SILENT HUNTER CONTENTS WAR BENEATH THE WAVES . . . . . . . . . . . 1 SUBMARINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 What Comes with This Game . . . . . . . . . . 1 Using the Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 SILENT HUNTER WEAPONS DATA . . . . . . . 50 U.S. Torpedoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 STARTING THE GAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Radar and Bathythermograph . . . . . . . . . 50 Single Missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SILENT HUNTER 1 WAR BETWEEN THE WAVES SILENT HUNTER 2 WAR BETWEEN THE WAVES: What Comes with this Game by William P. “Bud” Gruner, who commanded SS 305, the U.S.S. Skate on her third, fourth and fifth war patrols. Appendix A is entitled “The U.S.S. Skate and the Fifth Fleet.” Appendix B provides a brief overview of submarine tactics. Appendix C describes the formulas for calculating a manual firing solution.
SILENT HUNTER 3 STARTING THE GAME: Single Mission Single Missions Choosing Single Mission presents an option to perform one of five different kinds of authentic missions that U.S. submarines undertook during WWII. In addition to seeking out and destroying enemy warships and cargo ships, U.S. submarines performed other valuable services such as rescuing downed pilots. All of the types of missions except for the Historic Mission selection are generated randomly, and can be customized prior to play.
SILENT HUNTER 5 STARTING THE GAME: Mission Customization SILENT HUNTER 6 STARTING THE GAME: Mission Customization Time of Day Select whether to begin the mission at Dawn, during the Daytime, at Dusk or during the Night. Submarines equipped with radar could operate on the surface at night much more readily than could earlier submarines. Weather The weather affects the speed of ships and the amount of visibility.
SILENT HUNTER 7 STARTING THE GAME: Realism Intermediate level lowers the combat level and sailing models to “Intermediate,” and turns off the Dud Torpedo, Realistic Reloads, Limited Depth Data, and Realistic Charts settings. Expert level implements every possible realism setting, duplicating live conditions during WWII as closely as possible. The combat level is set to “Advanced” and the submarine maneuvers realistically. Other Realism Settings There are options other than the three preset levels.
SILENT HUNTER 9 STARTING THE GAME: Realism Sailing Model The Sailing Model controls the maneuverability of the submarine, affecting dive time, maximum speed in heavy seas, turn rate and the likelihood of the submarine running aground. Realism drops by 10% for each reduction in level; from Realistic to Intermediate and from Intermediate to Novice. Difficulty Rating The Difficulty Rating is based on the effects of changing the realism settings above.
SILENT HUNTER 11 THE CAREER MENU: Continue a Career SILENT HUNTER 12 THE CAREER MENU: Base Menu Options Continue a Career Start War Patrol This button opens a menu where a saved career may be continued, reviewed, or deleted. The Career Roster lists the names that have been entered for the careers in progress. To continue to play a particular career, left-click on it to highlight it and left-click on the Select button or double left-click to resume that career. This option begins a war patrol.
SILENT HUNTER 13 THE CAREER MENU: Base Menu Options SILENT HUNTER 14 CONTROLS: The Smart Mouse Pointer CONTROLS The Smart Mouse Pointer The submarine is managed using controls and displays at several stations around the submarine which are accessed via the control room. Move the mouse pointer until it changes from an arrow to the name of the station and left-click to change the view. Each station is represented by one or more screens.
SILENT HUNTER 15 CONTROLS: Control Buttons Control Buttons At each station there are buttons at the bottom of the screen for changing certain game settings, stations or accessing features. The rate at which time passes can be changed by leftclicking this button, from 1x to 256x. At 1x time passes at the normal rate. This button appears on all stations. The + key increases compression, while the – key decreases time compression. The Enter key returns the time rate to 1x.
SILENT HUNTER 17 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Captain’s Cabin Captain’s Cabin SILENT HUNTER 18 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Charts Charts The Charts station is reached by pressing F5, or moving the pointer until it reads Charts. The Charts station contains charts of the current patrol area, showing important features such as depth information, enemy bases, shipping lanes, and ports of call.
SILENT HUNTER 19 SILENT HUNTER COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Charts Time Controls The local time is displayed above the Time Compression control button, and at the bottom left at most other stations. Activating Time Compression allows the rate time passes to be changed from 1x to 256x. At 1x time passes at the normal rate. The + key increases compression, while the – key decreases time compression. The Enter key returns the time rate to 1x.
