Armed merchant ship
Encyclopedia
The term armed merchant ship may describe a number of similar ship modifications intended for significantly different missions. The term armed merchantman is generally used.
- East Indiaman describes late 18th and early 19th-century sailing ships engaged in trade while carrying guns similar to contemporary warships.
- Defensively Equipped Merchant ShipsDefensively Equipped Merchant ShipsDefensively Equipped Merchant Ship was an Admiralty Trade Division program established in June, 1939, to arm 5,500 British merchant ships with an adequate defence against enemy submarines and aircraft...
were civilian-manned cargo ships carrying a small number of military personnel to operate an anti-submarine gun and anti-aircraft machine guns during the world wars of the early 20th century. - Auxiliary cruisers were cargo ships commissioned as naval vessels with a military crew, converted to carry the guns of a light cruiser, and sometimes used as Merchant raiders.
- Armed Merchant Cruisers were fast passenger liners commissioned as naval vessels with a military crew and converted to carry the guns of a light cruiser.
- Naval trawlerNaval trawlerA naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
s were fishing trawlers commissioned as naval vessels with a military crew and equipped for minesweeping or anti-submarine escort. - Q-shipQ-shipQ-ships, also known as Q-boats, Decoy Vessels, Special Service Ships, or Mystery Ships, were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the chance to open fire and sink them...
s were small civilian ships commissioned as naval vessels with a military crew, but retaining their original appearance while carrying concealed anti-submarine weapons. - Armed boarding steamerArmed boarding steamerAn armed boarding steamer was a type of warship used by the United Kingdom during World War I. Usually converted merchantmen, AB steamers or AB vessels were specifically designed for boarding an enemy vessel.-Vessels:*HMS Perth*HMS Suva...
s were merchant steamers converted by the United Kingdom for boardingBoarding (attack)Boarding, in its simplest sense, refers to the insertion on to a ship's deck of individuals. However, when it is classified as an attack, in most contexts, it refers to the forcible insertion of personnel that are not members of the crew by another party without the consent of the captain or crew...
enemy vessels.