Q ships came in all shapes and sizes - coastal steamer, trawler,
barque, yacht or schooner - but all had to look harmless in order
to lure their opponents to the surface and encourage them to
attack. Armaments differed according to ship size; steamers
commonly had 4in guns mounted amidships and in the bow, trawlers
3-pdrs and sailing ships 12-pdrs. Those who served on Q ships had
to accept that their U-boat opponents would be able to strike
first. Q ship captains kept ready a 'panic crew', which was trained
to act out an elaborate evacuation to convince the U-boat commander
that the ship was being abandoned by its crew. The Q ship captain
would remain behind with a handful of other crewmen manning the
guns, which remained hidden until the most opportune time to unmask
and engage the U-boat. The Q ship concept had emerged early in the
war when no other method seemed likely to counter the U-boat
threat, and flourished until new technologies and tactics were
developed, tested and implemented.
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