SILENT WAR: The United States' Submari11e Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

Table of Contents
[1.0]1NTRODUCTION [14. 7) Endurance Check
[1.1) How to Read these Rules [14.8) Clean-Up
[2.0] GAME COMPONENTS [15.0] TRANSIT MOVEMENT PHASE
[2.1) The Game Map [16.0] CONCLUDE TURN PHASE
[2.2) Game Charts and Tables [17.0] WAR PROGRESS PHASE
[2.3) Playing Pieces [17.1) Procedure
(2.4] Scale (17.2) Automatic Advance
[2.5] Conventions [18.0] DAMAGE
[3.0] SETTING UP THE GAME [19.0] EVENTS
[3.1 ) The "War Mix" [19.1) Transit Events
(3.2] Marker Set Up [19.2) Combat Events
[4.0] SEQUENCE OF PLAY [20.0] SPECIAL MISSION ZONES
[5.0] WAR EVENT PHASE [21.0] BASES
[6.0] TORPEDO IMPROVEMENT PHASE [21.1 ) Forward Bases
[7.0] THE ULTRA PHASE [21.2] Submarine Tenders
[8.0] SUBMARINE REINFORCEMENTS PHASE [22.0] CONGREGATING RISK
[9.0] READYING SUBMARINES FOR SEA PHASE [23.0] SPOTTED EFFECTS
[10.0] REPAIR PHASE [24.0] WOLFPACKS
[11.0] PREP FOR OPERATIONS PHASE [24.1) Wolfpack Formation
[12.0] PATROL MOVEMENT PHASE [24.2) Wolfpacks and Movement
[13.0] SEARCH AND CONTACT PHASE (24.3) Wolfpack Types
(13.1) Activity Determination Step (24.4) Wolfpacks and Transit Events
[13.2) Search and Contact Procedure [24.5] Wolfpacks and Combat
[14.0] COMBAT PHASE [24.6) Wolfpacks and "SPOTTED" results.
[14.1) First Attack Round [25.0] SUPER SKIPPERS
[14.2) Counterattack Round [26.0] TWO PLAYER VARIANT
[14.3) Withdrawal [27.0] QUICK RESOLUTION
(14.4] Re-Attack Rounds [28.0] RESERVED
[14.5) Super Skipper Determination [29.0] RESERVED
[14.6) Sub vs. Sub Combat

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 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaig11 Agni11st I111perial Jnpnll: 1941-1945

[1.0] INTRODUCTION All Areas are linked by transit routes, a series of lines that
delineate movement for submarines. Only submarines move on
Silent War is a solitaire simulation of the United States' submarine the map. Each OpArea belongs to a geographic group, noted in
war against Imperial Japan during the Second World War. The text on the top of each Activity Chart (examples: Empire,
scenarios allow players to recreate various stages of the war or Indochina, North Pac(ific), South Pac(ific)).
the entire campaign. In these scenarios, each player takes on the
role of Commander Submarines, U.S. Pacific Fleet
(ComSubPac), deploying available submarines from either Pearl
Game Map
Harbor or Australia in order to attack the Japanese Navy
Additionally, in the patrol game, using single submarines, players Submarine Base [21.0]
can recreate some of the war's most famous patrols.

[1 .1] How to Read these Rules

To help you quickly familiarize yourself with the game, a detailed
sequence of play has been created. The rules follow this
sequence: Set up the game, and follow the sequence of play to
get an overview of game events. Then, begin the game,
referencing the rules as you go. It is suggested new players first
play a patrol scenario before proceeding to play a campaign
game. Players may find it very helpful to read through the
Comprehensive Example of Play found at the rear of the scenario
book. This provides a solid overview of a typical turn and will
allow players to see past the rules into the process.

[2.0] GAME COMPONENTS

Silent War has the following components:
One Game Map
One Combat Display
One Charts & Tables Card
One Submarine Tender Card Special
• _,
Transit Routes Forward Base [21 .1]
Mission Zone [20.0] Active on w ar Evenr
One Counter Explanation/Sense of Scale Card Arrow points to South Philippme Sea Arrow point to South Philippine Sea
One War Mix Table/ULTRA Table Card
Five Counter Sheets
One Rules Book
[2.2] Game Charts and Tables
War Event Table
There are a number of charts and tables in Silent War, some
One Scenario Book
printed on the map and others on a separate card.
Example of Play
One Ten-Sided Die Map tables include: Individual Area Activity Charts, Search and
One Box and Lid Set Contact Chart, Transit Event Table, Submarine Damage Table,
and Endurance Table.
Note: Players must supply four opaque cups.
Printed on the Charts and Table card is the Attack Results Table,
[2.1] The Game Map Counterattack Table, Combat Events Table, Transit Event Table,
The map portrays the Pacific Theater of Operations and contains Search and Contact Table, Endurance Table, Enemy Submarines
graphic representations of submarine transit routes and areas Table, Torpedo Improvement Table, and War Period Tables.
where submarines conducted operations and special missions,
as well as a number of displays and charts necessary for play. Printed on a separate card is the War Mix Table Table and the
There are three types of play "Areas" on the map: ULTRA Table.

