RN Q-ships (original) (raw)

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, thePrince Charles, sank U36. The first Q-ships, the British Victoria and the FrenchMarguerite, 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 submarineC24 sank U40 off Aberdeen. This method provided employment for the olderA, 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

Acton ( Wellington, Gandy, 1917 - 18 Returned 1919
Harelda, Q.34 )
Barranca ( Echunga ) 1916 - 18 Returned 1919
Goodwin ( Ballantral, Moderley, 1917 - 19 Returned 1919
Underwing )
Lady Patricia ( Paxton, Q.25, 1917 Sunk by U46, 1917
Tosca, Sverige)
Laggan ( Granmer, Pladda, Q.24 ) 1917 - 19 Returned 1919
Marshfort ( Hillcollow, Huayna, 1917 - 18 Returned 1919
Senley )
Nyroca ( Q.26, Mavis ) 1917 - 18 Returned 1919
Peveril ( Puma, Q.36, Stephenson ) 1917 Sunk by U-boat, 1917
Privet ( Alcala, Island Queen, 1916 - 19 Sank U85 and UC29 in 1917
Q.19, Swisher ) Sank U34 in 1918. Sold 1919
Rule ( Baryta, Cassor, Ouse, Q.35 ) 1917 - 18 Returned merchant service 1919
Warner ( Q.27 ) 1917 Sunk by U61, 1917

Ex-Supply Ship

Carrigan Head 1917 Escort vessel 1917 - 18
Returned 1919

Ex-Armed Boarding Steamer

Antwerp ( Vienna ) 1915 Returned 1919

Ex-Colliers

Arvonian ( Alastair, Balfame, 1917 - 19 Operated with USN
Bendish, Dorinda, Girdler ) as Santee 1917 - 18.
Sold 1919
Bracondale ( Chagford ) 1917 Sunk by U-boat, 1917
Bradford City ( Ballistan, Saros ) 1915 - 17 Sunk by U-boat, 1917
Chevington 1915 - 16 Returned 1916
Djerissa ( Mallina, Solax, Woking ) 1916 - 18 Returned 1919
Dunclutha ( Champney, Stamford ) 1916 - 18 Returned 1918
Dunraven ( Boverton ) 1917 Sunk in tow after action
with UC71, 1917
Farnborough ( Lodorer, Q.5, 1915 - 18 Sold 1919
Sandyford )
Glendevon 1915 - 16 Returned 1916
Glenfoyle ( Donlevon, Stonecrop ) 1917 Sunk by U-boat, 1917
Glenisla 1915 - 16 Returned 1916, sunk 1917
Harmonic ( Cocksedge, Fairlight, 1916 - 18 Returned 1918
Tricord )
Hartside ( Dunsany, Fairfax, 1916 - 18 Returned 1919
Trida )
Hyanthus ( Craven, Lorimer, 1916 - 18 Returned 1918
Ooma )
Lowtyne 1918 Sunk by U-boat, 1918
Maresfield ( Chiswell, Sequax ) 1917 - 18 Returned 1918
Pargust ( Friswell, Pangloss, 1917 Sold 1919
Snail, Vittoria ) ( USN as Q-ship, 1917 - 18 )
Penhallow ( Century ) 1917 Returned 1917
Penshurst ( Manford ) 1915 - 17 Sank UB19 in 1916
Sank UB37 in 1917
Sunk by U110, 1917
Perugia ( Moeraki, Q.1 ) 1916 Sunk by U63, 1916
Prince Charles 1915 - 16 Sank U36 in July 1915
Returned 1916, sunk 1916
Ravenstone ( Donlevon ) 1917 Returned 1917
Remembrance ( Lammeroo ) 1915 - 16 Sunk by U38, 1916
Starmount ( Glenmay, Graveny, 1917 - 19 Returned 1919
Tring )
Suffolk Coast ( Q.8 ) 1918 - 19 Returned 1919
Thornhill ( Margit, Wellholme, 1915 - 17 Returned 1917
Werribee, Woganella )
Vala 1915 - 17 Sunk by UB54, 1917
Willow Branch ( Bombala, 1917 - 18 Sunk by U-boat, 1918
Juggler, Vinetroe )
Zylpha ( Q.6 ) 1915 - 17 Sunk by U-boat, 1917

Ex-Fleet Messengers

Princess Ena 1915 Fleet messenger 1915 - 20
Redbreast 1916 - 18 Sunk by U-boat, 1918
Wexford Coast 1918 - 19 Returned 1919

