[REQ]Q-Ships Mod

[Stoli151]

Is there a mod that simulates Q-ships in SH5? If not, does anyone think they would like to make one. I did love the one that was made for SH3. It really makes approaching lone merchants in the early war years much more interesting.

[V13dweller]

You mean those heavily armed warships in merchants clothing?
I know Q-ships were armed with Depth Charge racks and large guns, but hiding them in SH5 would be difficult, I myself, do not know how to hide ships weapons.

But maybe other modders might have more input.

It is a good idea though.
I could add DC racks to a Merchant ship, but he will have difficulty find anyone without a sonar, but I could add a sonar.

[Stoli151]

You mean those heavily armed warships in merchants clothing?
I know Q-ships were armed with Depth Charge racks and large guns, but hiding them in SH5 would be difficult, I myself, do not know how to hide ships weapons.

But maybe other modders might have more input.

It is a good idea though.
I could add DC racks to a Merchant ship, but he will have difficulty find anyone without a sonar, but I could add a sonar.Yes, exactly. They basically were old merchants loaded up with camouflaged weapons and a had a Royal Navy crew on board. They would wander around solo waiting for a u-boat kaleun to approach it on the surface trying to save his precious torpedoes. I wonder if you could have it fire weapons but not have the ship models render the deck guns visually. Basically, you would see cannon fire but no cannon, unless they could be camouflaged some other way. Once they were firing, it wouldn't really matter once you're desperately pressing the crash dive button. In other words the incoming fire would be enough to convince you the cannons were there. The next thing would be randomizing the chance of coming up on one and limiting them to their historical years of use.

[gap]

Is there a mod that simulates Q-ships in SH5? If not, does anyone think they would like to make one. I did love the one that was made for SH3. It really makes approaching lone merchants in the early war years much more interesting.

The Allied WWII merchat cruiser / Q Ship program was a big flop. The idea is cool though, and it would be nice having more of these ships in game.

I wonder if you could have it fire weapons but not have the ship models render the deck guns visually. Basically, you would see cannon fire but no cannon, unless they could be camouflaged some other way. Once they were firing, it wouldn't really matter once you're desperately pressing the crash dive button. In other words the incoming fire would be enough to convince you the cannons were there.

SH5 got two armed merchants already, HMS Rawalpindi and HMS Patroclus (as a proxy of Rawalpindi), not to mention the German auxiliary cruisers Carl Peters, Comet and Pinguin. I have never met them in game though, and I am curious to know if their guns are disguised somehow before they start using them.
In the negative, creating dummy but fully working weapons wouldn't be a big problem :yep:

The next thing would be randomizing the chance of coming up on one and limiting them to their historical years of use.

This isn't really a problem. SH5 dynamic campaign takes dates and unit types and classe into account. We can make ships to appear when/where historically espected. We can even set individual ships, making them not to be respawned in game if they get destroyed at some point during the campaign. :sunny:

On a side note, there were so few of these ships, that the chance to come along one of them should be very low anyway.

[Stoli151]

The Allied WWII merchat cruiser / Q Ship program was a big flop. The idea is cool though, and it would be nice having more of these ships in game.



SH5 got two armed merchants already, HMS Rawalpindi and HMS Patroclus (as a proxy of Rawalpindi), not to mention the German auxiliary cruisers Carl Peters, Comet and Pinguin. I have never met them in game though, and I am curious to know if their guns are disguised somehow before they start using them.
In the negative, creating dummy but fully working weapons wouldn't be a big problem :yep:



This isn't really a problem. SH5 dynamic campaign takes dates and unit types and classe into account. We can make ships to appear when/where historically espected. We can even set individual ships, making them not to be respawned in game if they get destroyed at some point during the campaign. :sunny:

On a side note, there were so few of these ships, that the chance to come along one of them should be very low anyway.
I totally agree the program wasn't very successful in RL. The mod in SH3 however, made me approach lone merchants in the early years with caution. Although I only met 3 in game, 2 of them ended my career. Knowing the small chance that they were out there was enough to make me think twice about just cruising up to single ships with my deckgun to save torpedoes. What an unpleasant surprise it was when that old rust bucket opened up on me with the power of a light cruiser. So I think the mod would be totally worth it if someone did one for SH5. I do also agree that the chance of running into one should be small, as it was in the SH3 mod.

[gap]

I totally agree the program wasn't very successful in RL. The mod in SH3 however, made me approach lone merchants in the early years with caution. Although I only met 3 in game, 2 of them ended my career. Knowing the small chance that they were out there was enough to make me think twice about just cruising up to single ships with my deckgun to save torpedoes. What an unpleasant surprise it was when that old rust bucket opened up on me with the power of a light cruiser. So I think the mod would be totally worth it if someone did one for SH5. I do also agree that the chance of running into one should be small, as it was in the SH3 mod.

Three encounters in how many careers? This is probably still too much, but I agree with you on the deterrent effect anyway :up:

P.S. I had a look into stock SH5 armed merchants, and I didn't see any special setting/controller attached to their main gun bones. But the bones themselves are placed in some underdecks not immediately visible to the observer, or they are well within the hull :yep:

Has anyone seen these ships firing in game? :hmmm:

Moreover, someone in Jimbuna's Q Ship thread suggested using SHIII's trap container, though this method wasn't flawless.

In any case, after solving the puzzle of how to conceal armaments, creating proxy copies of any merchant featured in game, and converting them into Q-ships is really easy :know:

[volodya61]

Guys.. just my experience.. Open Horizons II.. Autumn, 1939.. armed merchants..
I think these ships are armed enough to not try to attack them from the surface position using the deck gun.. I have seen what may happen after..

[gap]

Guys.. just my experience.. Open Horizons II.. Autumn, 1939.. armed merchants..
I think these ships are armed enough to not try to attack them from the surface position using the deck gun.. I have seen what may happen after..

Yes, but are their guns visible before they actually start firing? If no, how do they show up when they are fired? Some of the German auxiliary cruisers have guns which are so deep in the hull, that they should fire through it :hmm2:

[volodya61]

Yes, but are their guns visible before they actually start firing? If no, how do they show up when they are fired? Some of the German auxiliary cruisers have guns which are so deep in the hull, that they should fire through it :hmm2:

I don't know.. I just saw you were talking about super armed merchants all day long and decided to drop my two cents.. I think we don't need any/other new armed merchants.. existing ships are good enough.. at least in my point of view..

[gap]

I don't know.. I just saw you were talking about super armed merchants all day long and decided to drop my two cents.. I think we don't need any/other new armed merchants.. existing ships are good enough.. at least in my point of view..

This argument is a clear symptom of your unstable mentality :D

I am just having an interesting discussion with you and Stoli151, which will probably lead to nothing or, who knows, to some nice new idea. Is this in your mentality a waste of time? :03: :hmm2:

[volodya61]

This argument is a clear symptom of your unstable mentality :D

I am just having an interesting discussion with you and Stoli151, which will probably lead to nothing or, who knows, to some nice new idea. Is this in your mentality a waste of time? :03: :hmm2:

a wast of time? probably.. but you know, my unstable mentality is so unstable :D

[Fifi]

:har:

[gap]

a wast of time? probably.. but you know, my unstable mentality is so unstable :D

The only constant of your personality is that you are consistently unstable :haha: :O:

P.S: our crazy discussion induced Stoli to run away. One more potential SH5 modder lost forever due to your usual "friendliness" :dead:

[volodya61]

P.S: our crazy discussion induced Stoli to run away. One more potential SH5 modder lost forever due to your usual "friendliness" :dead:

Potential modder? do you really think so? did you know this from some latent featured?

PS: if so.. 'he will be back' (almost verbatim quote :)).. soon..
PPS: my usual 'friendliness' :oops: http://s19.postimg.org/qbw15hmgv/facepalm.gif

[Stoli151]

Guys.. just my experience.. Open Horizons II.. Autumn, 1939.. armed merchants..
I think these ships are armed enough to not try to attack them from the surface position using the deck gun.. I have seen what may happen after..I am talking about Q ships the RL wolves in sheeps clothing. Like what was said earlier a flop in RL but an enjoyable mod when done right, at least in SH3. You think you are coming up to something unarmed and then BLAMO! My three encounters were over dozens of careers spanning the early war years, so I think that was about right. I will never forget them. I always proceed with caution approaching lone merchants on the surface now in SH3 with the mod enabled. Even though the chances are small I will encounter one.I hoped that maybe somebody could do this again for SH5. As for if you like or dislike the mod if ever done, I guess that is what the enable-disable buttons are for in JSGME. Well it was just an idea anyway. If nobody else does it, maybe I can make an attempt at it although I lack skills.I may have lots of time to try, if I don't drum up any interest. In any case if done right it gets the gamer to act like a real captain and not act recklessly because they think they are safe. I would think any modder would want to make something that can do that.

[V13dweller]

The Rawalpindi ships guns are visible from large distances, also they have the Naval jack on their flag pole, and that tells me to keep clear unless I have a good torpedo course plotted.

The Auxiliary cruiser for the Germans always spawn in convoy defense in the OHII campaign and their guns as gap said, are hidden within the hull, but in the Goblin editor, the doors they hide behind, look like they could be coded open up, but as we know, the SH5 devs left lot's of content out, so the guns just clip through the side of the ship.

[gap]

The Rawalpindi ships guns are visible from large distances, also they have the Naval jack on their flag pole, and that tells me to keep clear unless I have a good torpedo course plotted.

The naval ensign... what a noob error! :doh:

I had a look at the FLG bone of several units, but unfortunately I couldn't spot any special format which may tell the game wether to use the naval or the civil ensign. The usage of miltary/merchant flags must be hardcoded, and connected with the unit type. Armed merchants use a special type: Type13=Auxiliary Cruiser, and they were grouped by devs together with warships in Names.cfg. This is a indirect evidence of them using the naval ensign. We could change their type to Type102=Cargo (or any other merchant type), but then they woudn't attack enemy ships, and they would use their guns just for self defence :hmmm:

The Auxiliary cruiser for the Germans always spawn in convoy defense in the OHII campaign...

This is another mistake. As far as I know, only the Japanese during WWII used variously armed merchants (some had even DC racks) as convoy escorts. Have you informed Trevally about it?

and their guns as gap said, are hidden within the hull, but in the Goblin editor, the doors they hide behind, look like they could be coded open up, but as we know, the SH5 devs left lot's of content out, so the guns just clip through the side of the ship.

:nope:

better moving their guns on deck then: the stupid AI ships wouldn't notice their armaments anyway (I think they only react to the type of foe units they meet, and to possible attacks).

As for Allied armed merchants / Q ships, it is another matter, because their guns would betray them to the (wise) eye of the human captain.
Yesterday I had a look into SHIII's trap containers, which can be used for concealing armaments on deck. They got special doors which open/close intermittently. In SHIII there was no controller to trigger their animation, so they weren't a big help either. I wonder if, since SHIII, new animation triggers have been added to the pool of available controllers. If not, there's at least one workaround that I could think of: giving each of the trap container doors a damage box, and giving them a zone with extremely low HP and AP. Should the gun concealed behind them start firing, they would blow ip in the air, thus making space for gun's barrel. What do you think? :hmm2:

[TheDarkWraith]

I had a look at the FLG bone of several units, but unfortunately I couldn't spot any special format which may tell the game wether to use the naval or the civil ensign.

Should be the cfg# entry for the flag :hmmm:

[TheDarkWraith]

Yep, definitely should be cfg# node related (from my notes):

cfg#E01_ ... = Sub Emblema 1
cfg#E02_ ... = Sub Emblema 2
cfg#A01_ ... = A-A Armament
cfg#A02_ ... = A-A Armament
cfg#ALB_ ... = Submarine Ballast Launch
cfg#B01_ ... = Bomb Armament
cfg#BLD_ ... = Submarine Bold Decoy Launch
cfg#C01_ ... = Radar RWR
cfg#D01_ ... = RadioDF
cfg#FLG_ ... = Flag
cfg#FLGC ... = Flag civil.
cfg#FLS_ ... = Flag (small)
cfg#FLSC_ ... = Flag (small) civil.
cfg#TXR_ ... = External texture
cfg#H01_ ... = Hydrophone 1
cfg#H02_ ... = Hydrophone 2
cfg#SNK_ ... = Snorkel
cfg#K01_ ... = Cargo
cfg#L01_ ... = Search Light
cfg#M01_ ... = Main Armament
cfg#N01_ ... = Sonar
cfg#O01_ ... = AI_Visual (Lookout on conning tower)
cfg#O02_ ... = Periscope/Attack
cfg#O03_ ... = Periscope/Observ
cfg#R01_ ... = Radar
cfg#S01_ ... = Secondary Armament
cfg#S02_ ... = Secondary Armament
cfg#S03_ ... = Secondary Armament
cfg#T01_ ... = Torpedo Armament
cfg#TAR_ ... = Submarine Torpedo Armament
cfg#W01_ ... = ASW Armament (KGun, YGun, Hhog, DCRack)
cfg#Z01_ ... = Submarine Turm

[Stoli151]

I also think the ships should be something inconspicuous. In other words something that would not look odd travelling alone and are very commonly encountered. I remember the small coastal freighter was used in the mod for SH3, so something similar to that should suffice. The way the cfg was written for that ship seemed to make it either a standard ship or a Qship(very small random chance). I could be wrong. Of course it would be much cooler if they were their own ships that looked exactly like a common ship, that way if sunk you wouldn't encounter that particular one again.

[gap]

Yep, definitely should be cfg# node related (from my notes):

Obviously I am missing something:

C2, C1, N3, Hog Hislander, etc, have all a cfg#FLG_ node like the Rawalpindi, but unlike the Rawalpindi they sail under the civil ensign :hmmm:

[TheDarkWraith]

Obviously I am missing something:

C2, C1, N3, Hog Hislander, etc, have all a cfg#FLG_ node like the Rawalpindi, but unlike the Rawalpindi they sail under the civil ensign :hmmm:

that tells me that SH5 is different in this aspect than SH3/4 then. That means unit type (i.e. 102, 12, etc.) determines the type of flag flown. Rawalpindi is a type of warship, all the others are types of merchants :hmmm:

[gap]

that tells me that SH5 is different in this aspect than SH3/4 then. That means unit type (i.e. 102, 12, etc.) determines the type of flag flown. Rawalpindi is a type of warship, all the others are types of merchants :hmmm:

Unless...

cfg#FLG_ and cfg#FLS_ let unit type to determine the flag used, whereas cfg#FLGC_ and cfg#FLSC_ are forcing the merchant flag. How does that sound to you? :hmm2:

[gap]

Small addition. I have just checked Jimbuna's Q-ship:

UnitType: 102 (Cargo)
Flag node: cfg#FLG_

:yep:

[TheDarkWraith]

Unless...

cfg#FLG_ and cfg#FLS_ let unit type to determine the flag used, whereas cfg#FLGC_ and cfg#FLSC_ are forcing the merchant flag. How does that sound to you? :hmm2:

The S is supposed to designate small version of the flag.

[gap]

The S is supposed to designate small version of the flag.

yes, that's clear, but atm I am more concerned about the naval/civil type of flag than about its size :)

[TheDarkWraith]

yes, that's clear, but atm I am more concerned about the naval/civil type of flag than about its size :)

Yeah I would agree with your thinking. The only way to know for sure is to test it :yep:

[gap]

Yeah I would agree with your thinking. The only way to know for sure is to test it :yep:

Will do tomorrow :up:

Changing of topic, what do you think of this?


Yesterday I had a look into SHIII's trap containers, which can be used for concealing armaments on deck. They got special doors which open/close intermittently. In SHIII there was no controller to trigger their animation, so they weren't a big help either. I wonder if, since SHIII, new animation triggers have been added to the pool of available controllers. If not, there's at least one workaround that I could think of: giving each of the trap container doors a damage box, and giving them a zone with extremely low HP and AP. Should the gun concealed behind them start firing, they would blow ip in the air, thus making space for gun's barrel. What do you think? :hmm2:

The more I think of it, the more doubts I get about the validity of my workaround. There could be a minimum distance shells mast travel before they get "armed" or, conversely, once an impact with container doors is detected, damage could spread to the nearby zones thus damaging the ship herself :hmmm:

[gap]

The more I think of it, the more doubts I get about the validity of my workaround.

I was going to sleep, but I was hit by a probably better idea, and I just had to share it: :D

So let's say that we make a fake gun out of each side of the trap container, the fixed part of it being the base of the gun, and the top spinning door being the barrel. We set our fake guns as follows:

- no training;
- min-max elevation of 0-180 deg;
- a relatively high elevation speed;
- a big number of dummy shells;
- a low rate of fire;
- a range comparable to the one of a medium caliber gun, with a tight trajectory;
- no muzzle firing effect.

