Lacking adequate antisubmarine warfare tactics and technologies to combat the German unrestricted submarine campaign during the Great War, the Allies turned to deception or ruse de guerre as a means to counter the U-boat menace. Armed decoys, known as Q-ships, manned by naval crews and outfitted with hidden guns, were introduced to deceive, trap and destroy U-boats. Registering early kills, Q-ships served as a valuable deterrent and had a demoralizing effect on previously bold U-boat crews. Q-ships successfully filled Britain.s void in antisubmarine warfare through 1917. By 1918, the Q-ship campaign ground to a halt when these intrepid decoys lost their usefulness through frequency of use and lost surprise. This paper examines the employment of Q-ships in the Allied maritime strategy during the Great War, focusing on the requisite elements and specific tactics associated with this unique form of deception. Significant engagements are examined to assess the effect Q-ships had against U-boats and their overall impact during the course of the war.
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Lacking adequate antisubmarine warfare tactics and technologies to combat the German unrestricted submarine campaign during the Great War, the Allies turned to deception or ruse de guerre as a means to counter the U-boat menace. Armed decoys, known as Q-ships, manned by naval crews and outfitted with hidden guns, were introduced to deceive, trap and destroy U-boats. Registering early kills, Q-ships served as a valuable deterrent and had a demoralizing effect on previously bold U-boat crews. Q-ships successfully filled Britain.s void in antisubmarine warfare through 1917. By 1918, the Q-ship campaign ground to a halt when these intrepid decoys lost their usefulness through frequency of use and lost surprise. This paper examines the employment of Q-ships in the Allied maritime strategy during the Great War, focusing on the requisite elements and specific tactics associated with this unique form of deception. Significant engagements are examined to assess the effect Q-ships had against U-boats and their overall impact during the course of the war.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Q-Ships of the Great War
36
Q-Ships of the Great War
36Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9781025138039 |
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Publisher: | Hutson Street Press |
Publication date: | 05/22/2025 |
Pages: | 36 |
Product dimensions: | 6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.07(d) |