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From: jtchew@csa2.lbl.gov
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Q-Ship
Summary: Cork? Ping-pong balls? High hopes and light spirits
Message-ID: <1991Apr6.020824.13995@amd.com>
Date: 5 Apr 91 15:54:33 GMT
References: <1991Mar30.020556.28498@amd.com> <1991Apr4.042746.13412@amd.com> <1991Apr5.092614.9187@amd.com>
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From: jtchew@csa2.lbl.gov

>>>the styrofoam would keep the ship afloat despite mine detonations,

Might work against flooding only; if the mine did major structural
damage the ship could effectively be taken out of action anyway, even
if not sunk.  Disadvantage of filling a ship with styrofoam peanuts,
of course, is that you can't fill her with anything else. :)

Something tickles the back of my mind about a "Q-ship," a merchantman
filled with flotation materials and armed with ASW weapons and/or teamed
with other combatants, supposedly used in WW II to sucker and then strike 
back at submarines.  What flotation material was used, and did it work?

Keep in mind that everything I know about naval history came from John
Keegan and "Run Silent, Run Deep," so take this with a grain of salt.

--Joe