Ex-Store Ships

Argo ( Lothbury, Sarusan, Stead ) 1917 - 18 RFA 1919, sold 1939
Baralong ( Wyandra ) 1915 - 16 Sank U27 and U41 in 1915.
Returned 1916
Derwent ( Duncombe, Lydia ) 1915 - 17 Collier 1917, returned 1918
Intaba ( Q.2, Waltomo ) 1916 - 17 RFA 1917 - 18
Returned 1918
M J Hedley 1918 Capsized and sank in dock, 1918
Westphalia ( Cullist, Hayling, 1917 Sunk by U-boat, 1918
Jurassic, Prim )
Wirral 1918 Sold 1919

Ex-Coasters

Lady Olive ( Q.18 ) 1916 - 17 Sunk by U-boat, 1917
Stock Force ( Charyce ) 1917 Sunk in tow after action
with U98, 1918
Tay and Tyne ( Cheriton, 1917 - 18 Sold 1924
Dundreary, Ledger 928 )
Victoria 1914 - 15 Returned 1916

Purpose - Built

Hyderabad ( SSS.966, Nicobar, 1918 Converted to depot ship
Coral ) in 1919 and served in North USSR.
Sold into merchant service in 1920.

PC - Boats

PC42 1917 Sold post-1921
PC43 1917 Sold post-1921
PC44 1917 Sold post-1921
PC51 1917 Sold post-1921
PC55 1917 Indian Training Ship
Baluchi in 1924
PC56 1917 Sold post-1921
PC60 1917 Sold post-1921
PC61 1917 Sold post-1921
PC62 1917 Sold post-1921
PC63 1917 Sold post-1921
PC65 1917 Sold post-1921
PC66 1918 Sold post-1921
PC67 1917 Sold post-1921
PC68 1917 Sold post-1921
PC69 1918 Indian Training Ship
Pathan in 1924
PC70 1918 Sold post-1921
PC71 1918 Sold post-1921
PC72 1918 Sold post-1921
PC73 1918 Fishery Protection Vessel
Dart in 1924
PC74 1918 Still in service in 1939

Flower Class Sloops

(1) Acacia Type :
Begonia 1916 - 17 Rebuilt as Q-ship 1916
Torpedoed in Atlantic, 1917
(2) Aubretia Type :
Aubretia 1916 - 18 Sold 1922
Heather 1916 - 18 Sold 1923
Salvia 1916 - 17 Torpedoed off Ireland, 1917
Tamarisk 1916 - 18 Sold 1922
Tulip 1916 - 17 Torpedoed in Atlantic, 1917
Viola 1916 - 18 Sold 1922
(3) Anchusa Type :
Anchusa 1917 - 18 Torpedoed off N. Ireland, 1918
Arbutus 1917 Torpedoed off S.W. Ireland, 1918
Auricula 1917 - 18 Sold 1923
Bergamot 1917 Torpedoed in Atlantic, 1917
Bryony 1917 - 18 Sold 1938
Candytuft 1917 Torpedoed in Mediterraean, 1917
Ceanothus 1917 - 18 To India in 1921
Chrysanthemum 1917 - 18 RNVR Drill Ship, 1938
Convolvulus 1917 - 18 Sold 1922
Coreopsis 1917 - 18 Sold 1922
Cowslip 1917 - 18 Torpedoed off Morocco, 1918
Dianthus 1917 - 18 Sold 1921
Eglantine 1917 - 18 Sold 1922
Gaillardia 1917 - 18 Mined off Orkneys, 1918
Gardenia 1917 - 18 Sold 1923
Gilia 1917 - 18 Sold 1923
Harebell 1917 - 18 Sold 1939
Hibiscus 1917 - 18 Sold 1923
Ivy 1917 - 18 Sold 1921
Lychnis 1917 - 18 To India, 1921
Marjoram 1917 - 18 Wrecked, 1921
Mistletoe 1917 - 18 Sold 1921
Montbretia 1917 - 18 Sold 1921
Pelargonium 1917 - 18 Sold 1921
Polyanthus 1917 - 18 Sold 1921
Rhododendron 1917 - 18 Torpedoed in North Sea, 1918
Saxifrage 1917 - 18 Drillship President II, 1922
Silene 1917 - 18 Sold 1922
Spiraea 1917 - 18 Sold 1922
Sweetbriar 1917 - 18 Sold 1927
Syringa 1917 - 18 To Egypt, 1920
Tuberose 1917 - 18 Sold 1923
Windflower 1917 - 18 Sold 1927

Last Updated: 24 December, 2001.

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