• Submarine Base: Represented by a hexagon and a port
(anchor) symbol.
• Operations Area (OpArea): Large circular area containing
an Activity Chart. An Operations Area is divided into an
Operating section (top) for the submarines conducting
combat in that Area and a Done section (bottom) for
submarines which have completed their combat or
movement in that Area.
• Special Mission Zone (SMZ): Small circular area without
an Activity Chart, that points to an OpArea. If a submarine
tender is in the zone it is a forward submarine base. If no
tender is present, these zones can only be entered by a
submarine when activated by a War Event.
Printed in the Rules Booklet are the War Event Tables for all 4
War Periods and the East Wind Early scenario.
Map displays include: the Tonnage & Ships Sunk/Submarines
Lost Track, Current War Period, Current Torpedo Value Track,
and the Turn Record Track. There are also five Base Displays:
Pearl Harbor, Fremantle, Brisbane, Dutch Harbor, and
Manila/Subic Bay. Each Base Display contains a Repair Hold
box, with three levels of patching up, a Ready for Sea box, Pier
Side box, and "Broom Box" (for subs that have just returned from
sea).
On the Submarine Tender/Surabaya Display card there are eight
Submarine Tenders and the Surabaya Display.

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 SILENT WAR: Tile U11itcd States' Submnri11e Cnmpnig11 Agnillstlmpcrin!Jnpnll: 1941-1945
[2.3] Playing Pieces
There are several different types of pieces in the game:
A. SUBMARINES
Every U.S. submarine that participated in the Pacific War is
represented by its own playing piece. There are two sides to
every U.S. submarine: Transit, the light blue side, and Patrol,
the gray side.
Transit Side: The Transit side has the name and class name of
the submarine plus the following information and ratings:
• Entry Date: The date in which the submarine arrives in the
game (W/S means at "War Start", 12/41).
• Speed: The number of OpAreas that a submarine may move
in a single turn.
• Range: The maximum number of OpAreas that a
submarine may be from any friendly Base at any time.
• Readiness: The value the player must roll to "ready" the
particular submarine for sea.
Patrol Side: The Patrol side has the name and class name of the
submarine plus the following ratings:
• Attack: The fighting value of the submarine, a mixture of the
number of torpedo tubes the submarine has, whether or not
the submarine has tubes both fore and aft, and its overall
loadout of torpedoes.
• Defense: An evaluation of the submarine's ability to
maneuver, speed of dive, diving depth, tonnage, and the
"robustness" of her design and construction. Size matters.
• Tactical: An estimation of the submarine's "handiness" in
combat, a mixture of the measurement of her general
modernity, engineering responsiveness, and most
importantly, her combat systems, scopes, TDC, radar, sonar,
as well as the progress of experience in naval construction.
• Endurance: A rating that determines if the submarine may
remain on patrol or if it must return to base. This rating
factors in torpedo loadout and consumables such as food,
water, and fuel supply.
• Range: The maximum number of OpAreas that a
submarine may be from a friendly Base at any time.
B. SURFACE SHIPS & EVENT MARKERS
Japanese units are represented by generic pieces that are used
over and over again. These pieces have a type designation,
tonnage rating, defense rating, and an anti-submarine (ASW)
rating:
• Type: The general type of ship such as BB for Battleship, CV
for Carrier. Following is a complete list of ship types used in
the game:
CV -Aircraft Carrier.
BB - Battleship
BV - Battleship Carriers (lse class converted to hybrid
carriers.)
CA - Heavy Cruiser
AC - Armored Cruiser
AR - Repair Ship
CL - Light Cruiser
DD - Destroyer
DE - Destroyer Escort
AO - Oil Tanker
AF -Stores ship, often refrigerated.
M - Merchant, including freighter, transport, and
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auxiliaries such as minelayers, seaplane tenders,
and submarine tenders.
• Tonnage: The size of the ship in thousands of Tons Light
(the weight of the ship without cargo or fuel}.
• Defense Rating: An estimate of how difficult a target the
ship is to hit with a torpedo, and the robustness of her
construction - an indication of her ability to withstand
damage. Inherent explosion dangers are factored into this
rating. Aircraft have no defense rating as they cannot be
attacked.
• ASW Rating: An evaluation of the ASW capabilities of the
ship and crew. Values are either 0, Y2, 1, 2, 3, or 4. The ASW
value of a ship with a Damage marker is zero. Aircraft only
have an ASW rating.
Ships/aircraft with white top and bottom bands are Imperial
Japanese Navy (IJN) units, while ships with yellow top and
bottom bands are merchant vessels.
Some Japanese pieces have the word "COMBAT EVENT" on
them. These pieces indicate that a unique event has occurred.