Now we should create 4 additional gun bones around each "regular" gun, and assign our dummy guns to each of them, so that they enclose the gun as if they were the sides of a container. We must also take care that the fake barrels (the doors of the container) are oriented with their z axes (their muzzles) pointing inside the container. Not being able to train, our fake guns would be forced to rotate by 180deg in order to follow at their best any target on their side, thus "opening" the container on the side where the real gun is probably going to fire. What do you think? Can it work? I hope I made myself clear. :)

[Fifi]

Sorry to highjack the thread, but it's about guns isn't it? :D
Is there a way to decrease AI guns accuracy?
Just rising scope in the detection radius area of a Cimmaron, and you're good for half your sub damage...isn't it a bit overdone?
And by what kind of miracle they can damage both my diesel engines 12 meters underwater? :doh:
Is there a way so they can damage only perisopes, or some outside structures like deck gun/flakgun?
Diesels, electrics and other stuff like pumps should be pretty hard to damage in my sub, from a 1000m cargo deck machine gun!
Is it a sub hit box problem?

[Aktungbby]

Actually the real Q ship action took place in WWI with double crews- that would appear to abandon ship while a hidden crew waited for the hun to surface only to face hidden cannon and a ship loaded with barrels to make it unsinkable. A sub commander would eyeball the situation carefully for hours before surfacing. the only double recipient of the Victoria Cross was a Q ship skipper. No mercy was given in these encounters. The book Dreadnought and its subsequent: Castles of Steel sheds enlightenment. In SHV I've noticed that merchantman gunnery, especially from the liberty ship 6 inchers, is all I can handle. Hence an attack to the stern to half sink him and take out the stern emplacement. Cracking fire from 5000 meters in the dark generally finishes the job.:arrgh!:

[gap]

Is there a way to decrease AI guns accuracy?

yes, there are two 'Max error angle' global factors (one for cannons and one for AA guns) in Sim.cfg, and there's probably an individual gun stabilization factor found in gun's sim file, though my and Volodya's experiments with it on U-boat guns didn't produce any evidence that it is working as espected. Let's hope that on AI guns it is working :03:


Just rising scope in the detection radius area of a Cimmaron, and you're good for half your sub damage...isn't it a bit overdone?
And by what kind of miracle they can damage both my diesel engines 12 meters underwater? :doh:
Is there a way so they can damage only perisopes, or some outside structures like deck gun/flakgun?
Diesels, electrics and other stuff like pumps should be pretty hard to damage in my sub, from a 1000m cargo deck machine gun!
Is it a sub hit box problem?

This is harder to fix.

In the past, there has been a lot of discussion here on subsim wether a 20mm AP shell could have penetrated the plating of an U-boat or not. There is not an unequivocal answer to this question. My personal answer is that yes, theoretically it could have well pierced an U-boat hull, but it would have depended on a number of factors, such as ballistic range, angle of impact and wether the U-boat was surfaced or submerged.
Unfortunately, the simplified SH's damage model doesn't take the above factors into account. Current SH5 settings are that 20 mm shells may penetrate our hull or may not (which imo is realistic), but as far as I can understand this is totally random (which obviously is not very realistic). :-?

[Fifi]

In the past, there has been a lot of discussion here on subsim wether a 20mm AP shell could have penetrated the plating of an U-boat or not. There is not an unequivocal answer to this question. My personal answer is that yes, theoretically it could have well pierced an U-boat hull, but it would have depended on a number of factors, such as ballistic range, angle of impact and wether the U-boat was surfaced or submerged.
Unfortunately, the simplified SH's damage model doesn't take the above factors into account. Current SH5 settings are that 20 mm shells may penetrate our hull or may not (which imo is realistic), but as far as I can understand this is totally random (which obviously is not very realistic). :-?

:hmmm: My thinking is yes, a 20mm could penetrate sub hull...on surface depending distance and angle, but not 12m subgerged! (if not 50m close, of course!)
IMO, that's a very annoying SH5 issue, pretty immersion killer.
Only deck stuff and periscopes should be damaged further than few hundred meters away from ennemy.
Really wish someday a modder could fix that.
Even UZO couldn't be destroyed...as AFAIK, they always take it off at each dive...

[gap]

:hmmm: My thinking is yes, a 20mm could penetrate sub hull...on surface depending distance and angle, but not 12m subgerged! (if not 50m close, of course!)
IMO, that's a very annoying SH5 issue, pretty immersion killer.
Only deck stuff and periscopes should be damaged further than few hundred meters away from ennemy.
Really wish someday a modder could fix that.
Even UZO couldn't be destroyed...as AFAIK, they always take it off at each dive...

Unfortunately I don't see an easy way to fix it other than making U-boat's hull resistant to 20 mm AP shells. Not with my skills at least. :hmmm:

[volodya61]

Guys, are you sure Cimmaron has only 20mm cannons?

[Fifi]

Guys, are you sure Cimmaron has only 20mm cannons?

Well, from google yes they had...and even bigger!

Armament:
AO-22 through 33:
• 4 × 5"/38 caliber guns
• 4 × twin 40 mm gun mounts
• 4 × twin 20 mm gun mounts
AO-51 and later:
• 1 × 5"/38 caliber gun
• 4 × 3"/50 caliber guns
• 4 × twin 40 mm gun mounts
• 4 × twin 20 mm gun mounts

So the dammage they could give might be not that far off...finally

[volodya61]

Well, from google yes they had...and even bigger!

and why do you complain? :arrgh!:

PS: though I didn't mean google search :), I meant game settings..

[Fifi]

and why do you complain? :arrgh!:


i googled after your question :haha: Never thought tanker could be armed like a battleship! :o
More seriously, they still are able to shoot you right in the head from 1/2/3 km away, depending their skill.
Elite, you'd better calculate solution blinded only using hydro, and fire torpedos from your nav map without looking through periscope :yep:
In the Merchant AI single mission, i think you have up to 4/5 seconds for looking at periscope before beeing badly damaged.

[volodya61]

:o Was it first Cimmaron you met? I don't think so.. as to me, I always (almost always :03:) knew that Cimmaron = death.. well, almost death :)

EDIT: Thank God so far in the game is only one such terrible tanker/merchant :)

[Stoli151]

I think some have gotten a wrong idea of what I meant by Q ships. I agree that there are already many heavily armed merchants in the game. They are however, very obviously armed by looking at them. A Q-ship would not be obviously armed and in many cases look like any piece o crud travelling alone. Something you would be very tempted by to save your torpedoes and attack on the surface with your deckgun. I also agree that the program was not successful in RL. However the effect it would have on the gamer in encountering a lone, seemingly harmless merchant would be undeniable(and the main purpose of the mod). Just having a small chance(and if the mod is done right you might not ever run into one in a single career) that the lone rust bucket you've been chasing might turn out to be a career-ender is enough to get you to act like a real captain. Instead of the player acting recklessly blazing away with their deckgun, thinking they're safe. Obviously this would only work in the earlier years(mirroring the RL Q-ships years of use). By the later years the allies did not need such tactics. Hunter-killer groups, the obviously heavily armed merchants and their escorts along with airpower were more than enough later.

[Captain73]

Hi Stoli151

Great idea! :yeah:
Ships trap (Q-ship) was the biggest threat to U-Bootwaffe!

[gap]

Guys, are you sure Cimmaron has only 20mm cannons?

Well, from google yes they had...and even bigger!

...

So the dammage they could give might be not that far off...finally

Going by Fifi's report, he seemed sure he had been hit by a 20mm gun. Indeed if he was hit a by bigger gun, it is quite a different matter. This fact could explain the big damage he suffered. Yet, the fact remains that shells are immune from friction both in the air and, more noticeably, underwater.

I think some have gotten a wrong idea of what I meant by Q ships...

I think you have been clear enough.

Successful or not, I agree with you that Q-ships (and maybe more merchant cruisers) would make a good addition to the game.

Nonetheless you should keep in mind that this game is still missing many features, and your idea could be given a low priority. As I said a few posts back, creating proxies of the merchants already present in game, giving them the most appropriate unit type for their new tasks, and rearming them accordingly, is the least problem. The point that we should discuss now, is about the cleanest way to conceal their new armaments and duties.

Moreover, having more information on Q-ships (photographs, armament outfits, general specifications, strategies historically adopted by them, etc.) would help us to represent them at the best of our possibilities. Having just one type of them in game wouldn't be very effective as a deterrent, as we would learn to recognize them anyway, so the more information we get on the various Q-ships commissioned during WWII, the wider variety of them we will be able to simulate in game, the more the fun.

If you really care about your idea, you could help collecting at least part of the needed information, instead of keeping saying how good it is :)

Hi Stoli151

Great idea! :yeah:
Ships trap (Q-ship) was the biggest threat to U-Bootwaffe!

You are going too far Captain73: don't you think that your last statement is "a bit" exaggerated? :O:

[Captain73]

You are going too far Captain73: don't you think that your last statement is "a bit" exaggerated? :O:

Sorry! Problems with the English language! :oops:
Of course, are not the biggest problem!
But all the same problems were! :)

[Stoli151]

I think you have been clear enough.Sorry gap. My comment was not intended to be snarky. I just wanted to clear up the confusion as to what a Q-ship was, that it is not simply an armed merchant. It seemed to me that some of the comments were that more armed merchants were not needed and I agree with such statements(although ultimately I also believe one cannot have to many ship types in the game, the more the merrier.). So that is why I wrote my last post. If anyone is serious about making this, pm me and I will do whatever asked and within my abilities. If not I will try myself once I figure a few things out.:salute:

[gap]

British Q-ships of World War II


HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND GENERAL INFORMATION

Within days from the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, Churchill gave Gordon Campbell, Vice-Admiral of the Royal Navy, authority to requisition a number of merchantmen for service as Q-Ships.

They were to be used partly as a counter to the renewed submarine threat but also partly to attempt to decoy the enemy surface raiders. Unfortunately the Ministry of Shipping was somewhat reluctant to part with any modern vessels due to a shortage of tonnage and Campbell had a fleet of nine (later increased to ten) small vessels which had been built between 1917 and 1936 and which were mainly coal burners and not really suitable for their intended roles allocated to him.

It was decided that six vessels would be required for deep sea oceanic work, while a further three vessels would be required for coastal service. As a result, eight of these vessels were requisitioned from their commercial owners while the ninth one was already a HM patrol craft.

For coastal service:

HMS Chatsgrove (X85) ex-RN PC-74
HMS Looe (X63) ex-Beauly
HMS Antoine (X72) ex-Orchy


For deep sea oceanic service:

HMS Maunder (X28) ex-King Gruffyd
HMS Prunella (X02) ex-Cape Howe
HMS Lambridge (X15) ex-Botlea
HMS Edgehill (X39) ex-Willamette Valley
HMS Brutus (X96) ex-City of Durban
HMS Cyprus (X44) ex-Cape Sable


The last RN Q-ship, not part of the initial plan was a French merchant vessel:

HMS Fidelity (D57) ex-La Rhin


After requisitioning they were sent to naval dockyards for the necessary fitting out to be undertaken. The first nine vessels were commisoned in the Royal Navy between September and October 1939, whereas the final vessel was commissioned one year later. All were commissioned as HM ships under their original names, but on completion of conversion they were given Royal Fleet Auxiliary cover names. On entering and while in harbour they wore the Blue Ensign and behaved as RFA's and adopted the RFA commercial practices.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/British-Royal-Fleet-Auxiliary-Ensign.svg/600px-British-Royal-Fleet-Auxiliary-Ensign.svg.png
The British Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ensign

Their conversion included the fitting of an impressive armament outfit: a number of Mk 2 7-inch guns, 12 pdr. guns, Lewis machine guns, depth charges, 21-inch torpedo tubs and some of them were even fitted with Asdic.

The general tactics which had been decided upon were that the Special Service Freighters, when operating with a convoy, should be stationed at the rear of the convoy on the wing. This was so that:

the freighter could keep a listening watch to give warning of an attack;
after an attack the freighter could obtain a contact and act as a directing vessel;
there was a remote possibility of being able to carry out a counter attack.


When the convoys were at a rendezvous or at anchor, the Special Service Freighters were to be placed on the seaward side. They could also of course be stationed some way astern of a convoy in the hope that some enemy submarine commander would regard them as a straggler, to be picked off from the surface.

In general, the oceanic vessels spent a normal cruising period of between 24 - 28 days at sea, followed by 6 days in harbour at short notice for sea when they could stock up with coal etc and then after a 3 month period, the period in harbour would be extended to 14 days to enable boiler cleaning etc. The coastal work vessels were to spend cruise period of about 10 days at sea, followed by 3 to 4 days in harbour at short notice, and then after a 2 month period, the period in harbour would be extended to 8 days. The oceanic vessels main operating areas were the North Atlantic/Caribbean where two further vessels, City of Dieppe (stationed in the West Indies) and City of Tokio (stationed at Freetown) were fitted out as special store ships and munitions carriers with spare torpedoes, etc.

The Q-ships met with a total lack of success in North Atlantic waters and subsequently the larger survivors were sent to the Indian Ocean area in the hope that they might meet with more success there, but again they were unsuccessful due to two main reasons:

German commanders remembered the lessons of World War One and realised that merchant ships could be rapidly and effectively armed and thus they became unwilling to engage in surface gun actions and went in with the torpedo instead.
the Q-ships were too slow to have much chance of meeting enemy surface raiders and were totally unsuitable for long ocean passages where they saw no action and were over-crowded.

The Admiralty finally decided to discontinue the use of these ships in their role as Q-ships and on 2 March 1941 they sent a signal to the surviving ships to advise them of their decision. Four of the ships, HMS Lambridge, HMS Cyprus, HMS Brutus and HMS Maunder then openly hoisted the White Ensign and operated as Armed Merchant Cruisers, but again their lack of success and losses led to their early redeployment and by 1 October 1941, all of the survivors had returned to commercial service and again the Q-ship saga came to an end.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/500px-Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png
The White Ensign

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/the-rfas-that-werent
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q-ship#Second_World_War


INDIVIDUAL SHIP DETAILS


HMS PC-74 / RFA Chatsgrove
http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/8383/olx7.jpg
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/5018/vhqw.jpg

General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Conversion started September 1939, full conversion completed 16 May 1940
Fate: reassigned to regular A/S duties June 1940, suspended from war service March 1944
Class: "PC" class Patrol Vessel
Displacement: 610 grt
Lenght: 75.29 m
Beam: 8.08 m
Draught: 3.12 m
Propulsion: 2 x White-Foster water tube boilers, 2 x Parsons geared steam turbines @ 3,500 shp (≈ 3,900 bhp)
Speed: 20 kn
Complement: 99
Armament:
- Early war: 1 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 1 x 1 x 3" (12 pdr) gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_18_cwt_naval_gun), 2 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun)
- As Q-ship: 1 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 2 x 1 x 3" (12 pdr) guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_18_cwt_naval_gun), 3 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun)
- Late war: 2 x 1 x 3" (12 pdr) guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_18_cwt_naval_gun), 1 x 1 x 40mm (2 pdr "pom-pom") gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_2-pounder_naval_gun), 1 x 1 x 20mm Oerlikon gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oerlikon_20_mm_cannon), 3 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun)

Service history:

- September 1939 taken in hand for conversion into a Special Service Freighter by Ardrossan Dry Dock Co, Ardrossan
- 18 September 1939 Temporary Commander C E Hughes-White DSO Royal Navy Rtd in command
- 26 November 1939 alongside HMS Griffin at Ardrossan both ships were damaged by bumping during a gale. HMS PC 74 required dry docking
- 8 December 1939 involved in collision with HMS Kingfisher at Eglington causing slight damage to both ships
- 16 May 1940 sailed Ardrossan on completion of conversion. Cover name RFA CHATSGROVE. Armed with 1 x single 4-inch gun, 2 x 12 pdr guns, 6 x Lewis machine guns. Operated as a Decoy Ship for just one month, based on Falmouth, for Channel Convoys before resuming A/S duties.
- September 1940 to March 1944 in Irish Sea Escort Force, based on Milford Haven.
- 23 August 1942 escorted SS Laristan in tow of tugs Amsterdan and Seine from the 270 degrees Skerries 13 miles to Cardiff.
- 11 November 1942 directed by N.O.I.C. Milford Haven to Hollyhead.
- 20 February 1943 with HMS SWEETBRIAR patrolling between The Smalls to Tuscar.
- 7 March 1943 sailed from Falmouth to operate in the area 49'40"N 08'33"W.
- March 1944 to April 1944 A/S training Londonderry.
- April 1944 to July 1945 A/S training Larne.
- 8 June 1944 Temporary Commander C E Hughes- White DSO Royal Navy Rtd awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in the London Gazette of this day.
- 30 October 1944 at Holyhead with one trawler at the directions of the submarine training Commander, Rockabill.
- 11 January 1945 rescued the Master, five crew members and two gunners from the ss Normandy Coast which had been torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U1055 (Oberleutenant zur see Rudolf Meyer) at 53.19N, 04.48W west of Anglesey, Wales in the Irish Sea. Eighteen other crew members were lost.
- 12 January 1945 landed the rescued Master and crew members at Hollyhead.
- 25 July 1945 arrived Milford Haven and was placed in reserve.

