SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:51 Page 1 “The only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril.” – W.S.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:51 Page 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 GETTING STARTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 August 1939. The Second World War is about to begin. The grey wolves, the U-boats of the German Kriegsmarine, take to the sea. There will be war in the Atlantic. The goal – to cut England’s lifelines. Six years later, the war ends, and Germany lays in ruins.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:51 Page 4 GETTING STARTED GAME MODES This section will help you get started playing Silent Hunter III. Even if you are an experienced sub simmer and a veteran of the previous Silent Hunter titles, we recommend reading this section. NAVAL ACADEMY SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Supported OS: Windows® XP/2000 Processor: Pentium® III 1.4 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 1.4 GHz or faster (Pentium IV 2.0 GHz or AMD Athlon 2.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:51 Page 6 SINGLE MISSIONS CAREER MODE The Single Missions menu gives you access to individual missions and historical scenarios. From this screen, you will also launch new missions created with the game’s Mission Editor or downloaded from the Internet. The core of Silent Hunter III is the Career mode. The game uses a dynamic, random campaign engine based on historical reality. Every time you play, you can have a unique career.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:51 Page 8 Starting Flotilla U-Boat Options This choice will determine the operational base and the type of U-boat you will be assigned.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:51 Page 10 Barracks Options Career Saving This menu will allow you to: • Replace crew losses. • Add extra crew to your starting crew. • Pre-arrange the crew in any desired configuration. • Recruit experienced crew. For each career patrol, there will be two auto-saves, one before leaving in patrol and one after returning from patrol. You can also save during patrols. All these saves will be available for a specific career profile.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:51 Page 12 COMMANDING THE U-BOAT As captain, you will be required to manage your U-boat in an efficient manner. You will need to move from station to station, keeping your boat’s running parameters, the tactical situation, and the crew’s state under observation.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:51 Page 14 Messages Log Stealth Meter Reports received from your officers or crewmen are added to the message log. Each entry contains the following: • The time of the report. • The function of the person responsible for it. • The actual report text. Whenever an officer is selected in the Officers Panel, any reports received from him will be highlighted in the log. This icon represents the overall stealth factor of your U-boat.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:51 Page 16 STATIONS Periscope Station (Shortcut: F3) The primary tool for submerged observation and attack is the periscope. Most U-boats carry two of them: • Attack periscope: – Smaller head, harder for the enemy to spot. – Larger magnification, allowing a better observation of the targets. • Observation periscope: – Larger head, allowing better light transmission. – Larger field of view for quicker spotting of targets.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:51 Page 18 Gyro Angle Indicator The firing solution received from the Torpedo Data Computer is displayed here and will be used for subsequent attacks. You can access the UZO in two modes: In 3D mode, go to the bridge (shortcut: F4) and left-click on the large, white binoculars that you see mounted in the center. Or, you can press the U key on the keyboard to be transported directly to it.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 20 Gyro-Angle This is a purely feedback dial, showing the resulting firing solution. Navigation Map (Shortcut: F5) Salvo Switch Switches between single shots (one tube only) and salvo shots (multiple tubes), depending on submarine. Tubes Selection In addition to the tubes indicator lamp board at the top of the screen, which is basically the same as in the Periscope and UZO stations, you can also select tube(s) using the historically accurate rotating knobs.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 22 • Officers: Crew Roles on U-Boat – Senior Midshipman. – Lieutenant Jr. – Lieutenant Sr. The basic stats of each crew member are: • Morale (blue bar). • Fatigue (yellow/red bar). • Health (visible only when crewmember is wounded). Warrant Officers and Officers can be qualified in the following areas: • Torpedoes. • Gunner. • Flak. • Watch. • Command. • Communication and Sensors. • Engines. • Damage Control. • Medic.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 24 U-Boat Damage Non-Repairable Damage The first type of damage affects the general integrity of the submarine hull. This type of damage is not repairable while in patrol. Beware – as your hull integrity is affected, your U-boat safe depth will decrease. Diving too deep will no longer be an option if your boat integrity is seriously affected. To get a better view of a target, use the optical aiming device of the gun by pressing the Tab key.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 26 Radar Station (Shortcut: R) Radio messages station (Shortcut: M) From this location the player can read send and receive messages. • Send contact report: Sending contact reports will give precise enemy locations to the commander of the U-boats (referred to as the BdU, for Befehlshaber der Unterseeboatwaffe).
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 28 In both modes, you can also use the following controls: • Raise camera: Home key. • Lower camera: End key. Cycle camera through units visible in scene: • Cycle up: Shift + “,” key. • Cycle down: Shift + “.” key. Note, however, that you will not be able to move freely away from the viewed unit, when using the Cycle Units mode. OFFICERS ORDERS Officer Interaction In order to access the more complex functions of the U-boat, you will need to talk to your officers.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 30 Emergency Orders Search Pattern Crash Dive This emergency order submerges the U-boat at 70 m depth in the fastest way possible, with Ahead Flank speed. Pattern 1 Plot a spiral search pattern. Blow Ballast This emergency order brings the U-boat to surface in the fastest way possible, using the compressed air to empty the ballast tanks. Pattern 2 Plot a zigzag search pattern.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 32 Weapon Officer Sound Operator The role of the Weapon Officer is to assist you with torpedo attacks. Although you can manually perform all the required torpedo attack procedures, the Weapon Officer will make a beginning U-boat commander’s life easier. The Sound Operator informs you of any contacts revealed by sound detection. It is strongly advised to have the Sound Operator at his station at all times.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 34 Radio Operator The Radio Operator allows you to send and receive radio communications. Although you can perform radio and radar procedures manually, it is advisable to maintain a Radio Operator at station at all times. Play Start the music on the gramophone. Previous Go to previous melody. Report Stop Stop the gramophone. Report Nearest Radio Contact The Radio Operator repeats the last radio contact received. Next Skip the current melody.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 36 Man the Deck and Flak Gun The Watch Officer will order the crew to operate the deck and flak guns. Flak Gun Watch Crew The Watch Officer will order the watch crew on the bridge. Fire at Will This order allows the flak guns crew to engage any target. Weapons Management Hold Fire This order restricts the flak guns crew from engaging targets. The Watch Officer will display the torpedo, deck and flak ammo management screen.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 38 CONDUCTING TORPEDO ATTACKS The German U-boat force was meant for one purpose: to wage war at sea. War demands weapons, and the U-boat’s main weapon is the torpedo. A successful torpedo attack requires several steps. As captain, it is your job to perform each one of them. However, you may require assistance from your Weapons Officer in completing some of them. The steps are: 1. Approach. 2. Data Collection. 3. Sending Data to the TDC. 4. Tubes Selection. 5.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 40 There are multiple methods for judging AOB on a target. The quickest method is through visual observation. This is obviously quite inaccurate, but the Recognition Manual AOB page may help you come up with a reasonable value quite fast. A more time-consuming and difficult – but also more accurate – method is to adjust your heading until the lateral separation between your ships remains constant and you are both heading the same way.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 42 Tubes Selection This step can actually be taken at any point in the attack, as it simply means selecting the torpedo tube(s) to be used for the attack. You should ask yourself the following questions: Should this be a bow or stern shot? All factors being equal, it is best for the Gyro Angle turns made by the torpedoes to be as small as possible. There are also limits to what Gyro Angle can be set: +/- 90° at the start of the war; +/- 135° later.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 44 U-BOAT, VEHICLES, AND WEAPON DATA THE SILENT HUNTER III U-BOATS Silent Hunter III includes a good cross-section of the U-boats available throughout World War II. The following sections discuss the different U-boat types and the weapons they used. THE TYPE II U-BOATS Nicknamed the “einbaum” (dugout canoe) by their crews, the Type II U-boats were the first production submarines constructed for the Kriegsmarine after World War I.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 46 Type VII-C The Type VIIC was by far the most common variant of any U-boat built, with 577 units completed by the end of the war. Length was increased over the VII-B, but engine power was not, leading to a slight reduction in submerged performance. First launched in 1940, these units formed the backbone of the U-boat forces employed in the Battle of the Atlantic. • Displacement: 761 tons (surfaced), 865 tons (submerged) • Length: 67.1 m • Beam: 6.2 m • Draft: 4.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 48 Type IX-C Type IX-D2 This second Type IX variant extended the range of this series to 11,000 nautical miles, a significant improvement over its predecessors. Power plant improvements helped maintain performance parity with earlier Type IX’s. First launched in 1939, the Type IX-C’s design remained relatively stable, with 54 units produced in total. • Displacement: 1,120 tons (surfaced), 1,232 tons (submerged) • Length: 76.8 m • Beam: 6.8 m • Draft: 4.7 m • Max.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 50 THE TYPE XXI U-BOAT Derived from the Walter-designed Type XVIII, the Type XXI represented the state of the art in submarine design in World War II and was the basis for most post-war submarine development among the major powers. The Type XXI was designed first and foremost for excellent submerged performance. The deck gun, always considered an auxiliary weapon anyway, was removed, and numerous streamlining measures were incorporated.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 52 Pattern-Running Torpedoes DECK GUNS The idea behind these designs was to produce a torpedo that would perform normally over an initial run distance but would, if no target was hit, go into a search mode that allowed it to proceed along the convoy’s track and, hopefully, find something to hit along the way. One of the most successful of these designs was the Federapparat Torpedo, or FaT, which was fitted to both the T-I and T-III torpedoes.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 54 As a practical matter, a U-boat was much better off diving deep and avoiding aircraft. In hindsight, the development of radar detectors, radar, and snorkels were of more practical use to U-boat crews, though the machine guns at least gave them a way to fight back. 2cm Machine Guns The German 2cm/65 C/30 and C/38 AA MG were manufactured by Rheinmetall and were developed from an earlier Solothurn design, the ST-5. Both models were fully automatic.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 56 MERCHANTS Radar Although primarily just a target for any warship, merchant ships are not always defenseless. As the war progressed, more and more merchants bore cannons and machine guns, which even with poorly trained crews could easily pierce the pressure hull of a U-boat. Additionally, even a small merchant may ram a U-boat if given the opportunity. The difference in mass between the two objects leaves little doubt about who the loser would be.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 58 Hedgehogs A bigger threat to the U-boat was forward-throwing weapons such as the Hedgehog, a salvo of 24 projectiles landing simultaneously in an elliptical pattern over the U-boat’s suspected position. The attack is delivered while still maintaining ASDIC contact with the target, making it a much more accurate weapon.
SH3_pc_manual_Eng 16/02/05 12:52 Page 60 WARRANTY Ubisoft guarantees to the original purchaser of this computer software product that the compact disc (CD)/cartridge supplied with this product shall not show any default during a normal use period of ninety (90) days from the invoiced date of purchase. In the first instance please return the faulty product to the point of purchase together with your valid receipt.