(See Combat Events (19.2])
Some specific named Japanese ships are provided. These are
the carriers Kaga, Shokaku, Shinano, and Taiho, the battleship
Yamato, the repair ship Asahi, and the armored cruiser lzumo. If
sunk, these ships and the BV hybrid battleship/carrier are
removed from play.
There are three Diligent Escort pieces in the game. These are
the Japanese surface ships that are printed on the front with an
orange DD silhouette on a gray band. These represent
particularly alert, aggressive, and tenacious destroyer captains
who occasionally surprised a submarine skipper with their skill
and daring.
C. TDC MARKERS
TDC markers represent the Target Data Computer (TDC)
solutions on a target, incorporating the vagaries of target position
relative to the submarine, and general good or bad fortune
inherent in World War II submarine combat. TDC markers have
target modification values between -3 and +3 printed on them.
D. SUPER SKIPPERS
These pieces represent the top U.S. submarine skippers of World
War II. Super Skippers have a combat bonus rating which is
added into the submarine's attack and defense calculations. One
British and one Dutch skipper are provided if the optional Allied
submarine rules are used.
E. MARKERS
The rest of the counter mix has markers for the game turn,
recording the number of ships and tonnage sunk, the number of
submarines lost and the current War Period in the game.
[2.4] Scale
The map represents the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii to the Malay
Peninsula, and from Northern Australia to Alaska's Aleutian
Islands and as such is somewhat scaleless. Each game turn is
one week.
[2.5] Conventions
When rolling the ten sided die, zero (0) is always zero (0) and not
ten (10}.
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 SILENT WAR: Tl1e United States' Submarine Ca111paig11 Against Imperial japa11: 1941-1945
The following logical terms are used throughout the rules:
• #: number or value.
• >: greater than.
• <: less than.
• = or >: equal to or greater than.
• = or <: equal to or less than.
• drms: Die Roll Modificahons (changes to the die roll+ or-).
Fraction Rounding: Fractions are rounded up or down to the
nearest integer. However, pay close attention; although a
common convention was desired, Silent War uses both rounding-
up, and rounding-down in order to keep as close to the statistical
model as possible. When fractions are rounded, round all
' ractions less than one half (<0.499) down, and all fractions equal
:o or greater than one half (> 0.5) up.
[3.0] SETTING UP THE GAME
Choose a scenario: Lay out the map and sort the submarines by
;ne month noted on each piece from the beginning through the
end of the scenario. You can speed up setup by sorting the
submarines by month or by Entry Date instead of having to pick
;nrough the countermix for a particular name. The Entry Date
.'1 s" indicates that the submarine is available at "war start."
Pace the submarines for the beginning month of the scenario in
;:~ei r arrival locations, Transit side up. Place all the Wolfpack and
Submarine Tender markers aside as these will not come into play
..mtillater in the game. Next, sort out the markers, TDC markers,
Super Skippers and finally the Japanese ships marked with either
·ne Japanese naval ensign or the Japanese national ensign. The
..Japanese ships will be distributed among four cups in a "War
'.~ x."
(3.1] The "War Mix"
- ne "War Mix" is the distribution of the Japanese ships into four
opaque cups designated A, B, C, and D. The player should sort
:ne Japanese ships by type and tonnage and then consult the
.Var Mix" Table.
(3.11] The "War Mix" Table is divided into the four War Periods,
.·.th an extra column for the bonus 1932 campaign. Inside each
:Jar Period is a column for the four cups. Along the left side of the
·able are the Japanese ship categories. Choose the columns for
:'le War Period noted in the scenario and sort the Japanese
o eces into each cup as per the Table. If a ship category (such as
'.1 7k tons or more) has different types of pieces, choose and
o stnbute them randomly into the cups. The type of flag on the
..Jnlt makes no difference and such units (For example, a CL with
a naval ensign and a CL with a "red ball" flag) are distributed
·andomly. The flags are meant to apply some fog of war in that
,IOU can rarely be certain of what you see through the periscope.
(3.12] Nine Japanese ship pieces have Entry Dates printed on
:nem. These ships should not be placed into the War Mix cups
..Jntil their date of entry into the war. These ships are BB Yamato
5'42). BV 36t (10/'43), CV Taiho (3/'44), CV Shinano (11 /'44)
and the five Matsu class destroyer escorts (3/'44}.
(3.13] 1f any of the italicized Japanese units are noted as sunk at
:ne beginning of a scenario, their pieces are not placed in the War
'.11x. They are removed from the game and not replaced.
:; 2005 Compass Games. LLC
[3.2] Marker Set Up
Place the Tonnage, Ships Sunk, and Submarines Lost markers in
the appropriate boxes on the Tonnage & Ships Sunk I
Submarines Lost Track, and the Torpedo, Month, Week, Year,
and War Progress markers in their respective boxes according to
the scenario. The game is now ready to begin.