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-chatsgrove-ship-information
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/hms-pc-74-1919-decoy-ship-ship-312535946
http://gb-navy-ww2.narod.ru/HTM-K-PC_74.html
http://warshipsww2.eu/shipsplus.php?language=&id=66624
http://www.worldnavalships.com/directory/shipinfo.php?ShipID=3432



HMS Beauly / RFA Looe
http://imageshack.us/a/img819/5047/owpw.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img690/5138/kwvy.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 6 October 1939, full conversion completed February 1940
Fate: Handed over to Ministry of War Transports 20 June 1941
Class: built by Ailsa in Troon for William Sloan of Glasgow, as part of a batch of steamships having the same style and similar specifications
Sister ships: SS Orchy (also commissioned in RN as HMS Antoine), SS Annan, SS Findhorn, SS Brora and SS Endrick
Displacement: 1,061 grt
Lenght: 73.88 m
Beam: 9.51 m
Draught: 4.88 m
Propulsion: Triple expansion 162 nhp (≈1,134 bhp)
Speed: ?
Complement: 69
Armament: 4 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 1 x 1 x 3" (12 pdr) gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_18_cwt_naval_gun), 2 x 1 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 2 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 36 x depth charges, ASDIC

Service history:

- 5 September 1939 requisitioned for Government service and it was originally intended to use her as an Army Stores Carrier.
- 6 October 1939 transferred to the Admiralty for conversion into a Special Service Freighter by Chatham Dockyard.
- 20 October 1939 commissioned as HMS BEAULY.
- 6 November 1939 T/Lieutenant Commander Arthur J Anderson RNR appointed in command - appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) on 11 December 1945.
- February 1940 conversion completed. Cover name RFA LOOE. Complement 69 under command of Cdr. F.H. Ashton Royal Navy Armed with 4 x single 4-inch guns, 1 x 12 pdr gun, 2 x Lewis machine guns, 2 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes, 36 x depth charges and was fitted with Asdic.
- 28 March 1940 arrived Spithead from Chatham and anchored off Beaulieu for work-up.
- 7 April 1940 sailed Spithead on completion of work-up and commenced her first cruise via Plymouth and Holyhead then operated around the Home Coast.
- 27 April 1940 towed RFA Scottish American to Loch Eribol after she had been torpedoed and damaged west of the Pentland Firth fully laden with oil.
- 20 June 1941 as her presence in the SW Approaches did not attract any attacks from U-boats, she was withdrawn from her Special Service role and was transferred to MoWT control for resumption of commercial service.
- 11 July 1941 sailed from Belfast Lough to Bristol in convoy BB46 arriving on 13 July 1941.
- 26 July 1941 sailed from Belfast Lough to Bristol in convoy BB53 arriving on 28 July 1941.
- 3 August 1941 sailed from Milford Haven to Holyhead in convoy MH 9.
- 16 August 1941 sailed from Belfast Lough to Bristol in convoy BB62 arriving on 18 August 1941.
- 31 August 1941 sailed from Belfast Lough to Cardiff in convoy BB70 arriving on 2 September 1941.
- 21 September 1941 sailed from Belfast Lough to Bristol in convoy BB78 arriving on 23 September 1941.
- 28 April 1942 Able Seaman Harry H G Farley Royal Navy, D/JX194893 the award of the Distinguished Service Medal for services during an air attack on 18 December 1941. Details published in the London Gazette of this day.
- 12 May 1942 Captain John McGugan the award of a Commendation for services during an air attack on 18 December 1941 - details published in the London Gazette of this day.
- 9 November 1943 Captain John McGugan the appointment to Membership of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and Chief Officer Charles A MacKenzie the award of a Commendation for services during an air attack and for the destruction of an enemy aircraft - details published in the London Gazette of this day.

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-looe-ship-information
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=30047
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=15742
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2889
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2917
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2888
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2632
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2354



HMS Orchy / RFA Antoine
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/6387/mkac.jpg
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/4449/f1hz.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 17 October 1939, full conversion completed March 1940
Fate: Handed over to Ministry of War Transports 18 June 1941
Class: built by Ailsa in Troon for William Sloan of Glasgow, as part of a batch of steamships having the same style and similar specifications
Sister ships: SS Beauly (also commissioned in RN as HMS Looe), SS Annan, SS Findhorn, SS Brora and SS Endrick
Displacement: 1,090 grt
Lenght: 74.98 m
Beam: 10.97 m
Draught: 5.18 m
Propulsion: Triple expansion
Speed: ?
Complement: 69
Armament: 4 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 1 x 1 x 3" (12 pdr) gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_18_cwt_naval_gun), 2 x 1 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 2 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 36 x depth charges, ASDIC

Service history:

- 5 September 1939 requisitioned for Government Service and it was originally planned to use her as an Army Stores Carrier
- 11 September 1939 sailed Bristol Channel in convoy BC 1S to the Loire arriving two days later
- 17 September 1939 sailed the Loire in convoy BC1SR to the British Channel arriving two days later
- October 1939 transferred to the Admiralty for conversion into a Special Service Freighter at Portsmouth Dockyard
- 15 October 1939 Commander Charles V Jack Royal Navy (Rtd) appointed as Commanding Officer
- 17 October 1939 commissioned as HMS Orchy
- March 1940 conversion completed. Cover name RFA ANTOINE. Complement 69. Armed with 4 x single 4 inch guns, 1 x 12 pdr gun, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 2 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes, 36 x depth charges and was fitted with Asdic
- 14 April 1940 sailed Spithead for Portland after work-up to carry out Asdic trials, then to Holyhead at the start of her first cruise. Operated around the Home Coast - West Coast of Ireland - North of Scotland - SW Approaches
- 25 June 1940 at 51.26N 10.38W picked up the 19 survivors of the ss Catherine, a Panamanian registered cargo vessel, which had been sunk the previous day by the German submarine U47
- 26 June 1940 landed the survivors (see above) at Milford Haven
- 20 February 1941 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
- 23 February 1941 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
- 18 June 1941 as her presence in the SW Approaches did not attract any attacks from U-boats she was withdrawn from her Special Service role and was transferred to MoWT control as ORCHY
- Between 22 July 1941 and 2 October 1942 undertook forty two sailings in convoy between Belfast Lough and Milford Haven or in reverse
7 November 1942 in collision with the coaster Empire Eveleen off Grey Point, Belfast Lough. The Empire Eveleen sank but was refloated on 9 November 1943 - she was buckled across her deck
- 3 January 1945 Able Seaman John Matheson awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) - see the London Gazette page 136 of this date

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-looe-ship-information
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=30047
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=15742
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2917
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2889
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2888
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2632
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2354



HMS King Guffrydd / RFA Maunder
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/2353/nnt.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 21 October 1939, full conversion completed 17 November 1939
Fate: reassigned to AMC duties 12 March 1941, handed over to Ministry of War Transports 22 September 1941, sunk by U-338 17 March 1943
Class: "GM1 B-type" general cargo steamship
Displacement: 5,072 grt
Lenght: 125.8 m
Beam: 15.8 m
Draught: 8.6 m
Propulsion: triple expansion engine, 517 nhp (≈ 3,619 bhp)
Speed: 11.5 kn
Complement: 99
Armament: 7 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 2 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 4 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 100 x depth charges

Service history:

- 14 September 1939 requisitioned by the Admiralty for conversion into a Special Service Freighter by Chatham Dockyard.
- 21 October 1939 commissioned as HMS KING GRUFFYDD.
- 17 November 1939 conversion completed. Cover name RFA MAUNDER. Complement 99 under command of Cdr. E.M. Loly R.N. Armed with 7 x single 4-inch guns, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 4 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes and 100 x depth charges.
- 26 November 1939 sailed Sheerness for work-up in the Solent area.
- 2 December 1939 on completion of work-up sailed from the Solent.
- 19 December 1939 arrived Gibraltar.
- 1 January 1940 sailed Gibraltar.
- 11 January 1940 arrived in the Solent area and to Southampton arriving 14 January 1940.
- 3 March 1940 sailed Southampton arriving Gibraltar 26 March 1940.
- 5 April 1940 sailed Gibraltar returning 16 April 1940.
- 17 April 1940 sailed Gibraltar to Freetown arriving 7 May 1940.
- 12 May 1940 sailed Freetown to Simonstown Dockyard arriving 7 June 1940.
- 15 June 1940 sailed Simonstown Dockyard to Durban arriving 20 June 1940.
- 21 June 1940 sailed Durban to Mauritius 15 July 1940.
- 22 July 1940 sailed Mauritius returning 14 August 1940.
- 20 August 1940 sailed Mauritius to Durban arrving 30 August 1940.
- 4 September 1940 sailed Durban returning 24 September 1940.
- 2 October 1940 sailed Durban returning 23 October 1940.
- 26 October 1940 entered dry dock at Durban.
- 1 November 1940 undocked from dry dock in Durban.
- 22 November 1940 sailed Durban to Colombo arriving 11 December 1940.
- 16 December 1940 sailed Colombo returning 6 January 1940.
- 16 January 1940 sailed Colombo returning 6 January 1940.
- 16 January 1940 sailed Colombo to Durban arriving 9 February 1940.
- 12 March 1941 openly hoisted the White Ensign for service as an Armed Merchant Cruiser with Pennant Nr F 116 then served in the East Indies
- 1 May 1941 East Indies Service ended.
- 13 May 1941 with HMIS Clive took part in Operation Chapter - Cape Guardafui Channel the most easterly point of Africa. In order to facilitate the passage in this channel it was decided to undertake a combind operation to capture and operate the Cape Guardafui lighthouse and to clear the north east corner of Italian Somaliland. This was done and the Italian troops there had immediately surrendered.
- 20 May 1941 sailed with 23 officers and 96 prisoners of war and landed them at Aden on 24 May 1941.
- 4 June 1941 joined the Red Sea Force.
- 5 August 1941 berthed at Simontown Dockyard.
- 14 August 1941 sailed from Simonstown Dockyard.
- 1 September 1941 at Port Elizabeth reconditioning for return to commercial service.
- 22 September 1941 transferred to MoWT control as KING GRUFFYDD.
- 8 January 1942 sailed Port Elizabeth independently to Cape Town arriving 12 January 1942.
- 13 March 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Rio de Janeiro arriving 28 March 1942.
- 5 April 1942 sailed Rio de Janeiro independently to Freetown arriving 18 April 1942.
- 4 May 1942 sailed Freetown in convoy SL109 to Loch Ewe arriving 28 May 1942.
- 31 May 1942 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN290 to Kirkwall arriving the next day.
- 3 June 1942 sailed Kirkwall in convoy WN291 to Methil arriving the next day.
- 6 June 1942 sailed Methil in convoy FS822 to Hull arriving the next day.
- 15 July 1942 sailed Hull in convoy FN761 to Methil arriving 17 July 1942.
- 17 July 1942 sailed Methil in convoy EN112 to Loch Ewe arriving 19 July 1942.
- 19 July 1942 sailed Loch Ewe and joined convoy ON114 until it dispersed on 4 August 1942. Then sailed independently to New York arriving the next day
- 6 August 1942 sailed New York independently to Norfolk arriving 8 August 1942.
- 23 August 1942 sailed Norfolk independently to New York arriving 26 August 1942.
- 29 August 1942 sailed New York for Cape Cod Bay.
- 2 September 1942 at Cape Cod Bay joined convoy BX36 to Halifax arriving on 4 September 1942.
- 5 September 1942 sailed Halifax in convoy SC99 to the Clyde arriving 20 September 1942.
- 4 October 1942 sailed the Clyde in convoy ON136 to New York arriving on 26 October 1942.
- 28 October 1942 sailed New York independently to Philadelphia arriving the same day.
- 15 November 1942 sailed Philadelphia independently to New York arriving the next day.
- 25 November 1942 sailed New York in convoy SC111 but returned to Sydney, Cape Breton Island with collision damage on 3 December 1942.
- 10 December 1942 sailed Sydney, Cape Breton Island in convoy SH68 to Halifax arriving 13 December 1942.
- 16 December 1942 sailed Halifax in convoy SC113 to Liverpool arriving 2 January 1943.
- 24 January 1943 sailed Liverpool in convoy ON163 to New York arriving 17 February 1943.
- 5 March 1943 sailed New York in convoy SC122 to the UK.
- 17 March 1943 while en route in convoy SC 122 from New York to Loch Ewe she was torpedoed by U338 (Kapitänleutnant Manfred Kinzel) and sunk with 24 of the crew being killed at 51.55N 32.41W. 20 They are remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial. The ship was carrying a cargo of steel, tobacco and explosives.

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-maunder-ship-information
http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/2787.html
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?150820



HMS Cape Howe / RFA Prunella
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/3460/7e0e.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 19 September 1939, full conversion completed February 1940
Fate: sunk by U-28 21 June 1940
Class: unknown type general cargo steamship
Displacement: 4,443 grt
Lenght: 118.3 m
Beam: 16.2 m
Draught: 7.8 m
Propulsion: triple expansion engine, 418 nhp (≈2,926 bhp)
Speed: 10 kn
Complement: 90
Armament: 7 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 2 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 4 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 100 x depth charges, ASDIC


Service history:

- September 1939 requisitioned by the Admiralty for conversion into a Special Service Freighter by Portsmouth Dockyard.
- 19 September 1939 commissioned as HMS Cape Howe.
- February 1940 conversion completed. Cover name RFA PRUNELLA. Complement 90 under command of Commander Eric L. Woodhall DSO MVO Royal Navy. Armed with 7 x single 4-inch guns, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 4 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes, 100 x depth charges and was fitted with Asdic.
- 26 March 1940 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour.
- 7 April 1940 sailed Portsmouth on her first cruise.
- 13 April 1940 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour.
- 26 April 1940 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour.
- 5 June 1940 while disguised as RFA PRUNELLA, reported sighting at 1630 two unidentified warships northwest of Norway in 64-45N, 00-24W making for Iceland on course 265 at 20 knots.
- 21 June 1940 while hunting German submarines to the South of Ireland torpedoed and sunk at 49.54N 8.47W by the German submarine U28 (Kapitanleutnant Gunter Kuhnke) with 57 of the crew being killed. Those lost are remembered with pride on the Naval Memorials at Liverpool, Plymouth and Portsmouth. The body of one who was lost was recovered and he is buried in Pornic War Cemetery, Loire Atlantique, France - Able Seaman Gerald Barber P/SSX 23467

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-prunella-ship-information
http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/373.html
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?172032
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=18155



HMS Botlea / RFA Lambridge
http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/3138/hbwb.jpg
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/1048/jowj.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 16 September 1939, full conversion completed 14 December 1939
Fate: reassigned to AMC duties 5 March 1941, handed over to Ministry of War Transports 1 October 1941
Class: unknown type general cargo steamship
Displacement: 5,119 grt
Lenght: 122.1 m
Beam: 16.3 m
Draught: 7.34 m
Propulsion: 3-cylinder triple expansion steam engine, single screw, 510 nhp (≈3,570 bhp)
Speed: 10.5 kn
Complement: 84
Armament: 7 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 2 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 4 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 100 x depth charges

Service history:

- 1939 acquired by the Board of Trade (later MoS and MoWT) and renamed BOTLEA under management of Sir William Reardon Smith & Sons Ltd, Cardiff.
- 14 September1939 Lieutenant Commander Thomas Bennett Bruton Royal Naval appointed in command.
- 16 September 1939 commissioned as HMS Botlea.
- 14 December 1939 conversion completed. Cover name RFA LAMBRIDGE. Complement 84 under the command of Commander. T.B. Brunton Royal Navy. Armed with 7 x single 4-inch guns, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 4 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes and 100 depth charges.
- 22 December 1939 sailed Chatham for Sheerness then to the Solent area for work-up.
- 3 January 1940 sailed from the Solent area on her first cruise and operated in the North Atlantic for the remainder of that year.
- 8 January 1940 stopped off Dakar by HMS Neptune while in the Lambridge disguise - she was not detected as a 'Q' ship.
- 19 February 1940 Able Seaman John Page C/J 22317 discharged dead. Drowned. Remembered with pride on the Chatham Naval Memorial.
- March 1940 at Gibraltar.
- April 1940 at Bermuda.
- 28 August 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy HX69 to Methil arriving 13 September 1940 - on convoy papers listed as RFA Lambridge thus maintaing its cover as a Q ship.
- 27 January 1941 berthed at Simonstown Dockyard, South Africa for boiler cleaning a repairs to minor defects.
- 6 February 1941 sailed from Simonstown Dockyard, South Africa.
- 5 March 1941 at Colombo she hoisted the White Ensign for service as an Armed Merchant Cruiser with Pennant Number F 113.
- 20 May 1941 arrived at Bombay escorting HMS Capetown which was under tow of the tug TAIKOO for repairs.
- 22 June 1941 sailed Aden under the command of Commander T I Scott-Bell DSC Royal Navy (Retd).
- 31 July 1941 berthed at Simonstown Dockyard, South Africa from Aden to be de stored and de ammunitioned in order to revert service as a merchant cargo ship.
- 12 August 1941 sailed from Simonstown Dockyard, South Africa.
- 1 October 1941 transferred to MoWT control.
- 16 January 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Lourenco Marques arriving 23 January 1942.
- 7 February 1942 sailed Lourenco Marques independently to Cape Town arriving 13 February 1942.
- 29 August 1942 sailed from Liverpool to New York arriving on the 18 September 1942.
- 24 December 1942 sailed from Liverpool in convoy ON(S)156 to New York arrived 17 January 1943.
- 22 April 1943 arrived at Cape Henry.
- 4 June 1943 Bosun Robert Fraser awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) in the Birthday Honours List 1943 - details published in the London Gazette of this day.
- 8 August 1943 sailed Liverpool to Freetown in convoy OS53 arrived on 27 August 1943.
- 15 June 1944 sailed Cape Town to Durban in convoy CD43 arrived on the 19 June 1944.
- 10 August 1944 sailed Durban independently to Mombassa arriving on 21 August 1944.
- 29 August 1944 sailed Mombassa independently to Durban arriving on 9 September 1944.
- 22 September 1944 sailed Durban independently to Lourenco Marques arriving 24 September 1944.
- 4 October 1944 sailed Lourenco Marques independently to Mombasa arriving 13 October 1944.
- 23 May 1945 sailed Bone independently to Gibraltar arriving 26 May 1945.
- 29 May 1945 sailed Gibraltar independently to Middlesborough arriving 7 June 1945.
- 17 June 1945 sailed Middlesborough to the Tyne arriving the same day.
- 30 December 1945 considered to have no further commercial use so was scuttled in position 55.30 N 11..00 W loaded with a cargo of poison gas shells as part of Phase 1 of Operation Sandcastle.