SILENT HUNTER 21 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Radar SILENT HUNTER 22 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Torpedo Data Computer SJ Radar SJ surface search radar was installed on all submarines built after the war started, and six of the older S-class submarines were refitted in 1943. Radar made night surface-actions practical for submarines by generating accurate range information. The SJ radar represented in SILENT HUNTER can operate in two modes: Plan-Position Indicator (PPI) and A-scope.
SILENT HUNTER 23 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Torpedo Data Computer Most torpedo attacks will be launched from the periscope in the control room or the Target Bearing Transmitter on the bridge. See the “Using the Local TDC” section on page 29 for information on using the TDC for making an attack. SILENT HUNTER 24 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Gauges Station position.
SILENT HUNTER 25 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Gauges Station the rate of change in depth. Once under water, with a neutral buoyancy, the submarine maneuvers to different depths using the bow planes and motors exclusively unless an emergency occurs where depth must be gained or lost quickly.
SILENT HUNTER 27 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Gauges Station SILENT HUNTER 28 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Up Scope Engine Status Indicator The “Christmas tree,” so named for the red and green lights it features, indicates which of the diesel engines are engaged in propelling the submarine or charging the batteries used to drive the electric motors. The panel contains one green light and one red light for each engine on the submarine.
SILENT HUNTER 29 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Up Scope Using the Local TDC The full TDC panel is not visible from the Periscope or the Target Bearing Transmitter (TBT) stations, but has been divided into three separate panels which appear to the right and left side of the Periscope and across the bottom of the TBT.
SILENT HUNTER 31 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Up Scope SILENT HUNTER 32 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Up Scope Target Bearing Transmitter (TBT), as indicated by the flashing red arrow below the target. Left-clicking on the Mark button on the TBT (or the Space Bar when using the periscope) locks the current target into the TDC. At this point, the red arrow below the target stops flashing and the TDC continues to calculate a firing solution for that target even though it is not in view through the scope.
SILENT HUNTER 33 SILENT HUNTER COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Up Scope Speed is the most difficult to estimate. Once again, the Ship ID Book comes into play. The general class of ship provides a reasonable estimate for the target’s maximum speed. This information can be programmed into the Target Speed counter in a similar manner to that of the Target Range. If all else fails, target course and speed can be easily determined by switching the TDC from manual to auto while the target is in view.
SILENT HUNTER 35 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Bridge Moving the pointer to the far left or far right edges of the screen activates the Rotate Left or Rotate Right controls. Left-clicking when these commands are visible moves the view in the appropriate direction through 360 degrees. At the bottom of the screen, below the Manual Helm, is the Relative Bearing Indicator which shows the bearing of any object centered on the screen relative to the submarine’s heading.
SILENT HUNTER 37 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Bridge SILENT HUNTER 38 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Status and Torpedo Room Stations The knob on the right side of the sighting scope raises and lowers the gun, and the smaller knob on the left side of the sighting scope increases the zoom from 1x to 2x, 4x, and 8x then back to 1x. Moving the pointer to the handles on either side of the gun mount activates the Rotate Left or Rotate Right controls.
SILENT HUNTER 39 COMMANDING THE SUBMARINE: Status and Torpedo Room Stations SILENT HUNTER 40 SUBMARINES Torpedo Room There were three types of torpedoes available during the course of the war, but not all submarines could carry all three types. Most of the submarines built before the war, including the S-, Barracuda, and Narwhal classes, were equipped to carry only the older Mark 10 torpedo.
SILENT HUNTER 41 SUBMARINES: S-Class ♦ S-Class Displacement (in tons): . . . . 903 when surfaced; 1230 when submerged Dimensions (in feet): . . . . . . 265 x 21 x 13 Machinery: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 diesel engines; 2 electric motors Max. Power (in hp): . . . . . . . 1800 surfaced; 1500 submerged Max. Speed (in knots): . . . . . 14.5 surfaced, 11 submerged Test Depth (in feet): . . . . . . . 200 Range (in miles): . . . . . . . . . 8000 at 10 knots surfaced Torpedo Tubes: . . . . . . . . . .
