The British Used Decoy Ships to Bait and Sink German U-Boats
In an attempt to defeat the German U-boat menace, the British Royal Navy used special decoy vessels known as Q-ships, which were heavily armed merchant ships carrying concealed weapons. Intended as bait to lure enemy submarines, the seemingly unarmed Q-ships would unveil their guns and sink the U-boats once they emerged to make a surface attack.
Before Germany declared unrestricted submarine warfare in 1917 and began sinking ships without warning, U-boats used to hail civilian vessels, allowing their crews an opportunity to take to their lifeboats. They would then open fire and sink the ship, usually with the U-boat’s deck gun from up close when practicable, in order to save the more expensive torpedoes for tougher targets.
Q-ships were usually trawlers or freighters carrying hidden guns in collapsible deck structures. They would sail routes heavily infested with U-boats, in the hopes of attracting their attention and enticing them into making an attack. When hailed, part of the crew would act like normal merchant sailors, terrified by the appearance of an enemy submarine, and rush to the lifeboats to abandon ship.
Using expensive and powerful torpedoes to sink relatively easy targets such as trawlers and freighters was overkill, and was officially frowned upon. So the U-boat’s captain would normally close the distance to the now “abandoned” ship in order to sink it from close range with the deck gun. That was when hidden crewmen aboard the Q-ship would haul down the merchant flag and raise the Royal Navy’s ensign. Simultaneously, other crew would collapse the deck structure, revealing up to four guns manned and ready for action, which would open fire and sink the surprised U-boat.
Q-ships were successful when first introduced, and within months, they claimed 11 U-boats. However, German submariners eventually learned to be wary when approaching small vessels, and at the slightest suspicion, used torpedoes to sink them from a safe distance. After the Germans turned to open submarine warfare in 1917 and began sinking ships without warning, Q-ships’ utility came to an end.