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-lambridge-ship-information
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Lambridge
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?152794
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=20462


HMS Willamette Valley / RFA Edgehill
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/1484/xn3t.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 26 September 1939, full conversion completed January 1940
Fate: sunk by U-51 29 June 1940
Class: unknown type general cargo motorship
Displacement: 4,724 grt
Lenght: 122.2 m
Beam: 16.5 m
Draught: 7.6 m
Propulsion: 1 diesel engine, 488 nhp (≈3,416 bhp)
Speed: 11.5 kn
Complement: 89
Armament: 9 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 1 x 1 x 3" (12 pdr) gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_18_cwt_naval_gun), 2 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 4 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 100 x depth charges, ASDIC

Service history:

- 17 September 1939 requisitioned by the Admiralty for conversion into a Special Service Freighter at Chatham Dockyard.
- 26 September 1939 commissioned as HMS WILLAMETTE VALLEY.
- January 1940 conversion completed. Cover name RFA EDGEHILL. Complement 89 under command of Commander. Robert .E.D. Ryder Royal Navy. Armed with 9 x single 4-inch guns, 1 x 12 pdr gun, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 4 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes, 100 x depth charges and was fitted with Asdic.
- 29 June 1940 torpedoed by German submarine U51 in the North Atlantic at 49.27N, 15.25W and sunk - 67 (60 RN, RNR or RNVR and 7 Merchant Navy) of the crew were killed - all remembered with pride on the Chatham and Liverpool Naval memorials. There were 24 survivors.. It required 3 torpedoes to sink her.

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-edgehill-ship-information
http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/394.html
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?11175
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=8408



HMS City of Durban / RFA Brutus
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/9887/qwd6.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 21 September 1939, full conversion completed January 1940
Fate: reassigned to AMC duties March 1941, handed over to Ministry of War Transports 1 April 1942
Class: unknown type general cargo steamship
Displacement: 5,850 grt
Lenght: 115.7 m
Beam: 15.9 m
Draught: ?
Propulsion: ?
Speed: ?
Complement: 99
Armament: 8 (later: 9) x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 1 x 1 x 3" (12 pdr) gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_18_cwt_naval_gun), 2 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 4 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 100 x depth charges, ASDIC

Service history:

- 17 September 1939 requisitioned by the Admiralty for conversion into a Special Service Freighter by Devonport Dockyard.
- 21 September 1939 commissioned as HMS CITY OF DURBAN then sailed the Clyde independently to Plymouth arriving on 23 September 1939.
- January 1940 conversion completed, cover name RFA BRUTUS. Complement 99 under the command of Commander. Humfrey G. Hopper Royal Navy. Armed with 8 ( later increased to 9) x single 4-inch guns, 1 x 12 pdr gun, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 4 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes, 100 x depth charges and was fitted with Asdic.
- 20 January 1940 sailed Devonport for the Solent Area for work-up, then ranged across the Atlantic to Bermuda, Halifax, Sierra Leone, back to Devonport, Gibraltar, Simonstown, Durban and Mauritius.
- 25 September 1940 berthed at Simontown Dockyard for bunkers and repairs.
- 4 October 1940 sailed from Simontown Dockyard.
- 7 November 1940 berthed at Simonstown Dockyard.
- 12 November 1940 sailed from Simonstown Dockyard.
- March 1941 hoisted the White Ensign for service as an Armed Merchant Cruiser with Pennant Number F 114.
- 27 March 1941 arrived at Durban after patrolling to the South of Madagascar for refit.
- 1 April 1941 entered dry dock at Durban.
- 5 April 1941 towed out of dry dock at Durban.
- 23 April 1941 completed refit at Durban.
- 26 April 1941 sailed Durban to Cape Town arriving on 30 April 1941.
- 2 May 1941 sailed Cape Town for Freetown.
- 5 August 1941 sailed Freetown as escort for convoy SL 83 with HMS Cathay (another AMC) until 28 August 1941.
- 17 September 1941 sailed Methil in convoy FS597 to Southend arriving 19 September 1941.
- 20 September 1941 Seaman James Nelson RNR discharged dead. Buried in Tynemouth (Preston) Cemetery.
- 29 September 1941 sailed Methil in convoy EN13 to Scapa Flow.
- 1 January 1942 sailed Rosyth.
- 10 January 1942 arrived at Scapa Flow as AMC escort for convoy EN93.
- 14 January 1942 sailed Scapa Flow with HMS Cape Sable and HMS Calpe to take part in Operation EM - the operation was postponsed so all three ships returned to Scapa Flow the next day.
- 17 January 1942 as an AMC was at Sullom Voe with HMS Cape Sable (RFA Cyprus) with the destroyer HMS Calpe as Operation EM had been postponed.
- 29 January 1942 sailed Sullom Voe with HMS Cape Sable (RFA Cyprus) with the destroyer HMS Calpe for Operation EM - sighted by German aircraft on 30 January and 1 February - operation cancelled.
- 1 February 1942 arrived at Sacpa Flow with HMS Cape Sable (AMC) and escorted by HMS Calpe.
- 6 February 1942 at Scapa Flow reconditioning for return to commercial service.
- 1 April 1942 transferred to MoWT control by the Admiralty.
- 16 July 1942 sailed Middlesborough in convoy FN761 to Methil arriving the next day.
- 21 July 1942 sailed Methil in convoy EN113 to Oban arriving 23 July 1942.
- 1 August 1942 sailed Oban in comvoy OS36 to Freetown and then independently to Cape Town arriving 3 September 1942.
- 11 September 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Port Elizabeth arriving on 13 September 1942.
- 16 September 1942 sailed Port Elizabeth independently to East London arriving the next day.
- 18 September 1942 sailed East London independently to Beira arriving 23 September 1942.
- 29 September 1942 sailed Beira independently to Lourenco Marques arriving 1 October 1942.
- 6 October 1942 sailed Lourenco Marques independently to Port Elizabeth arriving 9 October 1942.
- 13 October 1942 sailed Port Elizabeth independently to Pernambuco arriving 31 October 1942.
- 13 November 1942 sailed Pernambuco independently arriving St Thomas 25 November 1942.
- 1 December 1942 sailed Guantanamo, Cuba in convoy GN24 to New York arriving 8 December 1942.
- 19 December 1942 sailed New York in convoy SC114 to Liverpool arriving 8 January 1943.
- 15 February 1943 sailed Liverpool in convoy UC1 and then independently to Walvis Bay arriving 20 March 1943.
- 23 March 1943 sailed Walvis Bay in convoy NC8 to Cape Town arriving 27 March 1943.
- 1 April 1943 sailed Cape Town in convoy CA17 which then dispersed arriving at Karachi on 24 April 1943.
- 29 April 1943 sailed Karachi independently to Bombay arriving 1 May 1943.
- 13 May 1943 sailed Bombay independently to Colombo arriving 17 May 1943.
- 20 May 1943 sailed Colombo independently to Calcutta arriving 26 May 1943.
- 15 June 1943 sailed Calcutta independently to Madras arriving 20 June 1943.
- 4 July 1943 sailed Madras independently to Aden arriving 20 July 1943.
- 23 July 1943 sailed Aden independently to Suez arriving 29 July 1943.
- 30 July 1943 transit of Suez Canal.
- 31 July 1943 sailed Port Said independently to Alexandria arriving the next day.
- 3 August 1943 sailed Alexandria in convoy MKS21 to Gibraltar arriving on 14 August 1943.
- 14 August 1943 sailed Gibraltar in convoy MKS21G to Loch Ewe arriving 25 August 1943.
- 25 August 1943 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN471 to Methil arriving 27 August 1943.
- 24 September 1943 sailed Methil in convoy EN 285 to Loch Ewe arriving 26 September 1943
- 2 October 1943 joined convoy KMS28G (Liverpool to Gibraltar) having sailed late from Loch Ewe and passing Gibraltar on 7 October 1943 onto Port Said arriving 19 October 1943.
- 20 October 1943 transit Suez Canal.
- 21 October 1943 sailed Suez independently to Aden arriving 26 October 1943.
- 2 November 1943 sailed Aden in convoy AB19 to Bombay arriving 10 November 1943.
- 19 November 1943 sailed Bombay in convoy BM75 to Colombo arriving 24 November 1943.
- 24 November 1943 sailed Colombo independently to Trincomalee arriving 26 November 1943.
- 5 December 1943 sailed Trincomalee in convoy JC28 to Calcutta arriving 13 December 1943.
- 5 January 1944 sailed Calcutta independently arriving Vizag 8 January 1944.
- 19 January 1944 sailed Colombo in convoy MB62 and the independently to Aden arriving 29 January 1944.
- 30 January 1944 sailed Aden independently to Suez arriving 4 February 1944.
- 9 February 1944 sailed Port Said in convoy MKS40 passing Gibraltar on 21 February 1944. r/v with convoy SL149 arriving at Liverpool 7 March 1944.
- 14 March 1944 sailed Liverpool independently to the Clyde arriving the next day.
- 31 March 1944 sailed the Clyde in convoy ON230 to New York arriving 16 April 1944.
- 10 May 1944 sailed New York independently to Hampton Roads arriving the next day.
- 13 May 1944 sailed Hampton Roads in convoy UGS42 to Port Said arriving on 8 June 1944.
- 8 June 1944 transit Suez Canal.
- 9 June 1944 sailed Suez independently to Aden arriving on 14 June 1944.
- 16 June 1944 sailed Aden in convoy AB41 to Karachi arriving 23 June 1944.
- 30 June 1944 sailed Karachi independently to Bombay arriving 2 July 1944.
- 7 July 1944 sailed Bombay independently to Colombo arriving 11 July 1944.
- 13 July 1944 sailed Colombo in convoy JC56 to Calcutta arriving on 21 July 1944.
- 6 August 1944 sailed Calcutta independently to Adelaide arriving 31 August 1944.
- 6 September 1944 sailed Adelaide independently to Port Pirie arriving the next day.
- 13 September 1944 sailed Port Pirie.
- 5 October 1944 sailed Lyttleton independently to Balboa arriving 2 November 1944.
- 2 November 1944 transit the Panama Channel.
- 3 November 1944 sailed Cristobal independently to New York arriving 12 November 1944.
- 14 November 1944 sailed New York in convoy HX320 to the Clyde arriving 30 November 1944.
- 7 January 1945 sailed the Clyde in convoy OS103KM passing Gibraltar on 15 January 1945 to Alexandria arriving on 22 January 1945.
- 23 January 1945 sailed Alexandria independently to Haifa arriving the next day.
- 10 February 1945 sailed Haifa independently via the Suez Canal to Suez.
- 13 February 1945 sailed Suez independently to Aden arriving 19 February 1945.
- 21 February 1945 sailed Aden independently to Colombo arriving 5 March 1945.
- 5 March 1945 sailed Colombo independently to Calcutta arriving 11 March 1945.
- 26 March 1945 sailed Calcutta independently to Akyab arriving 29 March 1945.
- 5 April 1945 sailed Akyab independently to Vizag arriving 7 April 1945.
- 14 April 1945 sailed Vizag independently to Chittagong arriving 16 April 1945.
- 23 April 1945 sailed Chittagong independently to Calcutta arriving 25 April 1945.
- 5 May 1945 sailed Calcutta independently to Chittagong arriving the next day.
- 13 May 1945 sailed Chittagong independently to Calcutta arriving 15 May 1945.
- 22 May 1945 sailed Calcutta independently to Rangoon arriving 27 May 1945.
- 6 June 1945 sailed Rangoon independently to Vizag arriving 10 June 1945.
- 6 August 1945 sailed Vizag independently to Rangoon arriving 6 August 1945.
- 22 August 1945 sailed Rangoon independently to Calcutta arriving 30 August 1945.
- 2 September 1945 sailed Calcutta independently to Rangoon arriving on 6 September 1945.
- 30 September 1945 sailed Rangoon independently to Calcutta arriving 4 October 1945.

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-brutus-ship-information
http://7seasvessels.com/?p=122047



HMS Cape Sable / RFA Cyprus
http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/2833/7vyd.jpg
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/7962/d6m7.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 19 September 1939, full conversion completed 3 December 1939
Fate: reassigned to AMC duties 5 March 1941, handed over to Ministry of War Transports 11 March 1942
Class: unknown type general cargo steamship
Displacement: 4,398 grt
Lenght: 114.30 m
Beam: 16.15 m
Draught: 7.80 m
Propulsion: Triple expansion 3 cylinder, 413 nhp (≈ 2,891 bhp)
Speed: ?
Complement: 90
Armament: 7 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 2 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 4 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 100 x depth charges, ASDIC

Service history:

- September 1939 taken over by the Admiralty as a Q ship for conversion into a Special Service Freighter at Portsmouth Dockyard.
- 19 September 1939 commissioned as HMS Cape Sable.
- 3 December 1939 conversion completed. Cover name RFA CYPRUS. Complement 90 under command of Cdr. R.S. Barry R.N. Armed with 7 x single 4-inch guns, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 4 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes, 100 x depth charges and was fitted with Asdic.
- 14 March 1940 sailed for Gibraltar after work-up in the Solent area.
- 4 March 1940 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour.
- 29 March 1940 arrived Gibraltar then ranged around as far as Bermuda, Sierra Leone, Simonstown, Durban and finally Colombo.
- 29 December 1940 berthed at Simonstown Dockyard.
- 30 December 1940 docked in Selborne Graving Dock in Simonstown Dockyard.
- 4 January 1941 undocked from Selborne Graving Dock in Simonstown Dockyard.
- 16 January 1941 sailed from Simonstown Dockyard.
- 5 March 1941 commissioned as an Armed Merchant Cruiser at Colombo.
- 16 March 1941 First Radio Officer James Badcock, Naval Auxiliary, discharged dead. He is remembered with pride on the Liverpool Naval Memorial.
- 17 May 1941 arrived at Cape Town from Aden.
- 22 May 1941 sailed Cape Town to Freetown.
- 17 January 1942 at Sullom Voe with HMS Calpe and AMC City of Durham.
- 29 January 1942 sailed from Sullom Voe with AMC City of Durham and HMS Calpe in operation EM. The ships were signed by German aircraft on 30 January 1942 and on 1 February 1942. The operation was cancelled.
- 9 March 1942 arrived Tyne to be reconditioned for return to commercial service.
- 11 March 1942 transferred to MoWT control.
- 20 June 1942 sailed the Tyne in convoy FN 747 to Methil arriving on 1 July 1942.
- 1 July 1942 sailed Methil in convoy EN 105 to Loch Ewe arriving on 3 July 1942.
- 6 July 1942 joined convoy ON 110 which had sailed Liverpool on 6 July 1942 to St Johns Newfoundland arriving 27 July 1942 and arrived at New York City on the 29 July 1942.
- 29 July 1942 sailed New York City independently to Hampton Roads arriving on the 31 July 1942.
- 19 August 1942 sailed Hampton Roads in convoy KS 532 to Key West arriving on the 25 August 1942.
- 26 August 1942 sailed Key West in convoy WAT 17 to Guantanamo arriving on 31 August 1942.
- 31 August 1942 sailed Guantanamo in convoy GAT 1 to Trinidad arriving on 7 September 1942.
- 10 September 1942 sailed Trinidad independently to Cape Town arriving on 8 October 1942.
- 10 October 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Durban arriving on 15 October 1942.
- 3 November 1942 sailed Durban independently to Bombay arriving on 19 November 1942.
- 23 November 1942 sailed Bombay independently to Karachi arriving on 26 November 1942.
- 24 December 1942 sailed Karachi independently to Bombay.
- 30 December 1942 sailed Bombay independently to Durban arriving on 21 January 1943.
- 23 January 1943 sailed Durban in convoy DN 12 - the convoy dispersed on 25 January 1943.
- 25 January 1943 arrived at Lourenco Marques.
- 26 January 1943 sailed Lourenco Marques independently to Durban arriving on 29 January 1943 joining convoy DC 3 to Cape Town arriving on 2 February 1943.
- 9 February 1943 sailed Cape Town in convoy CN 6 which dispersed on 11 February 1943 then sailing independetly to Freetown arriving on 26 February 1943.
- 12 March 1943 sailed Freetown in convoy SL 126 to Liverpool and then on to Loch Ewe arriving on 4 April 1943. RFA Fortol was the escort tanker in this convoy. Three of this convoy were sunk from enemy attack and one was damaged.
- 6 April 1943 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN 412 to Methil arriving on 8 April 1943.
- 9 April 1943 sailed Methil in convoy FS 1095 to Hull arriving the next day. RFA Scottish American was in the same convoy.
- 24 April 1943 sailed hull and joined convoy FN 1003 to Methil arriving on 26 April 1943.
- 27 April 1943 sailed Methil in convoy EN 221A to Loch Ewe arriving on 30 April 1943.
- 8 May 1943 sailed Oban and joined convoy ONS7 to Halifax arriving on 25 May 1943 - one ship in this convoy was sunk by enemy U-Boat attack.
- 16 June 1943 sailed Halifax in convoy SC134 to Liverpool arriving on 1 July 1943.
- 28 July 1943 sailed Liverpool in convoy KMS 22G to Gibraltar arriving on the 9 August 1943 and continued onto Algiers in the renumbered convoy KMS 22 arriving on 12 August 1943.
- 21 August 1943 sailed Algiers joining convoy KMS 23 to Tunis arriving on 23 August 1943 - RFA Empire Salvage sailed from Algiers and joined this same convoy but continued onto Birzerta.
- 5 September 1943 sailed Tunis independently to Birzerta arriving the same day.
- 20 September 1943 sailed Bizerta and joined convoy MKS 25 to Gibraltar arriving on 25 September 1943. RFA Prestol was part of this convoy from Bone to Philipeville.
- 27 September 1943 sailed Gibraltar in convoy OS 55 to Casablanca arriving the next day - RFA Scottish American was the escort oiler and joined this convoy at Casablanca.
- 17 October 1943 sailed Casablanca in convoy OS 56 to Freetown arriving on 28 October 1943.
- 31 October 1943 sailed Freetown in convoy STL 5 to Takoradi arriving on 5 November 1943.
- 10 November 1943 sailed Takoradi independently to Freetown arriving on 15 November 1943.
- 22 November 1943 sailed Freetown in convoy SL141 to Loch Ewe arriving on 16 December 1943. RFA Scottish American was the escort oiler for this convoy.
- 16 December 1943 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN 519 to Methil arriving on 18 December 1943.
- 3 January 1944 sailed Methil in convoy FS 1320 to the River Tyne arriving the next day.
- 23 January 1944 sailed the River Tyne joing convoy FN 1244 to Methil arriving the next day.
- 25 January 1943 sailed Methil in convoy EN 338 to Loch Ewe.
- 12 February 1944 sailed Loch Ewe and joined convoy ONS 29 but broke down and returned to the River Clyde arriving on 17 February 1944.
- 27 February 1944 after repairs sailed the River Clyde and joined convoy ONS 30 to Halifax and the convoy XB 100 from Halifax to Boston arriving at the Cape Cod Canal on 15 March 1944.
- 15 March 1944 sailed the Cape Cod Canal independently to New York City arriving the next day.
- 22 March 1944 sailed New York City in the unescorted convoy NG 424 to Guantanamo arriving 29 March 1944.
- 29 March 1944 sailed Guantanamo independently to Cape Trujillo arriving on 1 April 1944.
- 2 April 1944 sailed Cape Trujillo independently to La Romana arriving the next day.
- 12 April 1944 sailed Macoris independently to Guantanamo arriving on 14 April 1944.
- 18 April 1944 sailed Guantanamo in convoy GN127 to New York arriving on 24 April 1944.
- 27 April 1944 sailed New York in convoy HX 289 to the River Clyde arriving on 14 May 1944.
- 22 June 1944 sailed Methil in convoy FS 1491 to Southend arriving 24 June 1944.
- 12 July 1944 sailed Southend in convoy ETM 34 to Seine Bay arriving the next day.
- 28 July 1944 sailed Seine Bay in convoy FTM 51 to Southend arriving the next day.
- 30 July 1944 sailed Southend in convoy FN 1434 to Methil.
- 15 August 1944 arrived at Southend in convoy FS 1543 from Methil.
- 17 August 1944 sailed Southend in convoy ETM 62 to Seine Bay arriving the next day.
- 29 August 1944 sailed Seine Bay in convoy FTM 76 to Southend arriving the next day.
- 5 September 1944 sailed Southend in convoy FN 1471 to Methil arriving 7 September 1944.
- 8 September 1944 sailed Methil in convoy EN 432 to Loch Ewe arriving 10 September 1944.
- 14 September 1944 arrived at the River Clyde having sailed independently from Loch Ewe.
- 15 October 1944 joined convoy OS 92KM / KMS 66g passing Gibraltar on 26 October 1944 and onward to Augusta arriving on 1 November 1944.
- 5 November 1944 sailed Augusta in convoy VN 75 to Naples arriving the next day.
- 25 November 1944 sailed Naples independently to Augusta arriving the next day.
- 27 November 1944 sailed Augusta independently to Phillippeville arriving on 29 November 1944.
- 1 December 1944 sailed Phillippeville independently to Gibraltar arriving on 4 December 1944.
- 9 December 1944 sailed Gibraltar independently to Rio De Janeiro arriving on 28 December 1944.
- 9 January 1945 sailed Rio de Janeiro independently to Freetown.
- 24 January 1944 sailed Freetown independently to Casablanca arriving on 3 February 1945.
- 4 February 1945 sailed Casablanca independently to Gibraltar arriving the next day .
- 5 February 1945 sailed Gibraltar in convoy MKS81G to Southend arriving 13 February 1945.
- 14 February 1945 sailed Southend in convoy FN 1633 to Middlesborough arriving the next day.
- 7 March 1945 sailed Middlesborough and joined convoy FN 1653 to Methil arriving the next day.
- 8 March 1945 sailed Methil in convoy EN 479 to Belfast arriving 12 March 1945. RFA Scottish American was in the same convoy.
- 12 March 1945 sailed Belfast Lough in convoy ONS 44 to St John, Newfoundland. RFA Scottish American was the escort oiler.
- 30 March 1945 sailed St Johns, Newfoundland in convoy JH 119 to Halifax arriving on 2 April 1945.
- 28 April 1945 sailed Halifax in convoy SC 174 to Milford Haven arriving 15 May 1945.
- 15 May 1945 sailed Milford Haven in convoy BTC 159 to Southend arriving on 18 May 1945.
- 2 June 1945 sailed London independently to Montreal arriving on 25 June 1945.
- 12 July 1945 sailed Montreal independetly to Hamburg arriving 2 August 1945.
- 3 August 1945 sailed Hamburg independently to Barry arriving 7 August 1945.
- 10 August 1945 sailed Barry independently to Quebec arriving 24 August 1945.
- 30 August 1945 sailed Quebec independently to Antwerp arriving 15 September 1945.

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-cyprus-ship-information
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=18156
http://7seasvessels.com/?p=30645



HMS Fidelity
http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/3228/c4g1.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 24 September 1940
Fate: Sunk by U-435 30 December 1942
Class: unknown type general cargo steamship
Displacement: 2,356 grt
Lenght: 80.7 m
Beam: 12.6 m
Draught: 5.7 m
Propulsion: triple expansion steam engine, 252 nhp (≈ 1,764 bhp)
Speed: 10.5 kn
Complement: 90
Armament: 4 x 1 x 4" guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 4 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 1 x Motor Torpedo Boat, 2 × Landing Craft, 2 × OS2U Kingfisher floatplanes

Service history:

- June 1940 the French Merchant Vessel La Rhin sailed for Gibraltar under the command of Lieutenant de Vaisseau Claude Andre Michel Peri, and was turned over to the Royal Navy for conversion into a Special Service Vessel at Portsmouth Dockyard.
- 24 September 1940 commissioned as HMS Fidelity.
- In 1941 Fidelity operated off the coast of Southern France under the direction of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), landing agents and picking up escaped prisoners, disguised as Spanish or Portuguese freighter.She also took part in small-scale sabotage operations.
- In 1942 Fidelity was refitted to operate as a commando carrier for operations in south-east Asia. She was armed with four 4-inch guns, four 21-inch torpedo tubes, and carried two OS2U Kingfisher floatplanes, the motor torpedo boat MTB-105, and the landing craft HMS LCV-752 and LCV-754.
- In December 1942 Fidelity, with T Company, 40 Commando aboard, joined Convoy ON 154. The convoy was attacked by U-boats from 27 December while north of the Azores. Fidelity, suffering from engine problems, was left behind by the convoy. On 30 December she was torpedoed and sunk by U-435 under the command of Siegfried Strelow at position 43°23′N 27°07′W.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Fidelity_(D57)
http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/2560.html
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?17199

[gap]

Sorry gap. My comment was not intended to be snarky. I just wanted to clear up the confusion as to what a Q-ship was, that it is not simply an armed merchant. It seemed to me that some of the comments were that more armed merchants were not needed and I agree with such statements(although ultimately I also believe one cannot have to many ship types in the game, the more the merrier.). So that is why I wrote my last post. If anyone is serious about making this, pm me and I will do whatever asked and within my abilities. If not I will try myself once I figure a few things out.:salute:

No problem :salute:

As you can see I have already started collecting some information :up:

[Fifi]

It seemed to me that some of the comments were that more armed merchants were not needed and I agree with such statements(although ultimately I also believe one cannot have to many ship types in the game, the more the merrier.)

If refering to me, first i'm sorry to have poluted your thread :oops:, but i didn't mean really this way.
All that was historical IS needed! :)
About Cimmaron, i was completely wrong, i had to google search before complain :haha: This tanker was really an heavily armed merchant! Few 40mm isn't a joke!
But part of my purpose still remain: AI guns too good accuracy :yep:
Few shots from 2000m, and you're half totally damaged (AI elite) is a bit too much for me, coming from a merchant...after all, they were not as well trained to guns as military!

[Stoli151]

No problem :salute:

As you can see I have already started collecting some information :up:
Here's more on the 9 Q-ships in Royal Navy service. I can get more info. If I dig a little more I may be able to find more specifics on size and armaments. Tried to get pictures for now.

610-ton HMS Chatsgrove (X85) ex-Royal Navy PC-74 built 1918

http://gb-navy-ww2.narod.ru/HTM-K-PC_74.html

http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-chatsgrove-ship-information

5,072-ton HMS Maunder (X28) ex-King Gruffyd built 1919

http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/2787.html

4,443-ton HMS Prunella (X02) ex-Cape Howe built 1930

http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-prunella-ship-information

5,119-ton HMS Lambridge (X15) ex-Botlea built 1917

http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-lambridge-ship-information

4,702-ton HMS Edgehill (X39) ex-Willamette Valley built 1928

http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/394.html

5,945-ton HMS Brutus (X96) ex-City of Durban built 1921

http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-brutus-ship-information

4,398-ton HMS Cyprus (X44) ex-Cape Sable built 1936

http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-cyprus-ship-information

1,030-ton HMS Looe (X63) ex-Beauty built 1924

http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-looe-ship-information

1,090-ton HMS Antoine (X72) ex-Orchy built 1930

http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-antoine-ship-information

@Fifi No, I was not trying to pick on anyone, my apologies. Like I said, I just thought there was some confusion. All is good.:)

[gap]

If refering to me, first i'm sorry to have poluted your thread :oops:, but i didn't mean really this way.

My thread? :huh:

I hope Stoli won't mind if I took it over :D


All that was historical IS needed! :)

That's sure :up:


About Cimmaron, i was completely wrong, i had to google search before complain :haha: This tanker was really an heavily armed merchant! Few 40mm isn't a joke!

She had even bigger guns if memory serves me well, but I don't remember if devs got her armament right :hmmm:


But part of my purpose still remain: AI guns too good accuracy :yep:
Few shots from 2000m, and you're half totally damaged (AI elite) is a bit too much for me, coming from a merchant...after all, they were not as well trained to guns as military!

I agree. As I told you the day before yesterday, making AI guns lesser accurate through sim.cfg settings is really easy, and we can always ask Trevally to reduce merchant's average veterancy in campaign :03:

Here's more on the 9 Q-ships in Royal Navy service. I can get more info. If I dig a little more I may be able to find more specifics on size and armaments. Tried to get pictures for now.

WOW, well done Stoli. I have updated my previous post with information on the Chatsgrove taken from your links. Please take a look at it. Ideally we should be able to fill the same fields for the remaining ships :up:

[Stoli151]

My thread? :huh:

I hope Stoli won't mind if I took it over.Not at all. I hope to see the thread title read "[REL]Q-ships mod by gap". I will get to work tomorrow on getting more specifics.

[Aktungbby]

Have noticed varying amounts of firepower from cimmarons. normally I ignore the fifty cal as I finish him off with the deck gun. but one got me ripped down to 30% hull integrity. generally when attacking convoys, I skip tankers as they absorb too many eels. solo tankers at 5000 meters are no problem from the stern at night. for this the VIIB with decks awash dives the quickest if in danger even though it doesn't hold depth at 8 meters worth a fiddle or deep at under two knots. Rangers go up like ronsons! Occasionally a cimmaron goes up with one eel either in the stern orn bow... must be aviation fuel. In real life many uboat commanders claimed tonnage on tankers they hit, but tankers loaded with liquid or in ballast were tough to actually sink and often limped to port unnoticed by a harried uboat commander who didn't stick around to witness the finale...The Uboat War Vol.II

[gap]

Not at all. I hope to see the thread title read "[REL]Q-ships mod by gap". I will get to work tomorrow on getting more specifics.

Hopefully one day: I can't promise anything at the moment :)

I have updated my previous post with information on the Chatsgrove taken from your links. Please take a look at it. Ideally we should be able to fill the same fields for the remaining ships :up:

Post # updated with details on all ten British decoy ships of WWII. :up:

Lacking information is marked with a question mark. Anyone wanting to fill in the empty fields or to add new detail is very welcome. :salute:

[Stoli151]

Post # updated with details on all ten British decoy ships of WWII. :up:

Lacking information is marked with a question mark. Anyone wanting to fill in the empty fields or to add new detail is very welcome. :salute:
Awesome! I got bogged down with RL happenings last couple days, I'll see what else I can do. Looks like I'll have trouble improving upon what you did. Very interesting info. I did not know that many were equipped with ASDIC and DC racks. Another interesting piece of info was the amount of torpedoes it took to sink one of them, because many were also filled with buoyant cargoes.:yeah:

[Aktungbby]

go deeper fifi, deeper! appreciated seeing your mod list as im still new to mods and relatively computer illiterate. down loaded new UI v7.4.0 today but cant bring it up to patch to my game...

[gap]

Very interesting info. I did not know that many were equipped with ASDIC and DC racks. Another interesting piece of info was the amount of torpedoes it took to sink one of them, because many were also filled with buoyant cargoes.:yeah:

Yes, however little information is available on any particular topic, history is always a good surce of clues. By the way, even ignoring other factors, and considering the following facts:
- conversion of the few British Q-ships took several months after their official commissionig;
- during their short service the biggest among them were soon deployed to the South Atlantic and the to Indian Ocean (which by that time were out of U-boats' range),
it is not surprise that they played such a small role in WWII ASW warfare. :yep:

Now let's collect some information on US decoy vessels. :03:

[Stoli151]

Here's some links to pics and other info on the five US Q-ships that operated in the Atlantic.

The Boston beam trawler MS Wave, which briefly became the auxiliary minesweeper USS Eagle (AM-132) before becoming USS Captor (PYC-40)

http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/1440.htm

SS Evelyn and Carolyn, identical cargo vessels that became USS Asterion (AK-100) and USS Atik (AK-101) respectively

http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/130063.htm

http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/171608.htm

The tanker SS Gulf Dawn, which became USS Big Horn

http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/19/19045.htm

The schooner Irene Myrtle, which became USS Irene Forsyte (IX-93).

http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/46/46093.htm

And I know not everyone likes wikipedia but this article actually completes the info on this particular vessel a bit better.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Irene_Forsyte

Imagine a three-masted schooner as an ASW vessel :huh:

[gap]

Here's some links to pics and other info on the five US Q-ships that operated in the Atlantic.

Well done Stoli! :up:

I have also found some excellent webpages covering the historical background of US Q-Ships program in WWII and service history of the vessels involved:

http://www.history.navy.mil/docs/wwii/q-ships.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq111-1.htm

Pictures, specs and armament outfits are largely available from your links and from Wikipedia. Soon I will prepare individual data sheets similar to what I have done for the British vessels :)

[gap]

Another good reading:

http://books.google.it/books?id=OoBy04Zc9tYC&printsec=frontcover&hl=it#v=onepage&q&f=false

[Aktungbby]

British Q-ships of World War II



HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND GENERAL INFORMATION

Within days from the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, Churchill gave Gordon Campbell, Vice-Admiral of the Royal Navy, authority to requisition a number of merchantmen for service as Q-Ships.

They were to be used partly as a counter to the renewed submarine threat but also partly to attempt to decoy the enemy surface raiders. Unfortunately the Ministry of Shipping was somewhat reluctant to part with any modern vessels due to a shortage of tonnage and Campbell had a fleet of nine (later increased to ten) small vessels which had been built between 1917 and 1936 and which were mainly coal burners and not really suitable for their intended roles allocated to him.

