Merchant raiders

Merchant raiders were big ships that were used during wars to attack enemy ships carrying goods. These ships were very sneaky and clever, and they often looked so much like friendly merchant ships that the enemy ships would not know what hit them!

Imagine you and your friends are playing hide and seek, and you put on a disguise as a tree so that your friends won't recognize you while you hide. That's what these ships did!

Merchant raiders used disguises to hide their true identity, and they would wait for an unsuspecting enemy ship to come close before they attacked. These ships had secret compartments to hold their weapons, and they would use guns and torpedoes to destroy their targets.

The merchant raiders were like really fast and sneaky pirates, but they only attacked enemy ships, not innocent ones. They were also very important during wars because they helped block supplies and goods from reaching the enemy's soldiers, making it harder for them to fight.

So, in short, merchant raiders were like secret agents disguised as friendly ships, and they helped their side during wars by attacking enemy ships carrying important goods.