[4.0] SEQUENCE OF PLAY
Silent War is played in Game Turns representing one week of
actual time. Each game turn contains Segments and each
Segment contains Phases. The following sequence of play is for
the operational and campaign scenarios. For patrol scenarios,
ignore the Strategic and Tripie-R segments except for the Prep
for Operations Phase [11.0].
Note: The organization of the rules generally follows the
sequence of play The section numbers of the segments begin
with "5.0" as that is the rules section covering that segment.
I. STRATEGIC SEGMENT
5.0 War Event Phase
Roll a d1 0; if result is 0-3, reroll on War Events Table
and implement the results .
6.0 Torpedo Improvement Phase
Roll d10 on Torpedo Improvement Table. If result= or
> than Ships Sunk # , move the torpedo marker one
column to the right.
7.0 ULTRA Phase
Roll d10 on ULTRA Table, noting drms. Mark ULTRA
Areas: add one (+ 1) to Area Activity Chart rolls and
draw one (1) extra ship from each cup. If in Empire
Area, add one (+ 1) to Transit Event check.
II. TRIPLE 'R' SEGMENT
(Reinforcement, Ready, Repair)
8.0 Submarine Reinforcement Phase
Consult the Master Submarine Reinforcement List .
Place and remove submarines as appropriate.
9.0 Ready Submarines Phase (at bases and sub
tenders)
Move subs in the Pierside Box to the Ready for Sea
Box. Roll for subs in Broom Box to ready them: roll =
or < than Ready # to place in Ready for Sea Box; if
roll is > than Ready # place in Pierside Box.
10.0 Submarine Repair Phase (at bases)
Roll = or < than # in Repair Box to move sub to next
box (3-to-2-to-1-to-Broom).
11.0 Prep For Operations Phase
Move all submarines from "Done" section of OpArea
to "Operating" section.
Ill. OPERATIONS SEGMENT
(Conduct individually for each Sub)
12.0 Patrol Movement Phase
Subs currently deployed with their Patrol side up may
move to the "Operating" section of an adjacent
OpArea or Special Mission Zone if currently active.
Roll for a Transit Event.
13.0 Search and Contact Phase
Follow Search and Contact on-map instructions (with
+1 drm for ULTRA, +2 DRM for a barrier wolfpack,
etc).
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 SILENT WAR: The United States ' Submarine Campaig11 Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945
14.0 Combat Phase
14.1 First Attack Round
14.2 Counterattack Round
14.3 Withdrawal (Proceed to 14.4 or 14.5)
14.4 Re-Attack Rounds (Optional, followed by
Withdrawal)
14.5 Super Skipper Determination
14.6 Sub vs. Sub Combat
14.7 Check Endurance
15.0 Transit Movement Phase
Submarines that are in the Ready for Sea Box of a
base, are outbound to a patrol area, or have received
an RTB result may move a number of OpAreas up to
their movement rating. Roll for a Transit Event if
applicable. Place submarine in "Done" section of
OpArea Patrol side up if it intends to patrol there next
turn or Transit side up if it intends to continue on to
another OpArea or Base.
IV. END TURN SEGMENT
(After all subs have conducted movement and combat)
16.0 Conclude Turn Phase
Remove Spotted markers from subs on roll of 0-6;
Automatically remove Spotted markers upon return to
Base. Check Scenario Victory Conditions. Advance
Date markers.
17.0 War Progress Phase
Check War Period Transition Table. If month has a
number, roll d1 0; if result =or > than #, advance War
Period.
[5.0] WAR EVENT PHASE
At the start of each turn, the player rolls one die. If the die roll is
0, 1, 2, or 3, the player rolls again on the War Events Table and
follows the event's instructions.
[5.1] Some events are one-time only events (such as the fall of
Manila). Once these have occurred, they cannot occur again.
Treat any further rolls of those events as No Event.
[5.2] Some War Events direct the player to deploy a certain
number of submarines to a Special Mission Zone for the turn.
These submarines utilize Patrol Movement to enter the SMZ. If
the player does not have enough submarines able to enter the
zone via Patrol Movement (see [12.0]), non-RTB submarines that
are Transit side up in or adjacent to an OpArea with the SMZ
must be flipped to their Patrol side and moved into the SMZ.
(Note: this is the ONLY time a Transit side submarine may be
flipped to Patrol side at the beginning of the turn, before combat).
If the player still does not have enough submarines to fulfill the
conditions of the War Event, there is no penalty, but the player
must move as many submarines as possible up to the number
indicated.
[6.0] TORPEDO IMPROVEMENT PHASE
COMMENTARY
The Mark XIV Torpedo, which the Americans went to war with,
was the product of the Newport Torpedo Station, a U.S. Navy
Bureau. In an appalling example of elitist arrogance, this Bureau
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obstinately refused to acknowledge the truth of the many
complaints from experienced combat submariners that the Mark
XIV was not working properly. Instead, they accused the skippers
of "improperly" setting the weapon.
