{"product_id":"9781782002864","title":"Q Ship vs U-Boat: 1914-18","description":"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.","brand":"Bloomsbury USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47176832581872,"sku":"9781782002864","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781782002864_p0.jpg?v=1763718504","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781782002864","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}