It was decided that six vessels would be required for deep sea oceanic work, while a further three vessels would be required for coastal service. As a result, eight of these vessels were requisitioned from their commercial owners while the ninth one was already a HM patrol craft.


For coastal service:

HMS Chatsgrove (X85) ex-RN PC-74
HMS Looe (X63) ex-Beauly
HMS Antoine (X72) ex-Orchy


For deep sea oceanic service:

HMS Maunder (X28) ex-King Gruffyd
HMS Prunella (X02) ex-Cape Howe
HMS Lambridge (X15) ex-Botlea
HMS Edgehill (X39) ex-Willamette Valley
HMS Brutus (X96) ex-City of Durban
HMS Cyprus (X44) ex-Cape Sable


The last RN Q-ship, not part of the initial plan was a French merchant vessel:

HMS Fidelity (D57) ex-La Rhin

After requisitioning they were sent to naval dockyards for the necessary fitting out to be undertaken. The first nine vessels were commisoned in the Royal Navy between September and October 1939, whereas the final vessel was commissioned one year later. All were commissioned as HM ships under their original names, but on completion of conversion they were given Royal Fleet Auxiliary cover names. On entering and while in harbour they wore the Blue Ensign and behaved as RFA's and adopted the RFA commercial practices.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/British-Royal-Fleet-Auxiliary-Ensign.svg/600px-British-Royal-Fleet-Auxiliary-Ensign.svg.png
The British Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ensign

Their conversion included the fitting of an impressive armament outfit: a number of Mk 2 7-inch guns, 12 pdr. guns, Lewis machine guns, depth charges, 21-inch torpedo tubs and some of them were even fitted with Asdic.


The general tactics which had been decided upon were that the Special Service Freighters, when operating with a convoy, should be stationed at the rear of the convoy on the wing. This was so that:
the freighter could keep a listening watch to give warning of an attack;
after an attack the freighter could obtain a contact and act as a directing vessel;
there was a remote possibility of being able to carry out a counter attack.

When the convoys were at a rendezvous or at anchor, the Special Service Freighters were to be placed on the seaward side. They could also of course be stationed some way astern of a convoy in the hope that some enemy submarine commander would regard them as a straggler, to be picked off from the surface.

In general, the oceanic vessels spent a normal cruising period of between 24 - 28 days at sea, followed by 6 days in harbour at short notice for sea when they could stock up with coal etc and then after a 3 month period, the period in harbour would be extended to 14 days to enable boiler cleaning etc. The coastal work vessels were to spend cruise period of about 10 days at sea, followed by 3 to 4 days in harbour at short notice, and then after a 2 month period, the period in harbour would be extended to 8 days. The oceanic vessels main operating areas were the North Atlantic/Caribbean where two further vessels, City of Dieppe (stationed in the West Indies) and City of Tokio (stationed at Freetown) were fitted out as special store ships and munitions carriers with spare torpedoes, etc.


The Q-ships met with a total lack of success in North Atlantic waters and subsequently the larger survivors were sent to the Indian Ocean area in the hope that they might meet with more success there, but again they were unsuccessful due to two main reasons:

German commanders remembered the lessons of World War One and realised that merchant ships could be rapidly and effectively armed and thus they became unwilling to engage in surface gun actions and went in with the torpedo instead.
the Q-ships were too slow to have much chance of meeting enemy surface raiders and were totally unsuitable for long ocean passages where they saw no action and were over-crowded.
The Admiralty finally decided to discontinue the use of these ships in their role as Q-ships and on 2 March 1941 they sent a signal to the surviving ships to advise them of their decision. Four of the ships, HMS Lambridge, HMS Cyprus, HMS Brutus and HMS Maunder then openly hoisted the White Ensign and operated as Armed Merchant Cruisers, but again their lack of success and losses led to their early redeployment and by 1 October 1941, all of the survivors had returned to commercial service and again the Q-ship saga came to an end.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg/500px-Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg.png
The White Ensign

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/the-rfas-that-werent
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q-ship#Second_World_War


INDIVIDUAL SHIP DETAILS


HMS PC-74 / RFA Chatsgrove
http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/8383/olx7.jpg
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/5018/vhqw.jpg

General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Conversion started September 1939, full conversion completed 16 May 1940
Fate: reassigned to regular A/S duties June 1940, suspended from war service March 1944
Class: "PC" class Patrol Vessel
Displacement: 610 grt
Lenght: 75.29 m
Beam: 8.08 m
Draught: 3.12 m
Propulsion: 2 x White-Foster water tube boilers, 2 x Parsons geared steam turbines @ 3,500 shp (≈ 3,900 bhp)
Speed: 20 kn
Complement: 99
Armament:
- Early war: 1 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 1 x 1 x 3" (12 pdr) gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_18_cwt_naval_gun), 2 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun)
- As Q-ship: 1 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 2 x 1 x 3" (12 pdr) guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_18_cwt_naval_gun), 3 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun)
- Late war: 2 x 1 x 3" (12 pdr) guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_18_cwt_naval_gun), 1 x 1 x 40mm (2 pdr "pom-pom") gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_2-pounder_naval_gun), 1 x 1 x 20mm Oerlikon gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oerlikon_20_mm_cannon), 3 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun)

Service history:

- September 1939 taken in hand for conversion into a Special Service Freighter by Ardrossan Dry Dock Co, Ardrossan
- 18 September 1939 Temporary Commander C E Hughes-White DSO Royal Navy Rtd in command
- 26 November 1939 alongside HMS Griffin at Ardrossan both ships were damaged by bumping during a gale. HMS PC 74 required dry docking
- 8 December 1939 involved in collision with HMS Kingfisher at Eglington causing slight damage to both ships
- 16 May 1940 sailed Ardrossan on completion of conversion. Cover name RFA CHATSGROVE. Armed with 1 x single 4-inch gun, 2 x 12 pdr guns, 6 x Lewis machine guns. Operated as a Decoy Ship for just one month, based on Falmouth, for Channel Convoys before resuming A/S duties.
- September 1940 to March 1944 in Irish Sea Escort Force, based on Milford Haven.
- 23 August 1942 escorted SS Laristan in tow of tugs Amsterdan and Seine from the 270 degrees Skerries 13 miles to Cardiff.
- 11 November 1942 directed by N.O.I.C. Milford Haven to Hollyhead.
- 20 February 1943 with HMS SWEETBRIAR patrolling between The Smalls to Tuscar.
- 7 March 1943 sailed from Falmouth to operate in the area 49'40"N 08'33"W.
- March 1944 to April 1944 A/S training Londonderry.
- April 1944 to July 1945 A/S training Larne.
- 8 June 1944 Temporary Commander C E Hughes- White DSO Royal Navy Rtd awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in the London Gazette of this day.
- 30 October 1944 at Holyhead with one trawler at the directions of the submarine training Commander, Rockabill.
- 11 January 1945 rescued the Master, five crew members and two gunners from the ss Normandy Coast which had been torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U1055 (Oberleutenant zur see Rudolf Meyer) at 53.19N, 04.48W west of Anglesey, Wales in the Irish Sea. Eighteen other crew members were lost.
- 12 January 1945 landed the rescued Master and crew members at Hollyhead.
- 25 July 1945 arrived Milford Haven and was placed in reserve.

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-chatsgrove-ship-information
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/hms-pc-74-1919-decoy-ship-ship-312535946
http://gb-navy-ww2.narod.ru/HTM-K-PC_74.html
http://warshipsww2.eu/shipsplus.php?language=&id=66624
http://www.worldnavalships.com/directory/shipinfo.php?ShipID=3432



HMS Beauly / RFA Looe
http://imageshack.us/a/img819/5047/owpw.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img690/5138/kwvy.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 6 October 1939, full conversion completed February 1940
Fate: Handed over to Ministry of War Transports 20 June 1941
Class: built by Ailsa in Troon for William Sloan of Glasgow, as part of a batch of steamships having the same style and similar specifications
Sister ships: SS Orchy (also commissioned in RN as HMS Antoine), SS Annan, SS Findhorn, SS Brora and SS Endrick
Displacement: 1,061 grt
Lenght: 73.88 m
Beam: 9.51 m
Draught: 4.88 m
Propulsion: Triple expansion 162 nhp (≈1,134 bhp)
Speed: ?
Complement: 69
Armament: 4 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 1 x 1 x 3" (12 pdr) gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_18_cwt_naval_gun), 2 x 1 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 2 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 36 x depth charges, ASDIC

Service history:

- 5 September 1939 requisitioned for Government service and it was originally intended to use her as an Army Stores Carrier.
- 6 October 1939 transferred to the Admiralty for conversion into a Special Service Freighter by Chatham Dockyard.
- 20 October 1939 commissioned as HMS BEAULY.
- 6 November 1939 T/Lieutenant Commander Arthur J Anderson RNR appointed in command - appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) on 11 December 1945.
- February 1940 conversion completed. Cover name RFA LOOE. Complement 69 under command of Cdr. F.H. Ashton Royal Navy Armed with 4 x single 4-inch guns, 1 x 12 pdr gun, 2 x Lewis machine guns, 2 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes, 36 x depth charges and was fitted with Asdic.
- 28 March 1940 arrived Spithead from Chatham and anchored off Beaulieu for work-up.
- 7 April 1940 sailed Spithead on completion of work-up and commenced her first cruise via Plymouth and Holyhead then operated around the Home Coast.
- 27 April 1940 towed RFA Scottish American to Loch Eribol after she had been torpedoed and damaged west of the Pentland Firth fully laden with oil.
- 20 June 1941 as her presence in the SW Approaches did not attract any attacks from U-boats, she was withdrawn from her Special Service role and was transferred to MoWT control for resumption of commercial service.
- 11 July 1941 sailed from Belfast Lough to Bristol in convoy BB46 arriving on 13 July 1941.
- 26 July 1941 sailed from Belfast Lough to Bristol in convoy BB53 arriving on 28 July 1941.
- 3 August 1941 sailed from Milford Haven to Holyhead in convoy MH 9.
- 16 August 1941 sailed from Belfast Lough to Bristol in convoy BB62 arriving on 18 August 1941.
- 31 August 1941 sailed from Belfast Lough to Cardiff in convoy BB70 arriving on 2 September 1941.
- 21 September 1941 sailed from Belfast Lough to Bristol in convoy BB78 arriving on 23 September 1941.
- 28 April 1942 Able Seaman Harry H G Farley Royal Navy, D/JX194893 the award of the Distinguished Service Medal for services during an air attack on 18 December 1941. Details published in the London Gazette of this day.
- 12 May 1942 Captain John McGugan the award of a Commendation for services during an air attack on 18 December 1941 - details published in the London Gazette of this day.
- 9 November 1943 Captain John McGugan the appointment to Membership of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and Chief Officer Charles A MacKenzie the award of a Commendation for services during an air attack and for the destruction of an enemy aircraft - details published in the London Gazette of this day.

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-looe-ship-information
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=30047
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=15742
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2889
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2917
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2888
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2632
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2354



HMS Orchy / RFA Antoine
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/6387/mkac.jpg
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/4449/f1hz.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 17 October 1939, full conversion completed March 1940
Fate: Handed over to Ministry of War Transports 18 June 1941
Class: built by Ailsa in Troon for William Sloan of Glasgow, as part of a batch of steamships having the same style and similar specifications
Sister ships: SS Beauly (also commissioned in RN as HMS Looe), SS Annan, SS Findhorn, SS Brora and SS Endrick
Displacement: 1,090 grt
Lenght: 74.98 m
Beam: 10.97 m
Draught: 5.18 m
Propulsion: Triple expansion
Speed: ?
Complement: 69
Armament: 4 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 1 x 1 x 3" (12 pdr) gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_18_cwt_naval_gun), 2 x 1 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 2 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 36 x depth charges, ASDIC

Service history:

- 5 September 1939 requisitioned for Government Service and it was originally planned to use her as an Army Stores Carrier
- 11 September 1939 sailed Bristol Channel in convoy BC 1S to the Loire arriving two days later
- 17 September 1939 sailed the Loire in convoy BC1SR to the British Channel arriving two days later
- October 1939 transferred to the Admiralty for conversion into a Special Service Freighter at Portsmouth Dockyard
- 15 October 1939 Commander Charles V Jack Royal Navy (Rtd) appointed as Commanding Officer
- 17 October 1939 commissioned as HMS Orchy
- March 1940 conversion completed. Cover name RFA ANTOINE. Complement 69. Armed with 4 x single 4 inch guns, 1 x 12 pdr gun, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 2 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes, 36 x depth charges and was fitted with Asdic
- 14 April 1940 sailed Spithead for Portland after work-up to carry out Asdic trials, then to Holyhead at the start of her first cruise. Operated around the Home Coast - West Coast of Ireland - North of Scotland - SW Approaches
- 25 June 1940 at 51.26N 10.38W picked up the 19 survivors of the ss Catherine, a Panamanian registered cargo vessel, which had been sunk the previous day by the German submarine U47
- 26 June 1940 landed the survivors (see above) at Milford Haven
- 20 February 1941 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour
- 23 February 1941 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour
- 18 June 1941 as her presence in the SW Approaches did not attract any attacks from U-boats she was withdrawn from her Special Service role and was transferred to MoWT control as ORCHY
- Between 22 July 1941 and 2 October 1942 undertook forty two sailings in convoy between Belfast Lough and Milford Haven or in reverse
7 November 1942 in collision with the coaster Empire Eveleen off Grey Point, Belfast Lough. The Empire Eveleen sank but was refloated on 9 November 1943 - she was buckled across her deck
- 3 January 1945 Able Seaman John Matheson awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) - see the London Gazette page 136 of this date

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-looe-ship-information
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=30047
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=15742
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2917
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2889
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2888
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2632
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2354



HMS King Guffrydd / RFA Maunder
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/2353/nnt.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 21 October 1939, full conversion completed 17 November 1939
Fate: reassigned to AMC duties 12 March 1941, handed over to Ministry of War Transports 22 September 1941, sunk by U-338 17 March 1943
Class: "GM1 B-type" general cargo steamship
Displacement: 5,072 grt
Lenght: 125.8 m
Beam: 15.8 m
Draught: 8.6 m
Propulsion: triple expansion engine, 517 nhp (≈ 3,619 bhp)
Speed: 11.5 kn
Complement: 99
Armament: 7 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 2 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 4 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 100 x depth charges

Service history:

- 14 September 1939 requisitioned by the Admiralty for conversion into a Special Service Freighter by Chatham Dockyard.
- 21 October 1939 commissioned as HMS KING GRUFFYDD.
- 17 November 1939 conversion completed. Cover name RFA MAUNDER. Complement 99 under command of Cdr. E.M. Loly R.N. Armed with 7 x single 4-inch guns, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 4 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes and 100 x depth charges.
- 26 November 1939 sailed Sheerness for work-up in the Solent area.
- 2 December 1939 on completion of work-up sailed from the Solent.
- 19 December 1939 arrived Gibraltar.
- 1 January 1940 sailed Gibraltar.
- 11 January 1940 arrived in the Solent area and to Southampton arriving 14 January 1940.
- 3 March 1940 sailed Southampton arriving Gibraltar 26 March 1940.
- 5 April 1940 sailed Gibraltar returning 16 April 1940.
- 17 April 1940 sailed Gibraltar to Freetown arriving 7 May 1940.
- 12 May 1940 sailed Freetown to Simonstown Dockyard arriving 7 June 1940.
- 15 June 1940 sailed Simonstown Dockyard to Durban arriving 20 June 1940.
- 21 June 1940 sailed Durban to Mauritius 15 July 1940.
- 22 July 1940 sailed Mauritius returning 14 August 1940.
- 20 August 1940 sailed Mauritius to Durban arrving 30 August 1940.
- 4 September 1940 sailed Durban returning 24 September 1940.
- 2 October 1940 sailed Durban returning 23 October 1940.
- 26 October 1940 entered dry dock at Durban.
- 1 November 1940 undocked from dry dock in Durban.
- 22 November 1940 sailed Durban to Colombo arriving 11 December 1940.
- 16 December 1940 sailed Colombo returning 6 January 1940.
- 16 January 1940 sailed Colombo returning 6 January 1940.
- 16 January 1940 sailed Colombo to Durban arriving 9 February 1940.
- 12 March 1941 openly hoisted the White Ensign for service as an Armed Merchant Cruiser with Pennant Nr F 116 then served in the East Indies
- 1 May 1941 East Indies Service ended.
- 13 May 1941 with HMIS Clive took part in Operation Chapter - Cape Guardafui Channel the most easterly point of Africa. In order to facilitate the passage in this channel it was decided to undertake a combind operation to capture and operate the Cape Guardafui lighthouse and to clear the north east corner of Italian Somaliland. This was done and the Italian troops there had immediately surrendered.
- 20 May 1941 sailed with 23 officers and 96 prisoners of war and landed them at Aden on 24 May 1941.
- 4 June 1941 joined the Red Sea Force.
- 5 August 1941 berthed at Simontown Dockyard.
- 14 August 1941 sailed from Simonstown Dockyard.
- 1 September 1941 at Port Elizabeth reconditioning for return to commercial service.
- 22 September 1941 transferred to MoWT control as KING GRUFFYDD.
- 8 January 1942 sailed Port Elizabeth independently to Cape Town arriving 12 January 1942.
- 13 March 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Rio de Janeiro arriving 28 March 1942.
- 5 April 1942 sailed Rio de Janeiro independently to Freetown arriving 18 April 1942.
- 4 May 1942 sailed Freetown in convoy SL109 to Loch Ewe arriving 28 May 1942.
- 31 May 1942 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN290 to Kirkwall arriving the next day.
- 3 June 1942 sailed Kirkwall in convoy WN291 to Methil arriving the next day.
- 6 June 1942 sailed Methil in convoy FS822 to Hull arriving the next day.
- 15 July 1942 sailed Hull in convoy FN761 to Methil arriving 17 July 1942.
- 17 July 1942 sailed Methil in convoy EN112 to Loch Ewe arriving 19 July 1942.
- 19 July 1942 sailed Loch Ewe and joined convoy ON114 until it dispersed on 4 August 1942. Then sailed independently to New York arriving the next day
- 6 August 1942 sailed New York independently to Norfolk arriving 8 August 1942.
- 23 August 1942 sailed Norfolk independently to New York arriving 26 August 1942.
- 29 August 1942 sailed New York for Cape Cod Bay.
- 2 September 1942 at Cape Cod Bay joined convoy BX36 to Halifax arriving on 4 September 1942.
- 5 September 1942 sailed Halifax in convoy SC99 to the Clyde arriving 20 September 1942.
- 4 October 1942 sailed the Clyde in convoy ON136 to New York arriving on 26 October 1942.
- 28 October 1942 sailed New York independently to Philadelphia arriving the same day.
- 15 November 1942 sailed Philadelphia independently to New York arriving the next day.
- 25 November 1942 sailed New York in convoy SC111 but returned to Sydney, Cape Breton Island with collision damage on 3 December 1942.
- 10 December 1942 sailed Sydney, Cape Breton Island in convoy SH68 to Halifax arriving 13 December 1942.
- 16 December 1942 sailed Halifax in convoy SC113 to Liverpool arriving 2 January 1943.
- 24 January 1943 sailed Liverpool in convoy ON163 to New York arriving 17 February 1943.
- 5 March 1943 sailed New York in convoy SC122 to the UK.
- 17 March 1943 while en route in convoy SC 122 from New York to Loch Ewe she was torpedoed by U338 (Kapitänleutnant Manfred Kinzel) and sunk with 24 of the crew being killed at 51.55N 32.41W. 20 They are remembered with pride on the Tower Hill Memorial. The ship was carrying a cargo of steel, tobacco and explosives.