However, careful experiments in July of 1942 in Australia, and the
intercession of Admiral King himself, finally moved the Newport
Torpedo Station to act. Still, it was not until fully a year later that
the Mk-XIV was operating the way it was intended to, 21 months
after the start of the war.
The Mk-XIV (also representing the Mk·X used by S-boats and the
late war Mk-XVIII electric) torpedo marker begins the game on
the Current Torpedo Value track according to the scenario
instructions. This table lists ships sunk in tens and a series of die
rolls. During the Torpedo Improvement Phase of the turn
immediately following a turn when the current number of ships
sunk reaches or exceeds one of the listed numbers of ships sunk,
the player rolls a d10. If the die roll equals or exceeds the result
listed for that number of ships sunk, the torpedo marker is
immediately advanced indicating a fix to the torpedo problem. If
the die roll is less than the result there is no change, and another
roll may not be attempted until the next listed number of ships
sunk is reached.
Example: In 1942 the player sinks seventy ships. He is now
eligible to attempt torpedo improvement from -2 to -1. The die
roll is '6' indicating that no improvement is made (a '9' is
required). The player may not roll again until seventy-five ships
have been sunk, and a result of '8' or '9' will result in the
improvement to -1.
[7.0] THE ULTRA PHASE
COMMENTA RY
Ultra was the name of the American cipher project that broke and
read the German codes. Magic read the Japanese Navy Codes
but the output of their combined efforts came to be known as
"ULTRAs". Throughout the war, the Ultras provided the
Submarine arm with dramatically accurate information on
Japanese convoy movements. Early lack of success was not due
to failing to be "at the right place at the right time" but rather
having defective torpedoes that failed to run at the correct depth
and explode as designed. In all ways, the Ultra War was a
stunning success. In an odd way, it was also a tribute to the
Japanese naval planners that they could schedule and run
convoys on such tight schedules - an accomplishment that
ultimately proved fatal.
PROCEDURE
At the start of each turn, the player should consult the ULTRA
Table by rolling a die and finding the result under the cu rrent War
Period. Place an ULTRA marker in each of the listed Areas. All die
rolls on the Area Activity Charts in these Areas are increased by
one (+1 ). All numbers from the Engagement Table (the numbers
placed in columns A, B, C, and D) are increased by one except
for those cups indicating "no draw".
[7.1] When the Sea of Japan OpArea contains an ULTRA
marker, Transit Event Check die rolls are subject to a one (+ 1)
modifier instead of the normal two (+2) modifier.
[7.2] ULTRA Areas only last for one turn. New ULTRA Areas will
be rolled at the beginning of each turn.
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 SILENT WAR: The United States' S11b111arine Campaig11 Against Imperial ]apa11: 1941-1945
[7. 3] There may never be more than three (3) ULTRA Areas in
existence during any one turn. If two rolls are made due to a War
::·;ent, take the Areas in order they are received, top to bottom.
:=xample: In War Period 3, a War Event calls for rolling twice on
~'le ULTRA table. The player rolls a '2' followed by a '4'. ULTRA
r..,arkers are placed on the Empire Pacific, Bismarck Sea, and the
-<uriles. A marker is not placed in the Carolines.
7.4] Submarines are never required to respond to ULTRA
~•orm ation. The decision to Patrol Move and take advantage of
t:'e target-rich environment is up to the player and should be
:a•anced by the risks associated with Patrol Movement (see
·2 o;
:s.O] SUBMARINE REINFORCEMENTS PHASE
'1\!E:\TARY
-~;: Umted States quickly began a massive program of building
5_::-rrrannes using both coastal and Great Lakes yards. New
:.::~s:ruction poured into the Pacific at an amazing rate. Not only
:; :: ~e~·. submarines appear, but nearly every submarine through
,...;: Gato class received a major overhaul during the course of the
a a· \1any overhauls repaired major battle damage that was
':!-2! ::Jnd the capabilities of Pacific bases; in some cases replacing
~'ec:. ve main diesel engines or rebuilding entire conning towers.
•'• ~ e overhauls do not alter a submarine's ratings, they do
•e:: ·esent a major logistics impact to operations and therefore are
-..; .;aeo as part of the game.
=.a1 e·s consult the Master Submarine Reinforcements list. There
a.·;, 'oJ· categories of units list ed:
! Additions to War Mix: Japanese units with entry dates are
acded to the War Mix as per the War Mix Table.
Reinforcements: Newly received submarines are listed
a O'lg with their base of arrival. Place them in the Broom Box
::;' tne proper Base display. If a base of arrival is not yet
ac:rve or has fallen , the submarines are received at Pearl
- aroor (Exception: Brisbane subs are received at Fremantle
· ·-:e latter is active).
Withdrawals: Submarines are withdrawn for overhaul at
:J~e of the yards on the West coast of the United States.
l~ese submarines are preceded by "Withdraw", and are
•e""loved from play immediately, even if at sea and/or
:a"laged. Place them in the "West Coasf' Box on the map.