SILENT HUNTER 43 SUBMARINES: Narwhal ♦ Narwhal Displacement (in tons): . . . . 2915 when surfaced; 4050 when submerged Dimensions (in feet): . . . . . . 371 x 33 x 15 Machinery: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 diesel engines; 2 electric motors Max. Power (in hp): . . . . . . . 6000 surfaced; 2450 submerged Max. Speed (in knots): . . . . . 17 surfaced, 8 submerged Test Depth (in feet): . . . . . . . 328 Range (in miles): . . . . . . . . . 18000 at 8 knots surfaced Torpedo Tubes: . . . . . . . . . .
SILENT HUNTER 45 SUBMARINES: Salmon ♦ Salmon Displacement (in tons): . . . . 1449 when surfaced; 2198 when submerged Dimensions (in feet): . . . . . . 310 x 27 x 14 Machinery: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 diesel engines; 2 electric motors Max. Power (in hp): . . . . . . . 5500 surfaced; 3300 submerged Max. Speed (in knots): . . . . . 20 surfaced, 9 submerged Test Depth (in feet): . . . . . . . 256 Range (in miles): . . . . . . . . . 10000 at 10 knots surfaced 85 at 5 knots submerged Torpedo Tubes: . . .
SILENT HUNTER 47 SUBMARINES: Gato ♦ Gato Displacement (in tons): . . . . 1825 when surfaced; 2410 when submerged Dimensions (in feet): . . . . . . 312 x 27 x 15 Machinery: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 diesel engines; 4 electric motors Max. Power (in hp): . . . . . . . 5400 surfaced; 2740 submerged Max. Speed (in knots): . . . . . 20.75 surfaced, 8.75 submerged Test Depth (in feet): . . . . . . . 300 Range (in miles): . . . . . . . . . 11800 at 10 knots surfaced 95 at 5 knots submerged Torpedo Tubes: . .
SILENT HUNTER 49 SUBMARINES: Tench SILENT HUNTER 50 SILENT HUNTER WEAPONS DATA SILENT HUNTER WEAPONS DATA U.S. Torpedoes MODEL Mk 10 Mk 14 Mk 18-1 Mk 18-2 ENGINE MAX. SPEED MAX. RANGE WARHEAD WT. DATE Turbine Turbine Electric Electric 36 Kts 46 Kts 27 Kts 40 Kts 13,500 yds 9,000 yds 4,000 yds 4,000 yds 385 Lb. 507 Lb. 500 Lb. 500 Lb. 1917-1943 1939-1945 Oct. 1943 Aug. 1944 Radar and Bathythermograph ♦ Tench Displacement (in tons): . . . .
SILENT HUNTER 51 TORPEDOES: Shortages The primary torpedo storage facility at Pearl Harbor endured the bombing on 7 December 1941 largely unscathed. Unfortunately, 233 torpedoes were destroyed by the 10 December bombing of Cavite Navy Yard in the Philippines. Torpedo production at the war’s start was roughly 60 per month from the torpedo manufacturing facilities at Newport, Rhode Island and Alexandria, Virginia and reserves were only in the hundreds.
SILENT HUNTER 53 TORPEDOES: Problems Arise SILENT HUNTER 54 TORPEDOES: The New Hope the target to cause a premature explosion. Several commanders also reported that torpedoes detonated shortly after arming. In July, 1943 Admiral Nimitz, Commander in Chief, Pacific (CinCPac) ordered that all submarines and destroyers under his command disable the magnetic component of the Mark 6 detonator.
SILENT HUNTER 55 THE COMMANDERS: Dudley W. “Mush” Morton and the Wahoo Dudley W. “Mush” Morton and the Wahoo The first submarine Mush Morton commanded was almost the last. Assigned to the Dolphin in 1942, he found the submarine to be in terrible condition and resolved not to sail her. This almost cost him his posting in submarines, but for the intervention of squadron commander John H. Brown.
SILENT HUNTER 57 SILENT HUNTER APPENDIX A — U.S.S. SKATE AND THE FIFTH FLEET 58 APPENDIX A — U.S.S. SKATE AND THE FIFTH FLEET for over 100 years had been based on “control of the seas,” and in the early twentieth century it was the job of our battleships to exercise that control. Now, the time had come for a drastic revision of U.S. naval strategy. The new strategy was patterned after that first employed by Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto, CinC of the Japanese Combined Fleet.
SILENT HUNTER 59 APPENDIX A — U.S.S. SKATE AND THE FIFTH FLEET Fleet operations to regain the Central Pacific began with an attack on Wake Island in early October 1943, and then rolled relentlessly westward. The strike on Wake had three objectives: to test new strategic concepts and tactics using the strengthened Pacific Fleet; to neutralize Japanese air power at Wake; and to regain an offensive posture.
SILENT HUNTER 61 APPENDIX A — U.S.S. SKATE AND THE FIFTH FLEET passed 110 feet she escaped damage. Early on the night of the 14th, Skate departed for a newly assigned patrol station. She encountered no significant action there and left for refit at Midway on the evening of the 23rd, and arrived five days later. Altogether, Skate had plucked six aviators from the sea during the strike on Wake. She also vectored one of our dive bomber squadrons to its target.
SILENT HUNTER 63 APPENDIX A — U.S.S. SKATE AND THE FIFTH FLEET SILENT HUNTER 64 APPENDIX A — U.S.S. SKATE AND THE FIFTH FLEET the targets had zigged and that it would be necessary to fire from the stern tubes. Six minutes later when a look through the periscope showed the two large carriers to be overlapping, three torpedoes were fired at a range of about 1,500 yards.
SILENT HUNTER 65 APPENDIX A — U.S.S. SKATE AND THE FIFTH FLEET elements of the Combined Japanese Imperial Fleet at Truk. Faced with depleted resources, Koga decided not to risk a decisive engagement until his carriers could be replenished with planes and pilots, and wisely began a withdrawal to the west. His move was timely for Admiral Spruance’s staff had planned Operation Hailstone for a carrier strike on Truk. D-day had been set as April 15. In late January, Lieutenant Commander William P.
SILENT HUNTER 67 APPENDIX A — U.S.S. SKATE AND THE FIFTH FLEET SILENT HUNTER 68 APPENDIX B — TACTICS This attack became the finale of Skate operations directly involved with the Fifth Fleet. However, she did make several more attacks on Japanese shipping during the balance of this patrol, but none resulted in confirmed sunk or damaged ships. In one night surface attack on a small escorted convoy off Palau she instilled the fear of the Lord into the enemy when another faulty Mk.
SILENT HUNTER 69 APPENDIX B — TACTICS Torpedo Range and Speed When available I chose to go on patrol with all (24 = 14 forward and 10 aft) 45 knot, 4,500 yard Mark 14 or 23 steam torpedoes. When a full load of steam torpedoes was not available I took out a mix which included some 30 knot Mark 18 electric torpedoes. Although wakeless, I preferred the higher speed Mark 14s because the time to impact was less. Steam torpedo wakes were not very visible in sea states less than absolutely calm.
SILENT HUNTER 71 APPENDIX B — TACTICS SILENT HUNTER 72 APPENDIX B — TACTICS It was also critical that the position of threatening escorts be continually monitored. When making a night surface approach from ahead of the convoy, the range to nearest escort was of particularly concern because the closing speed was approximately the sum of own ship’s and escort’s speeds. Unlike an automobile, a submarine cannot stop or turn on a dime if necessary to avoid collision. Periscopes were useless at night.
73 SILENT HUNTER APPENDIX C — THE FIRE CONTROL PROBLEM 74 APPENDIX C — THE FIRE CONTROL PROBLEM Fig. 1. Collision Course Geometry Dt = Vt . t POINT C: Impact Point POINT B c b d (track angle) (angle-on-the-bow) aring et Be Targ Collision Course SILENT HUNTER (offset angle for collision) a APPENDIX C: THE FIRE CONTROL PROBLEM by William P. Gruner A major problem faced by the C.O.’s is to determine when and from what position to launch the first torpedo to achieve a hit (or hits). The C.
75 SILENT HUNTER APPENDIX C — THE FIRE CONTROL PROBLEM Step 2 - Step 1 produces an approximation of the correct torpedo gyro angle, but it is just the first step in the solution because the course geometry of the torpedo at firing time is not located at the periscope, it is some 40 yards forward of it. The TDC must correct for this linear displacement of the torpedo. That geometry is illustrated in Figure 2 (which is not to scale). Target course Target B R= ge ran to ge tar M S/ t Fig 2.
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