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-maunder-ship-information
http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/2787.html
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?150820



HMS Cape Howe / RFA Prunella
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/3460/7e0e.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 19 September 1939, full conversion completed February 1940
Fate: sunk by U-28 21 June 1940
Class: unknown type general cargo steamship
Displacement: 4,443 grt
Lenght: 118.3 m
Beam: 16.2 m
Draught: 7.8 m
Propulsion: triple expansion engine, 418 nhp (≈2,926 bhp)
Speed: 10 kn
Complement: 90
Armament: 7 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 2 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 4 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 100 x depth charges, ASDIC


Service history:

- September 1939 requisitioned by the Admiralty for conversion into a Special Service Freighter by Portsmouth Dockyard.
- 19 September 1939 commissioned as HMS Cape Howe.
- February 1940 conversion completed. Cover name RFA PRUNELLA. Complement 90 under command of Commander Eric L. Woodhall DSO MVO Royal Navy. Armed with 7 x single 4-inch guns, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 4 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes, 100 x depth charges and was fitted with Asdic.
- 26 March 1940 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour.
- 7 April 1940 sailed Portsmouth on her first cruise.
- 13 April 1940 berthed at Portsmouth Harbour.
- 26 April 1940 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour.
- 5 June 1940 while disguised as RFA PRUNELLA, reported sighting at 1630 two unidentified warships northwest of Norway in 64-45N, 00-24W making for Iceland on course 265 at 20 knots.
- 21 June 1940 while hunting German submarines to the South of Ireland torpedoed and sunk at 49.54N 8.47W by the German submarine U28 (Kapitanleutnant Gunter Kuhnke) with 57 of the crew being killed. Those lost are remembered with pride on the Naval Memorials at Liverpool, Plymouth and Portsmouth. The body of one who was lost was recovered and he is buried in Pornic War Cemetery, Loire Atlantique, France - Able Seaman Gerald Barber P/SSX 23467

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-prunella-ship-information
http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/373.html
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?172032
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=18155



HMS Botlea / RFA Lambridge
http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/3138/hbwb.jpg
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/1048/jowj.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 16 September 1939, full conversion completed 14 December 1939
Fate: reassigned to AMC duties 5 March 1941, handed over to Ministry of War Transports 1 October 1941
Class: unknown type general cargo steamship
Displacement: 5,119 grt
Lenght: 122.1 m
Beam: 16.3 m
Draught: 7.34 m
Propulsion: 3-cylinder triple expansion steam engine, single screw, 510 nhp (≈3,570 bhp)
Speed: 10.5 kn
Complement: 84
Armament: 7 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 2 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 4 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 100 x depth charges

Service history:

- 1939 acquired by the Board of Trade (later MoS and MoWT) and renamed BOTLEA under management of Sir William Reardon Smith & Sons Ltd, Cardiff.
- 14 September1939 Lieutenant Commander Thomas Bennett Bruton Royal Naval appointed in command.
- 16 September 1939 commissioned as HMS Botlea.
- 14 December 1939 conversion completed. Cover name RFA LAMBRIDGE. Complement 84 under the command of Commander. T.B. Brunton Royal Navy. Armed with 7 x single 4-inch guns, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 4 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes and 100 depth charges.
- 22 December 1939 sailed Chatham for Sheerness then to the Solent area for work-up.
- 3 January 1940 sailed from the Solent area on her first cruise and operated in the North Atlantic for the remainder of that year.
- 8 January 1940 stopped off Dakar by HMS Neptune while in the Lambridge disguise - she was not detected as a 'Q' ship.
- 19 February 1940 Able Seaman John Page C/J 22317 discharged dead. Drowned. Remembered with pride on the Chatham Naval Memorial.
- March 1940 at Gibraltar.
- April 1940 at Bermuda.
- 28 August 1940 sailed Bermuda in convoy HX69 to Methil arriving 13 September 1940 - on convoy papers listed as RFA Lambridge thus maintaing its cover as a Q ship.
- 27 January 1941 berthed at Simonstown Dockyard, South Africa for boiler cleaning a repairs to minor defects.
- 6 February 1941 sailed from Simonstown Dockyard, South Africa.
- 5 March 1941 at Colombo she hoisted the White Ensign for service as an Armed Merchant Cruiser with Pennant Number F 113.
- 20 May 1941 arrived at Bombay escorting HMS Capetown which was under tow of the tug TAIKOO for repairs.
- 22 June 1941 sailed Aden under the command of Commander T I Scott-Bell DSC Royal Navy (Retd).
- 31 July 1941 berthed at Simonstown Dockyard, South Africa from Aden to be de stored and de ammunitioned in order to revert service as a merchant cargo ship.
- 12 August 1941 sailed from Simonstown Dockyard, South Africa.
- 1 October 1941 transferred to MoWT control.
- 16 January 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Lourenco Marques arriving 23 January 1942.
- 7 February 1942 sailed Lourenco Marques independently to Cape Town arriving 13 February 1942.
- 29 August 1942 sailed from Liverpool to New York arriving on the 18 September 1942.
- 24 December 1942 sailed from Liverpool in convoy ON(S)156 to New York arrived 17 January 1943.
- 22 April 1943 arrived at Cape Henry.
- 4 June 1943 Bosun Robert Fraser awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) in the Birthday Honours List 1943 - details published in the London Gazette of this day.
- 8 August 1943 sailed Liverpool to Freetown in convoy OS53 arrived on 27 August 1943.
- 15 June 1944 sailed Cape Town to Durban in convoy CD43 arrived on the 19 June 1944.
- 10 August 1944 sailed Durban independently to Mombassa arriving on 21 August 1944.
- 29 August 1944 sailed Mombassa independently to Durban arriving on 9 September 1944.
- 22 September 1944 sailed Durban independently to Lourenco Marques arriving 24 September 1944.
- 4 October 1944 sailed Lourenco Marques independently to Mombasa arriving 13 October 1944.
- 23 May 1945 sailed Bone independently to Gibraltar arriving 26 May 1945.
- 29 May 1945 sailed Gibraltar independently to Middlesborough arriving 7 June 1945.
- 17 June 1945 sailed Middlesborough to the Tyne arriving the same day.
- 30 December 1945 considered to have no further commercial use so was scuttled in position 55.30 N 11..00 W loaded with a cargo of poison gas shells as part of Phase 1 of Operation Sandcastle.

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-lambridge-ship-information
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Lambridge
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?152794
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=20462


HMS Willamette Valley / RFA Edgehill
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/1484/xn3t.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 26 September 1939, full conversion completed January 1940
Fate: sunk by U-51 29 June 1940
Class: unknown type general cargo motorship
Displacement: 4,724 grt
Lenght: 122.2 m
Beam: 16.5 m
Draught: 7.6 m
Propulsion: 1 diesel engine, 488 nhp (≈3,416 bhp)
Speed: 11.5 kn
Complement: 89
Armament: 9 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 1 x 1 x 3" (12 pdr) gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_18_cwt_naval_gun), 2 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 4 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 100 x depth charges, ASDIC

Service history:

- 17 September 1939 requisitioned by the Admiralty for conversion into a Special Service Freighter at Chatham Dockyard.
- 26 September 1939 commissioned as HMS WILLAMETTE VALLEY.
- January 1940 conversion completed. Cover name RFA EDGEHILL. Complement 89 under command of Commander. Robert .E.D. Ryder Royal Navy. Armed with 9 x single 4-inch guns, 1 x 12 pdr gun, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 4 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes, 100 x depth charges and was fitted with Asdic.
- 29 June 1940 torpedoed by German submarine U51 in the North Atlantic at 49.27N, 15.25W and sunk - 67 (60 RN, RNR or RNVR and 7 Merchant Navy) of the crew were killed - all remembered with pride on the Chatham and Liverpool Naval memorials. There were 24 survivors.. It required 3 torpedoes to sink her.

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-edgehill-ship-information
http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/394.html
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?11175
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=8408



HMS City of Durban / RFA Brutus
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/9887/qwd6.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 21 September 1939, full conversion completed January 1940
Fate: reassigned to AMC duties March 1941, handed over to Ministry of War Transports 1 April 1942
Class: unknown type general cargo steamship
Displacement: 5,850 grt
Lenght: 115.7 m
Beam: 15.9 m
Draught: ?
Propulsion: ?
Speed: ?
Complement: 99
Armament: 8 (later: 9) x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 1 x 1 x 3" (12 pdr) gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_18_cwt_naval_gun), 2 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 4 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 100 x depth charges, ASDIC

Service history:

- 17 September 1939 requisitioned by the Admiralty for conversion into a Special Service Freighter by Devonport Dockyard.
- 21 September 1939 commissioned as HMS CITY OF DURBAN then sailed the Clyde independently to Plymouth arriving on 23 September 1939.
- January 1940 conversion completed, cover name RFA BRUTUS. Complement 99 under the command of Commander. Humfrey G. Hopper Royal Navy. Armed with 8 ( later increased to 9) x single 4-inch guns, 1 x 12 pdr gun, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 4 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes, 100 x depth charges and was fitted with Asdic.
- 20 January 1940 sailed Devonport for the Solent Area for work-up, then ranged across the Atlantic to Bermuda, Halifax, Sierra Leone, back to Devonport, Gibraltar, Simonstown, Durban and Mauritius.
- 25 September 1940 berthed at Simontown Dockyard for bunkers and repairs.
- 4 October 1940 sailed from Simontown Dockyard.
- 7 November 1940 berthed at Simonstown Dockyard.
- 12 November 1940 sailed from Simonstown Dockyard.
- March 1941 hoisted the White Ensign for service as an Armed Merchant Cruiser with Pennant Number F 114.
- 27 March 1941 arrived at Durban after patrolling to the South of Madagascar for refit.
- 1 April 1941 entered dry dock at Durban.
- 5 April 1941 towed out of dry dock at Durban.
- 23 April 1941 completed refit at Durban.
- 26 April 1941 sailed Durban to Cape Town arriving on 30 April 1941.
- 2 May 1941 sailed Cape Town for Freetown.
- 5 August 1941 sailed Freetown as escort for convoy SL 83 with HMS Cathay (another AMC) until 28 August 1941.
- 17 September 1941 sailed Methil in convoy FS597 to Southend arriving 19 September 1941.
- 20 September 1941 Seaman James Nelson RNR discharged dead. Buried in Tynemouth (Preston) Cemetery.
- 29 September 1941 sailed Methil in convoy EN13 to Scapa Flow.
- 1 January 1942 sailed Rosyth.
- 10 January 1942 arrived at Scapa Flow as AMC escort for convoy EN93.
- 14 January 1942 sailed Scapa Flow with HMS Cape Sable and HMS Calpe to take part in Operation EM - the operation was postponsed so all three ships returned to Scapa Flow the next day.
- 17 January 1942 as an AMC was at Sullom Voe with HMS Cape Sable (RFA Cyprus) with the destroyer HMS Calpe as Operation EM had been postponed.
- 29 January 1942 sailed Sullom Voe with HMS Cape Sable (RFA Cyprus) with the destroyer HMS Calpe for Operation EM - sighted by German aircraft on 30 January and 1 February - operation cancelled.
- 1 February 1942 arrived at Sacpa Flow with HMS Cape Sable (AMC) and escorted by HMS Calpe.
- 6 February 1942 at Scapa Flow reconditioning for return to commercial service.
- 1 April 1942 transferred to MoWT control by the Admiralty.
- 16 July 1942 sailed Middlesborough in convoy FN761 to Methil arriving the next day.
- 21 July 1942 sailed Methil in convoy EN113 to Oban arriving 23 July 1942.
- 1 August 1942 sailed Oban in comvoy OS36 to Freetown and then independently to Cape Town arriving 3 September 1942.
- 11 September 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Port Elizabeth arriving on 13 September 1942.
- 16 September 1942 sailed Port Elizabeth independently to East London arriving the next day.
- 18 September 1942 sailed East London independently to Beira arriving 23 September 1942.
- 29 September 1942 sailed Beira independently to Lourenco Marques arriving 1 October 1942.
- 6 October 1942 sailed Lourenco Marques independently to Port Elizabeth arriving 9 October 1942.
- 13 October 1942 sailed Port Elizabeth independently to Pernambuco arriving 31 October 1942.
- 13 November 1942 sailed Pernambuco independently arriving St Thomas 25 November 1942.
- 1 December 1942 sailed Guantanamo, Cuba in convoy GN24 to New York arriving 8 December 1942.
- 19 December 1942 sailed New York in convoy SC114 to Liverpool arriving 8 January 1943.
- 15 February 1943 sailed Liverpool in convoy UC1 and then independently to Walvis Bay arriving 20 March 1943.
- 23 March 1943 sailed Walvis Bay in convoy NC8 to Cape Town arriving 27 March 1943.
- 1 April 1943 sailed Cape Town in convoy CA17 which then dispersed arriving at Karachi on 24 April 1943.
- 29 April 1943 sailed Karachi independently to Bombay arriving 1 May 1943.
- 13 May 1943 sailed Bombay independently to Colombo arriving 17 May 1943.
- 20 May 1943 sailed Colombo independently to Calcutta arriving 26 May 1943.
- 15 June 1943 sailed Calcutta independently to Madras arriving 20 June 1943.
- 4 July 1943 sailed Madras independently to Aden arriving 20 July 1943.
- 23 July 1943 sailed Aden independently to Suez arriving 29 July 1943.
- 30 July 1943 transit of Suez Canal.
- 31 July 1943 sailed Port Said independently to Alexandria arriving the next day.
- 3 August 1943 sailed Alexandria in convoy MKS21 to Gibraltar arriving on 14 August 1943.
- 14 August 1943 sailed Gibraltar in convoy MKS21G to Loch Ewe arriving 25 August 1943.
- 25 August 1943 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN471 to Methil arriving 27 August 1943.
- 24 September 1943 sailed Methil in convoy EN 285 to Loch Ewe arriving 26 September 1943
- 2 October 1943 joined convoy KMS28G (Liverpool to Gibraltar) having sailed late from Loch Ewe and passing Gibraltar on 7 October 1943 onto Port Said arriving 19 October 1943.
- 20 October 1943 transit Suez Canal.
- 21 October 1943 sailed Suez independently to Aden arriving 26 October 1943.
- 2 November 1943 sailed Aden in convoy AB19 to Bombay arriving 10 November 1943.
- 19 November 1943 sailed Bombay in convoy BM75 to Colombo arriving 24 November 1943.
- 24 November 1943 sailed Colombo independently to Trincomalee arriving 26 November 1943.
- 5 December 1943 sailed Trincomalee in convoy JC28 to Calcutta arriving 13 December 1943.
- 5 January 1944 sailed Calcutta independently arriving Vizag 8 January 1944.
- 19 January 1944 sailed Colombo in convoy MB62 and the independently to Aden arriving 29 January 1944.
- 30 January 1944 sailed Aden independently to Suez arriving 4 February 1944.
- 9 February 1944 sailed Port Said in convoy MKS40 passing Gibraltar on 21 February 1944. r/v with convoy SL149 arriving at Liverpool 7 March 1944.
- 14 March 1944 sailed Liverpool independently to the Clyde arriving the next day.
- 31 March 1944 sailed the Clyde in convoy ON230 to New York arriving 16 April 1944.
- 10 May 1944 sailed New York independently to Hampton Roads arriving the next day.
- 13 May 1944 sailed Hampton Roads in convoy UGS42 to Port Said arriving on 8 June 1944.
- 8 June 1944 transit Suez Canal.
- 9 June 1944 sailed Suez independently to Aden arriving on 14 June 1944.
- 16 June 1944 sailed Aden in convoy AB41 to Karachi arriving 23 June 1944.
- 30 June 1944 sailed Karachi independently to Bombay arriving 2 July 1944.
- 7 July 1944 sailed Bombay independently to Colombo arriving 11 July 1944.
- 13 July 1944 sailed Colombo in convoy JC56 to Calcutta arriving on 21 July 1944.
- 6 August 1944 sailed Calcutta independently to Adelaide arriving 31 August 1944.
- 6 September 1944 sailed Adelaide independently to Port Pirie arriving the next day.
- 13 September 1944 sailed Port Pirie.
- 5 October 1944 sailed Lyttleton independently to Balboa arriving 2 November 1944.
- 2 November 1944 transit the Panama Channel.
- 3 November 1944 sailed Cristobal independently to New York arriving 12 November 1944.
- 14 November 1944 sailed New York in convoy HX320 to the Clyde arriving 30 November 1944.
- 7 January 1945 sailed the Clyde in convoy OS103KM passing Gibraltar on 15 January 1945 to Alexandria arriving on 22 January 1945.
- 23 January 1945 sailed Alexandria independently to Haifa arriving the next day.
- 10 February 1945 sailed Haifa independently via the Suez Canal to Suez.
- 13 February 1945 sailed Suez independently to Aden arriving 19 February 1945.
- 21 February 1945 sailed Aden independently to Colombo arriving 5 March 1945.
- 5 March 1945 sailed Colombo independently to Calcutta arriving 11 March 1945.
- 26 March 1945 sailed Calcutta independently to Akyab arriving 29 March 1945.
- 5 April 1945 sailed Akyab independently to Vizag arriving 7 April 1945.
- 14 April 1945 sailed Vizag independently to Chittagong arriving 16 April 1945.
- 23 April 1945 sailed Chittagong independently to Calcutta arriving 25 April 1945.
- 5 May 1945 sailed Calcutta independently to Chittagong arriving the next day.
- 13 May 1945 sailed Chittagong independently to Calcutta arriving 15 May 1945.
- 22 May 1945 sailed Calcutta independently to Rangoon arriving 27 May 1945.
- 6 June 1945 sailed Rangoon independently to Vizag arriving 10 June 1945.
- 6 August 1945 sailed Vizag independently to Rangoon arriving 6 August 1945.
- 22 August 1945 sailed Rangoon independently to Calcutta arriving 30 August 1945.
- 2 September 1945 sailed Calcutta independently to Rangoon arriving on 6 September 1945.
- 30 September 1945 sailed Rangoon independently to Calcutta arriving 4 October 1945.