:.. ~y Super Skipper stays with the boat, and any
:a"laged/ spotted markers are removed. If the submarine
-as been sunk, no other submarine takes its place. While in
:. e•haul, a submarine cannot be removed from play via the
.',ar Event "Relegation to Training Duty".
Returns : After a number of months, the submarines in
:. e·'laul are returned to service. These are preceded by
·::::er ... rn" rn the list. All returning submarines are placed in the
3·oom Box of Pearl Harbor unless otherwise noted.
:9.0] READYING SUBMARINES FOR SEA PHASE
't:'.T-\R)
= - ;r ~:J oeploymg to sea. a submarine must be "readied". This
•e::·ese~:s orov1stoning and fueling, as well as assembling and
t.".:- ~;
:-e cre1··· The latter evolution (to use the Navy term for an
.::·. ;;1 car. oe somewhat indeterminate in length of time it takes.
C :.':>:5 :::V-:;ass Ga~es. LLC
The average Pacific submarine was able to perform a turn
around between patrols in a week. Sometimes it took two. The
older, "creakier" boats took a little more effort to ready for sea
than their brand new war construction sisters.
PROCEDURE
Move all submarines in the Pier Side Box of a Base (Shipside
Box of a Tender), to the Ready lor Sea Box. For each submarine
starting in the Broom Box, roll a die. II the result is equal to or less
than (= or <) the "Readiness" rating , the submarine is moved to
the Ready lor Sea Box of the Base display. II the roll is greater
than the rating, the submarine is moved to the Pier Side Box on
the Base display, where it will be automatically ready for sea in
the following turn.
[1 0.0] REPAIR PHASE
Submarines with a damaged marker may be repaired at a Base.
There are lour boxes within the Repair Box in each Base display,
a "Hold", "3", "2", and " 1" box. In each of the "3", "2", and " 1"
boxes, a Repair Number is printed.
REPAIR PROCEDURE
Roll a die lor each submarine in a Repair Box, starting with the
submarines in Repair Box 1 and advancing one box at a time to
the Hold Box. II the result is equal to or less than (= or <) that
box's Repair number, advance the submarine to the next box. A
submarine in box " 1" advances into the Broom Box.
[1 0.1] The Base Max Repair Capacity is the total number of
submarines that may be in boxes " 1", "2", and "3" at any one
time. A submarine with damage may not be advanced into the
repair process unless there is room lor it.
[10.2]1f a submarine receives damage of one (1) or more, and
the Base is already at its Max Repair Capacity (the total number
of submarines that may be in boxes " 1", "2", and "3" at any one
time), any submarines in excess must be placed in the "Hold
Box". Which submarine(s) go in the Hold Box is up to the player,
but it usually makes sense to repair a sub with less damage first,
shunting a more damaged sub into the Hold Box even if it arrived
earlier.
[1 0.21] When submarines are repaired and there is room lor
more to be repaired, submarines may be advanced from the Hold
Box into the "3" box (regardless of the actual damage it suffered-
it is assumed to have deteriorated from waiting in the holding
basin), but must wait until the following turn to roll lor repair.
Note: Players should carefully plan for the return of damaged
subs to avoid the holding basin penalty. For example, subs
operating out of Pearl Harbor can "bounce" to Australia if needed.
[1 0.3] Submarines waiting in a Repair Box may not leave a
Base. If a Base should fall with a submarine in a Repair Box
numbered 2 or 3 or in the Hold Box, see [18.3].
[11.0] PREP FOR OPERATIONS PHASE
All submarines at sea are moved from the "Done" section of their
OpArea to the "Operating" section.
7
 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaig11 Against Imperial japan: 1941-1945
[12.0] PATROL MOVEMENT PHASE
Normally when on patrol, submarines tend to remain in a single
OpArea. However, the player may change their patrol area to an
adjacent OpArea using Patrol Movement. To use Patrol
Movement, a submarine is simply moved to any adjacent
OpArea, so long as that OpArea does not place the submarine
further from a Base than its Range rating. A roll is made for a
Transit Event (see [19.1]). If an RTB result is obtained, flip the
submarine to its Transit side and place an RTB marker on it.
[12.1] If a Special Mission Zone has been activated by a War
Event, a submarine may enter it using Patrol Movement for no
additional movement cost. A roll is made for a Transit Event (see
[19.2]).
Example: A Special Mission Event has occurred for a
Guadalcanal Patrol. A submarine on patrol in the Coral Sea may
Patrol Move to the Solomons, and then enter the Guadalcanal
Special Mission Zone for no additional cost, rolling for a Transit
Event using the Solomons Area Activity Chart.
[12.2] Submarines may not use Patrol Movement to enter or
depart a submarine base.
[13.0] SEARCH AND CONTACT PHASE
COMMENTARY
Submarine combat is essentially sorting through the available
contacts and determining quickly the best opportunities for
sinking selected ships. Information is usually imperfect, time
short, angles and opportunities limited. Within these bounds, a
submarine commander must make his decisions such that the
best opportunity to inflict damage is taken.
[13.1] Activity Determination Step
A submarine may choose to bypass the Search and Contact
Procedure in order to not engage in combat. Such a submarine
is spending most of its time submerged and/or avoiding surface
traffic. If the player chooses this option, remove any Spotted
marker from the submarine and proceed directly to the
Endurance Phase [14.7] with a -1 modifier to the Endurance roll.
[13.2] Search and Contact PROCEDURE
To determine if the submarine makes contact with the enemy
and, if so, how many ships the submarine contacts, the player
follows these steps:
A. Consult the Area Activity Chart in the OpArea in which the
submarine is located. If the submarine is located in 'I Special
Mission Area that has been activated by a War Event, the
player consults the Area Activity Chart of the OpArea from
which the submarine entered the Special Mission Zone. If
there are any colored boxes in the row for the current war
period, the player owning the submarine rolls a die, adding
the following cumulative modifiers:
• +1 if this is an ULTRA area (see [7.0]).
• +2 if rolling for a Barrier deployed wolfpack.
• - 1 if the submarine is Spotted and it is War Period 1 or 2.
The color of the box result determines the Activity Level:
White - no contact (see first bullet below)
Green - contact with a very small number of enemy ships
© 2005 Compass Games, LLC
Orange - contact with a small number of enemy ships
Blue - contact with a moderate number of enemy ships
Red - contact with a large number of enemy ships
If neither of the below is the case, proceed to Step B:
• If the die roll is a zero, the box is white, and the row has at
least one colored box, the player rolls a second die. If this
is also a zero, the player submarine has encountered an
enemy submarine. Proceed to the Sub vs. Sub Combat
segment [14.6].
• If there is no contact, proceed directly to the Endurance
Phase [14.7] with a -1 modifier to the Endurance roll.
B. Once enemy ships have been contacted, the player rolls on
the Contact Table (left side of map), again first determining
the War Period, and then rolling a die. The result is either: C 1
-small convoy, C2- large convoy; or TF- a naval task force.
C. The Player consults the Engagement Table, cross-
referencing the Activity Level from the Area Activity Chart die
roll with the Contact result from the Contact Table. The
Engagement Table will direct the player to randomly select a
number of pieces from each of the four prepared 'War Mix'
cups, A, B, C, or D. Pieces are drawn from the cup (without
examining them) and placed face down on the Combat
Display in the column corresponding to their cup.
If the OpArea has an ULTRA marker (see [7.0]), the number
of pieces per cup is increased by one unless the result for
that cup was "no draw".
[14.0] COMBAT PHASE
The player now engages the Japanese convoy or task force in a
series of attack rounds.
[14.1] First Attack Round
PROCEDURE
[14.11] Place the submarine in one of the submarine boxes on
the Combat Display. No more than one submarine may be
placed in each box. See also [24.5] Wolfpacks and Combat.
[14.12] The player reveals a number of Japanese units on the
Combat Display equal to the Tactical Rating of the submarine by
turning them face up, one at a time. The ships the player chooses
to reveal must be from either the column the submarine is in, or
from an adjacent one on the Combat Display.
• If a "Combat Event" marker is revealed , the event is
immediately resolved as per the Events instructions (see
[19.2]). If any additional Combat Event markers are drawn
during an attack round, they are returned to the cup.
• If a "Diligent Escort" is revealed, the player rolls immediately on
the Diligent Escort row of the Counterattack Table, applying
any result. Combat then proceeds normally with the Diligent
Escort in its place, face up, in the proper column. If the
submarine is damaged, the player may choose to withdraw
from combat at this point, proceeding to the Endurance Phase
[14.7].
If the year is 1943-45, the submarine is equipped with radar and
may "unflip" any one Japanese unit unless it is a Combat Event,
Diligent Escort, or an Aircraft. The choice to "unflip" the unit must
be made immediately, before any other units are revealed. If a
unit is "unflipped", another unit must be revealed in its place.
8
 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaigu Against Imperial japan: 1941-1945
;t4.13] The player utilizes the Tactical Rating of the submarine to
::etermine the number of "TDC" (Target Data Computer) pieces
;'1at are randomly selected from the pool of face down TDC
,...arkers. The player places TDC markers (without examining
;·em). one per target, on any of the revealed OR face down
.apanese ships in the same column containing the submarine or
" an adjacent column. Once they are all placed, TDC markers
~ay not be moved.
:'-U4] The player reveals the TDC markers and selects targets
·:·attack. A target must be a unit with a TDC marker on it. The
: a:.er may select as many targets as he can allocate the
;.:::Manne's attack value to, with a minimum of one (1 ). The total
:' a. attacks may not exceed the attack value of the attacking
:;.:..,.,arine. A submarine can only attack targets that are in the
s.:~e or an adjacent column.
