short for
enemy boat, a British name for a small, speedy
type of surface torpedo boat. The
term was used especially in
World War II to
refer to
enemy (
German)
boats of this kind.
a small,
fast military boat used by the Germans to
attack warships and
merchant ships during
World War II (1939-1945). Designated S-boat by the Germans (for Schnellboot, meaning
fast boat), it was called the E-boat by the British
Royal Navy, probably indicating "
enemy"
motor torpedo boat. The Eboat was manned by a
crew of twenty-one, was 115 feet (35 m) long, and was faster and more maneuverable than larger warships. It was armed with four to six torpedoes as well as
machine guns, anti-aircraft guns and mines.