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-brutus-ship-information
http://7seasvessels.com/?p=122047



HMS Cape Sable / RFA Cyprus
http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/2833/7vyd.jpg
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/7962/d6m7.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 19 September 1939, full conversion completed 3 December 1939
Fate: reassigned to AMC duties 5 March 1941, handed over to Ministry of War Transports 11 March 1942
Class: unknown type general cargo steamship
Displacement: 4,398 grt
Lenght: 114.30 m
Beam: 16.15 m
Draught: 7.80 m
Propulsion: Triple expansion 3 cylinder, 413 nhp (≈ 2,891 bhp)
Speed: ?
Complement: 90
Armament: 7 x 1 x 4" gun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 2 x 2 x .303" Lewis machine guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Gun), 4 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 100 x depth charges, ASDIC

Service history:

- September 1939 taken over by the Admiralty as a Q ship for conversion into a Special Service Freighter at Portsmouth Dockyard.
- 19 September 1939 commissioned as HMS Cape Sable.
- 3 December 1939 conversion completed. Cover name RFA CYPRUS. Complement 90 under command of Cdr. R.S. Barry R.N. Armed with 7 x single 4-inch guns, 4 x Lewis machine guns, 4 x single 21-inch torpedo tubes, 100 x depth charges and was fitted with Asdic.
- 14 March 1940 sailed for Gibraltar after work-up in the Solent area.
- 4 March 1940 sailed from Portsmouth Harbour.
- 29 March 1940 arrived Gibraltar then ranged around as far as Bermuda, Sierra Leone, Simonstown, Durban and finally Colombo.
- 29 December 1940 berthed at Simonstown Dockyard.
- 30 December 1940 docked in Selborne Graving Dock in Simonstown Dockyard.
- 4 January 1941 undocked from Selborne Graving Dock in Simonstown Dockyard.
- 16 January 1941 sailed from Simonstown Dockyard.
- 5 March 1941 commissioned as an Armed Merchant Cruiser at Colombo.
- 16 March 1941 First Radio Officer James Badcock, Naval Auxiliary, discharged dead. He is remembered with pride on the Liverpool Naval Memorial.
- 17 May 1941 arrived at Cape Town from Aden.
- 22 May 1941 sailed Cape Town to Freetown.
- 17 January 1942 at Sullom Voe with HMS Calpe and AMC City of Durham.
- 29 January 1942 sailed from Sullom Voe with AMC City of Durham and HMS Calpe in operation EM. The ships were signed by German aircraft on 30 January 1942 and on 1 February 1942. The operation was cancelled.
- 9 March 1942 arrived Tyne to be reconditioned for return to commercial service.
- 11 March 1942 transferred to MoWT control.
- 20 June 1942 sailed the Tyne in convoy FN 747 to Methil arriving on 1 July 1942.
- 1 July 1942 sailed Methil in convoy EN 105 to Loch Ewe arriving on 3 July 1942.
- 6 July 1942 joined convoy ON 110 which had sailed Liverpool on 6 July 1942 to St Johns Newfoundland arriving 27 July 1942 and arrived at New York City on the 29 July 1942.
- 29 July 1942 sailed New York City independently to Hampton Roads arriving on the 31 July 1942.
- 19 August 1942 sailed Hampton Roads in convoy KS 532 to Key West arriving on the 25 August 1942.
- 26 August 1942 sailed Key West in convoy WAT 17 to Guantanamo arriving on 31 August 1942.
- 31 August 1942 sailed Guantanamo in convoy GAT 1 to Trinidad arriving on 7 September 1942.
- 10 September 1942 sailed Trinidad independently to Cape Town arriving on 8 October 1942.
- 10 October 1942 sailed Cape Town independently to Durban arriving on 15 October 1942.
- 3 November 1942 sailed Durban independently to Bombay arriving on 19 November 1942.
- 23 November 1942 sailed Bombay independently to Karachi arriving on 26 November 1942.
- 24 December 1942 sailed Karachi independently to Bombay.
- 30 December 1942 sailed Bombay independently to Durban arriving on 21 January 1943.
- 23 January 1943 sailed Durban in convoy DN 12 - the convoy dispersed on 25 January 1943.
- 25 January 1943 arrived at Lourenco Marques.
- 26 January 1943 sailed Lourenco Marques independently to Durban arriving on 29 January 1943 joining convoy DC 3 to Cape Town arriving on 2 February 1943.
- 9 February 1943 sailed Cape Town in convoy CN 6 which dispersed on 11 February 1943 then sailing independetly to Freetown arriving on 26 February 1943.
- 12 March 1943 sailed Freetown in convoy SL 126 to Liverpool and then on to Loch Ewe arriving on 4 April 1943. RFA Fortol was the escort tanker in this convoy. Three of this convoy were sunk from enemy attack and one was damaged.
- 6 April 1943 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN 412 to Methil arriving on 8 April 1943.
- 9 April 1943 sailed Methil in convoy FS 1095 to Hull arriving the next day. RFA Scottish American was in the same convoy.
- 24 April 1943 sailed hull and joined convoy FN 1003 to Methil arriving on 26 April 1943.
- 27 April 1943 sailed Methil in convoy EN 221A to Loch Ewe arriving on 30 April 1943.
- 8 May 1943 sailed Oban and joined convoy ONS7 to Halifax arriving on 25 May 1943 - one ship in this convoy was sunk by enemy U-Boat attack.
- 16 June 1943 sailed Halifax in convoy SC134 to Liverpool arriving on 1 July 1943.
- 28 July 1943 sailed Liverpool in convoy KMS 22G to Gibraltar arriving on the 9 August 1943 and continued onto Algiers in the renumbered convoy KMS 22 arriving on 12 August 1943.
- 21 August 1943 sailed Algiers joining convoy KMS 23 to Tunis arriving on 23 August 1943 - RFA Empire Salvage sailed from Algiers and joined this same convoy but continued onto Birzerta.
- 5 September 1943 sailed Tunis independently to Birzerta arriving the same day.
- 20 September 1943 sailed Bizerta and joined convoy MKS 25 to Gibraltar arriving on 25 September 1943. RFA Prestol was part of this convoy from Bone to Philipeville.
- 27 September 1943 sailed Gibraltar in convoy OS 55 to Casablanca arriving the next day - RFA Scottish American was the escort oiler and joined this convoy at Casablanca.
- 17 October 1943 sailed Casablanca in convoy OS 56 to Freetown arriving on 28 October 1943.
- 31 October 1943 sailed Freetown in convoy STL 5 to Takoradi arriving on 5 November 1943.
- 10 November 1943 sailed Takoradi independently to Freetown arriving on 15 November 1943.
- 22 November 1943 sailed Freetown in convoy SL141 to Loch Ewe arriving on 16 December 1943. RFA Scottish American was the escort oiler for this convoy.
- 16 December 1943 sailed Loch Ewe in convoy WN 519 to Methil arriving on 18 December 1943.
- 3 January 1944 sailed Methil in convoy FS 1320 to the River Tyne arriving the next day.
- 23 January 1944 sailed the River Tyne joing convoy FN 1244 to Methil arriving the next day.
- 25 January 1943 sailed Methil in convoy EN 338 to Loch Ewe.
- 12 February 1944 sailed Loch Ewe and joined convoy ONS 29 but broke down and returned to the River Clyde arriving on 17 February 1944.
- 27 February 1944 after repairs sailed the River Clyde and joined convoy ONS 30 to Halifax and the convoy XB 100 from Halifax to Boston arriving at the Cape Cod Canal on 15 March 1944.
- 15 March 1944 sailed the Cape Cod Canal independently to New York City arriving the next day.
- 22 March 1944 sailed New York City in the unescorted convoy NG 424 to Guantanamo arriving 29 March 1944.
- 29 March 1944 sailed Guantanamo independently to Cape Trujillo arriving on 1 April 1944.
- 2 April 1944 sailed Cape Trujillo independently to La Romana arriving the next day.
- 12 April 1944 sailed Macoris independently to Guantanamo arriving on 14 April 1944.
- 18 April 1944 sailed Guantanamo in convoy GN127 to New York arriving on 24 April 1944.
- 27 April 1944 sailed New York in convoy HX 289 to the River Clyde arriving on 14 May 1944.
- 22 June 1944 sailed Methil in convoy FS 1491 to Southend arriving 24 June 1944.
- 12 July 1944 sailed Southend in convoy ETM 34 to Seine Bay arriving the next day.
- 28 July 1944 sailed Seine Bay in convoy FTM 51 to Southend arriving the next day.
- 30 July 1944 sailed Southend in convoy FN 1434 to Methil.
- 15 August 1944 arrived at Southend in convoy FS 1543 from Methil.
- 17 August 1944 sailed Southend in convoy ETM 62 to Seine Bay arriving the next day.
- 29 August 1944 sailed Seine Bay in convoy FTM 76 to Southend arriving the next day.
- 5 September 1944 sailed Southend in convoy FN 1471 to Methil arriving 7 September 1944.
- 8 September 1944 sailed Methil in convoy EN 432 to Loch Ewe arriving 10 September 1944.
- 14 September 1944 arrived at the River Clyde having sailed independently from Loch Ewe.
- 15 October 1944 joined convoy OS 92KM / KMS 66g passing Gibraltar on 26 October 1944 and onward to Augusta arriving on 1 November 1944.
- 5 November 1944 sailed Augusta in convoy VN 75 to Naples arriving the next day.
- 25 November 1944 sailed Naples independently to Augusta arriving the next day.
- 27 November 1944 sailed Augusta independently to Phillippeville arriving on 29 November 1944.
- 1 December 1944 sailed Phillippeville independently to Gibraltar arriving on 4 December 1944.
- 9 December 1944 sailed Gibraltar independently to Rio De Janeiro arriving on 28 December 1944.
- 9 January 1945 sailed Rio de Janeiro independently to Freetown.
- 24 January 1944 sailed Freetown independently to Casablanca arriving on 3 February 1945.
- 4 February 1945 sailed Casablanca independently to Gibraltar arriving the next day .
- 5 February 1945 sailed Gibraltar in convoy MKS81G to Southend arriving 13 February 1945.
- 14 February 1945 sailed Southend in convoy FN 1633 to Middlesborough arriving the next day.
- 7 March 1945 sailed Middlesborough and joined convoy FN 1653 to Methil arriving the next day.
- 8 March 1945 sailed Methil in convoy EN 479 to Belfast arriving 12 March 1945. RFA Scottish American was in the same convoy.
- 12 March 1945 sailed Belfast Lough in convoy ONS 44 to St John, Newfoundland. RFA Scottish American was the escort oiler.
- 30 March 1945 sailed St Johns, Newfoundland in convoy JH 119 to Halifax arriving on 2 April 1945.
- 28 April 1945 sailed Halifax in convoy SC 174 to Milford Haven arriving 15 May 1945.
- 15 May 1945 sailed Milford Haven in convoy BTC 159 to Southend arriving on 18 May 1945.
- 2 June 1945 sailed London independently to Montreal arriving on 25 June 1945.
- 12 July 1945 sailed Montreal independetly to Hamburg arriving 2 August 1945.
- 3 August 1945 sailed Hamburg independently to Barry arriving 7 August 1945.
- 10 August 1945 sailed Barry independently to Quebec arriving 24 August 1945.
- 30 August 1945 sailed Quebec independently to Antwerp arriving 15 September 1945.

Sources:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-cyprus-ship-information
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=18156
http://7seasvessels.com/?p=30645



HMS Fidelity
http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/3228/c4g1.jpg


General information and specifications:

Date in service as Q-ship: Commissioned 24 September 1940
Fate: Sunk by U-435 30 December 1942
Class: unknown type general cargo steamship
Displacement: 2,356 grt
Lenght: 80.7 m
Beam: 12.6 m
Draught: 5.7 m
Propulsion: triple expansion steam engine, 252 nhp (≈ 1,764 bhp)
Speed: 10.5 kn
Complement: 90
Armament: 4 x 1 x 4" guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_4_inch_Mk_V_naval_gun), 4 x 1 x 21" torpedo tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_21_inch_torpedo), 1 x Motor Torpedo Boat, 2 × Landing Craft, 2 × OS2U Kingfisher floatplanes

Service history:

- June 1940 the French Merchant Vessel La Rhin sailed for Gibraltar under the command of Lieutenant de Vaisseau Claude Andre Michel Peri, and was turned over to the Royal Navy for conversion into a Special Service Vessel at Portsmouth Dockyard.
- 24 September 1940 commissioned as HMS Fidelity.
- In 1941 Fidelity operated off the coast of Southern France under the direction of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), landing agents and picking up escaped prisoners, disguised as Spanish or Portuguese freighter.She also took part in small-scale sabotage operations.
- In 1942 Fidelity was refitted to operate as a commando carrier for operations in south-east Asia. She was armed with four 4-inch guns, four 21-inch torpedo tubes, and carried two OS2U Kingfisher floatplanes, the motor torpedo boat MTB-105, and the landing craft HMS LCV-752 and LCV-754.
- In December 1942 Fidelity, with T Company, 40 Commando aboard, joined Convoy ON 154. The convoy was attacked by U-boats from 27 December while north of the Azores. Fidelity, suffering from engine problems, was left behind by the convoy. On 30 December she was torpedoed and sunk by U-435 under the command of Siegfried Strelow at position 43°23′N 27°07′W.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Fidelity_(D57)
http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/2560.html
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?17199

Outstanding posting; scholarly,thorough and what this site is all about. Many thanks.:arrgh!:

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Outstanding posting; scholarly,thorough and what this site is all about. Many thanks.:arrgh!:

My pleasure :)

I plan to do the same with the American Q-ships, and I have also good information about the German auxiliary cruisers if there's any interest on them :up: