Q-Ship

Back in the First World War, what we call "submarines" were really small torpedo boats that could submerge in order to avoid being sunk. Because the U-boats were small and torpedoes are large weapons, U-boats did not carry a lot of torpedoes. If a U-boat expended all of its torpedoes quickly, it would have to end its patrol.

Not all ships were in convoys. Rather than expend a torpedo against a lone ship, the U-boat captains would surface and open fire on the ship with the U-boat's deck gun. The British countered that by developing the Q-ship; when fired upon, the ship would emit smoke from its deck, the crew would run around and make a hash of lowering the lifeboats and then, at a certain point, the upper sides of the ship would swing down, revealing a large battery of heavy guns which would then proceed to blow the U-boat out of the water.

My fear is that is what is going on with the political campaign.