commerce raiding

plural commerce raidings

1. countablehistoricaluncountablegovernmentA form of naval warfare that primarily targets enemy merchant ships on the open sea.

   1 more example

   Although the Admiralty have published no report on the subject of the last manœuvres, it is generally believed that, during the short period commerce raiding lasted, Sir W. May's fleet, limited as the area was, and stringent as the rules laid down as to exemptions, did far more damage to our trade than the authorities care to make known.

   1907, Captain R. N., “Food for Thought”, in The United Service Magazine