Q ships

[She-Wolf]

Best Beloved has just been telling me about the Q ships of WW1 and II ( not from personal experience you understand) - fascinating. I had to look the topic up on Wiki to see what that said, and learned that the US navy also used Q ships in the Pacific... made me wonder if the IJN did as well, and whether in SH4 I might fall foul of one of these beasties....? Don't suppose so but worth an ask

[iambecomelife]

Originally Posted by She-Wolf

Best Beloved has just been telling me about the Q ships of WW1 and II ( not from personal experience you understand) - fascinating. I had to look the topic up on Wiki to see what that said, and learned that the US navy also used Q ships in the Pacific... made me wonder if the IJN did as well, and whether in SH4 I might fall foul of one of these beasties....? Don't suppose so but worth an ask

The only Japanese Q-Ship I know of was the "Delhi Maru". She was sunk on her first mission by the "Swordfish" on January 15, 1944.

As far as I know, nobody has modded her. If this is done, she should be scripted in the campaign to appear near the entrance to Tokyo Bay on the day before her loss. She was about 2,000 tons, so I suppose the small Q-Ship created for Silent Hunter III could be imported to represent her.

There's some evidence that regional Japanese commanders may have designed Q-Ships, but these reports were never confirmed. "Delhi Maru" was the only official IJN-designated craft.

[She-Wolf]

thankyou IABL, I shall watch out for her at the appropriate time - just in case

[Bubblehead1980]

Originally Posted by She-Wolf

Best Beloved has just been telling me about the Q ships of WW1 and II ( not from personal experience you understand) - fascinating. I had to look the topic up on Wiki to see what that said, and learned that the US navy also used Q ships in the Pacific... made me wonder if the IJN did as well, and whether in SH4 I might fall foul of one of these beasties....? Don't suppose so but worth an ask

TMO has a qu ship made out of the small "Taihosan Maru" freighter, they are pretty tough actually.Just wish it appeared more.

[She-Wolf]

ahh..... I am in TMO

[Sailor Steve]

Q-Ships were most effective in the First World War because the policy of the U-boat service of that time was to surface, check the papers and cargo and then allow the ship to move on or allow the crew to abandon ship and sink it. This made a disguised ship with guns very deadly, taking the u-boat completely by surprise. The Germans then decided to protect their boats by torpedoing by surprise, and the British then cried "foul".

On the other hand the British of the First War took it to extremes, even having extra crew just to abandon ship when they saw the u-boat coming.

In World War 2 it's a tactic that works if the sub is trying to sink an apparently unarmed ship with the deck gun. Otherwise it's just another targt.

[Ewall007]

From 43 on aircraft patrols both Amearican an Britsh. Did a better job sinking U-Boats...

Ewall007
"Ranging Far, Sweeping Wide"
Quote from Victory at Sea 1955

[Bubblehead1980]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Q-Ships were most effective in the First World War because the policy of the U-boat service of that time was to surface, check the papers and cargo and then allow the ship to move on or allow the crew to abandon ship and sink it. This made a disguised ship with guns very deadly, taking the u-boat completely by surprise. The Germans then decided to protect their boats by torpedoing by surprise, and the British then cried "foul".

On the other hand the British of the First War took it to extremes, even having extra crew just to abandon ship when they saw the u-boat coming.

In World War 2 it's a tactic that works if the sub is trying to sink an apparently unarmed ship with the deck gun. Otherwise it's just another targt.

Also worked well when the q ship had a very shallow draft.Fluckey fouled up(admitted so in his book) and attacked a ship with torpedos that was a Japanese q ship with a shallow draft off Luzon in 1944.Several escorts soon boxed him in, they endured a depth charging for it.

[donna52522]

Joe Grenfell had a couple close calls with Q-ships in the USS Gudgeon, what appeared to be armed merchants that turned out to be shallow draft vessels complete with mid ship depth charge throwers....and this was in March 1942.

This is a drawing Grenfell turned in. Hope the scan out of the book, "Find'em, Chase'em, Sink'em" comes out ok.