickly overwhelmed.

The first victory of a Q-ship occurred on June 23, 1915, when U-40 was sunk near Aberdeen by the submarine HMS C24, cooperating with the decoy vessel Taranaki, commanded by Lieutenant Frederick Henry Taylor CBE DSC RN. Events 1180 - First Battle of Uji, starting the Genpei War in Japan 1305 - The Flemish Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Aberdeen ( pronounced; Aiberdeen Obar Dheathain is Scotland 's third most populous city and one of Scotland's 32 local government council HMS C24 was a British C class submarine built by Vickers, Barrow. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. In August of that year, an even smaller converted fishing trawler named His Majesty's Armed Smack Inverlyon successfully destroyed U-4 near Great Yarmouth. A smack was an English sailing vessel that was used to bring the fish to market for most of the 19th century and even in small numbers up to the Second World War Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a Coastal Town in Norfolk, England. The Inverlyon was an unpowered sailing craft fitted with a small 3 pounder (47 mm) gun. The British crew put 9 rounds from the 3 pounder and small arms fire into U-4 at close range sinking her with the loss of all 15 crew, despite the attempt of the Inverlyon's skipper to rescue one German submariner. Small arms is a term used by the Armed forces to refer to Infantry Weapons such as the Firearms that an individual soldier can carry

On August 19, 1915, Lieutenant Godfrey Herbert RN of the HMS Baralong sank U-27 which had been preparing to sink a nearby transport ship. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year About a dozen of the sailors survived and swam towards the merchantman; Herbert, fearing that they would scuttle her, ordered them to be shot at as they swam towards the transport and sent a boarding party which killed the German sailors who reached her; this became known as the "Baralong Incident". Boarding, in its simplest sense refers to the insertion onto a ship's deck of people The Baralong Incident was a naval engagement of the First World War on August 19, 1915 involving the Q-Ship HMS ''Baralong'', the

Lieutenant-Commander William Edward Sanders VC, DSO, a New Zealander commanding HMS Prize, won the Victoria Cross for an action on 30 April 1917 with U-93, which was severely damaged. William Edward Sanders VC, DSO ( 7 February 1883 - 14 August 1917) was a New Zealander recipient of the See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Sanders waited, while his ship sustained heavy shellfire, until the submarine was within 80 yards, whereupon the White Ensign was hoisted and the Prize opened fire. The White Ensign is an Ensign flown on British Royal Navy ships and Shore establishments It consists of a red St George's Cross on The submarine appeared to sink. Unbeknownst to Sanders, the submarine did not sink and struggled back to port. With his ship identified by the survivors of U-93, Sanders and his crew were killed when they were attacked by U-43 on 14 August 1917. Events 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

Despite some spectacular actions and a great deal of romanticization, Q-ships were not particularly successful (see HMS Dunraven). HMS Dunraven was a Q-Ship of the Royal Navy during World War I. In the course of 150 engagements they destroyed 14 U-boats and damaged 60, at a cost of 27 Q-ships lost out of 200. Q-ships were responsible for only about 10% of all U-boats sunk, ranking them far below the use of mine fields in overall effectiveness. A naval mine is a self-contained Explosive device placed in water to destroy Ships or Submarines Unlike Depth charges mines are deposited Neither of the German Q-Boats, Möwe and Wolf, had any success in destroying enemy submarines.

World War II

Yeomen and supply clerks of USS Anacapa exhibiting non-regulation attire typical of Q-ship duty to imitate merchant ships.
Yeomen and supply clerks of USS Anacapa exhibiting non-regulation attire typical of Q-ship duty to imitate merchant ships. Construction The ship was built in 1919 at Wilmington, Del She was operated by a number of different owners under a number of different names including Castle
Hinged flaps aft of the anchor hid 3" guns aboard USS Anacapa.
Hinged flaps aft of the anchor hid 3" guns aboard USS Anacapa. Construction The ship was built in 1919 at Wilmington, Del She was operated by a number of different owners under a number of different names including Castle

Nine Q-Ships were commissioned by the Royal Navy in September and October of 1939 for work in the North Atlantic:[2]

Prunella and Edgehill were torpedoed and sunk 21 and 29 June 1940 without even sighting a U-Boat. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The rest of the vessels were paid off in March 1941 without successfully accomplishing any mission. [3]

The last Royal Navy Q-ship, 2456-ton HMS Fidelity (D57), was converted in September, 1940, to carry a torpedo defense net, four 4-inch (10-cm) guns, four torpedo tubes, two OS2U Kingfisher float planes, and Motor Torpedo Boat 105. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB was the name given to fast Torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, the Royal Norwegian Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy and Fidelity sailed with a French crew, and was sunk by U-435 on 30 December 1942 during the battle for Convoy ON-154. Convoy ON-154 was a Convoy of ships during the Second World War. [4]

By January 12, 1942, the British Admiralty's intelligence community had noted a "heavy concentration" of U-boats off the "North American seaboard from New York to Cape Race" and passed along this fact to the United States Navy. Events 475 - Basiliscus becomes Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. That day, U-123 under Kapitänleutnant Reinhard Hardegen, torpedoed and sank the British steamship Cyclops, inaugurating Paukenschlag (literally, "a roll on the kettledrum" and sometimes referred to in English as "Operation Drumbeat"). The Second Happy Time was the informal name for a phase in the Second Battle of the Atlantic during which Axis Submarines attacked Merchant shipping U-boat commanders found peacetime conditions prevailing along the coast: towns and cities were not blacked-out and navigational buoys remained lighted; shipping followed normal routines and "carried the normal lights. U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers " Paukenschlag had caught the United States unaware.

Losses mounted rapidly. On January 20, 1942, Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet (Cominch), sent a coded dispatch to Commander, Eastern Sea Frontier (CESF), requesting immediate consideration of the manning and fitting-out of "Queen" ships to be operated as an antisubmarine measure. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II. The result was "Project LQ. "

Five vessels were acquired and converted secretly in Portsmouth, New Hampshire:

The careers of all five ships were almost entirely unsuccessful and very short, with USS Atik sunk on its first patrol[1]; all Q-ships patrols ended in 1943. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

American Q-ships also operated in the Pacific Ocean. One was USS Anacapa (AG-49) formerly the lumber transport Coos Bay which was converted to Q-ship duty as project "Love William. Construction The ship was built in 1919 at Wilmington, Del She was operated by a number of different owners under a number of different names including Castle " Anacapa was not successful in engaging any enemy submarines, although she is believed to have damaged two friendly subs with depth charges when they were improperly operating in her vicinity. Anacapa was also withdrawn from Q-ship duty in 1943 and served out the remainder of WWII as an armed transport in the South Pacific and Aleutian Islands.

Related terms

The term (or "Q-car") has subsequently been used to describe cars that have much higher than average performance (often through extensive modification) but look like conventional, uninteresting family transport. As well as the ships, this term may also be reinforced by the United Kingdom's system of vehicle registration plate numbering - until recent years the first (previously the last) symbol on a British plate was a letter code for the year of manufacture, but for vehicles of uncertain or mixed age, a plate beginning with "Q" is used. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located See also Vehicle registration plate Colour and dimensions Current plates have black characters on white reflective material (for the front plate or on yellow reflective

A Q train looks outwardly like an ordinary rail train, but is staffed by railway police to combat Route Crime. Q Train can mean the following Q (New York City Subway service in New York City A special train with British Transport Police on board used to combat Route Crime was formerly known as trespass and vandalism It is believed to be the cause of most deaths to members of the public on the railways in Britain

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Beyer, Kenneth M. Merchant raiders are Ships which disguise themselves as Non-combatant Merchant vessels whilst actually being armed and intending to attack enemy commerce Commerce raiding is to destroy the logistics (supplies of an enemy on the open sea rather than engaging the combatants themselves or enforcing a Blockade against them Unrestricted submarine warfare is a type of Naval warfare in which Submarines sink merchant ships without warning as opposed to attacks per prize regulations A tonnage war is a Military strategy aimed at merchant shipping The Hague Conventions were international treaties negotiated at the First and Second Peace Conferences at The Hague, Netherlands in 1899 and An East Indiaman was a Ship operating under charter or licence to the Honourable East India Company. Armed Merchantmen has come to mean merchant ships equipped with guns usually for defensive purposes either by design or after the fact A CAM ship was a World War II -era British Merchant ship used in Convoys as a quick emergency solution to the shortage of escort carriers Merchant aircraft carriers (MAC were minimal Aircraft carriers used during World War II by Britain and the Netherlands as an emergency measure : Q-Ships versus U-Boats. America's Secret Project. Naval Institute Press. Annapolis, Maryland, USA. 1999. ISBN 15575000444
  2. ^ Lenton, H. T. and Colledge, J. J. : British and Dominion Warships of World War II, 1968, p. 279
  3. ^ Marder, Arthur: "The Influence of History on Sea Power: The Royal Navy and the Lessons of 1914-1918", The Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 41, No. 4. (Nov. , 1972), pp. 413-443. [1]
  4. ^ Lenton, H. T. and Colledge, J. J. : British and Dominion Warships of World War II, 1968, p. 279

External links

World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All
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