=xa...,ple: USS Spearfish (6-3-4) has Whitaker(+ 1) as her super
s ::;oer and is in combat against two 2-0, one 1-0 cargo ship, and
:r.a revealed 7-1 destroyer. One of the 2-0 cargo ships has a
IX value of -2 but is in an adjacent column, the other, a TOG
a .,e of+ 1. The 1-0 cargo ship has a TOG value of 0. The player
.ass gns 3 attack points to the first cargo maru and 3 attack points
•:; '" e third maru. He does not target the second target or the
::scort. Total attack points assigned: 6.
:·ce all the targets have been selected, any unrevealed
. a:.anese unit that is being targeted is now turned face up. If a
.a:anese aircraft or Combat Event marker is revealed, remove
--:: - Dc marker from it. Attack points allocated to the aircraft or
::~oat Event marker may be reallocated to any other unit with
a - x marker on it.
• 1: a Combat Event marker is revealed , the event is
..,mediately resolved as per the Events instructions (see
"1 9.2]). If any additional Combat Event markers are drawn
:::... nng an attack round, they are returned to the cup.
• I' a Diligent Escort is revealed, the player rolls immediately
o· the Diligent Escort row of the Counterattack Table,
aoo1ying any result. Combat then proceeds normally with the
J .1gent Escort in its place, face up, in the proper column. If
u-e submarine is damaged, the player may NOT choose to
v. ' '1draw from combat at this point.
: · ! , t 5] Each attack is resolved separately. The following
1:'-'::::::.Jre (steps a through d) is used for each attack:
- J:a the following for the attacking submarine:
The portion of the submarine's Attack Value allocated to
th1s target.
The value of a Super Skipper marker assigned to this
submarine (if any). Each attack gets this bonus.
The cu rrent Mk-XIV torpedo value (Remember, adding a
negative number is the same as subtracting it.)
- :;a tne following for the target:
The target's Defense Value.
- he ASW value of all revealed Japanese vessels in the
submarine's column and adjacent columns, and the
A.SW value of all revealed aircraft regardless of column.
- ,e TDC marker value (Remember, adding a negative
:"umber is the same as subtracting it.)
' tne target ship is not in the same column as the
submarine. add one (+1). Note: there is a maximum of
r.·.o submarmes per column.
C :x= :::-::<Jss Games. LLC
5. If the target ship has a Damage marker subtract one (-1).
C. Subtract the target's value from the attacker's value (round
down) to get a result and roll a die. If the roll is equal to or
less than the result (difference), the target has been hit.
Example: Continuing from the Spearfish example above with
a current Mark XIV torpedo value of minus (- 1). The player
calculates the following attacks:
Assuming Cargo Ship #1 is 2-0, Adjacent Column:
a) 3 attack points+ 1 super skipper point+ torpedo value
-1, tor a total of (3+ 1+{-1]) = +3.
b) 2 defense points + 1 revealed escort + TOG -2, + 1 tor
being in an adjacent column for a total of (2+ 1+[-2)+ 1) =
+2
c) The player must roll equal to or less than (3-2) = 1 to hit
this target. (20% chance of hit)
Assuming Cargo Ship #3 is 1·0, Same Column:
a) 3 attack points + 1 super skipper point+ torpedo value
-1 for a total of (3+ 1+[-1]) = +3.
b) 1 defense point + 1 revealed escort + TOG + 1 for a total
of(1+1+1)=+3
c) The player must roll equal to or less than (3-3) = 0 to hit
this target (10% chance of hit).
D. If the target is hit, consult the Attack Results Table. Find the
size of the target in tonnage in the left column and roll a die,
adding the current value of the Mk-XIV torpedo (adding a
negative number results in subtraction).
If the modified result falls into the orange results, the
target has been damaged. Place a Damage marker on
the vessel. If the target already had a Damage marker,
it is sunk.
If the result falls into the red results, the target has been
sunk. Advance the Ships Sunk marker by one and the
Tonnage Sunk marker(s) by the tonnage size.
Note: The torpedo value counts for or against the player twice:
First, in terms of hitting the target (running at the proper (or not)
depth), and second, in terms of detonating correctly (in terms of
the magnetic exploder that was so problematic or the detective
contact exploders)
[14.16] There will be times when it is not possible for a
submarine to hit a target, through a combination of low attack
factors, low torpedo rating, adverse TDC modifiers, and/or high
escort values. In such cases follow these guidelines:
A. If no successful attack can be made in the first attack round,
there is no Counterattack [14.2]. The player may withdraw
[14.3] or conduct a Re-Attack round [14.4] normally.
B. If no successful attack can be made in a Re-Attack round, a
counterattack round is conducted normally regardless of
whether an attack is made in the first attack round.
Note: Unrevealed units with TOG markers are considered to
have a defense of '1' until revealed. If attacked, and it is
determined that the target cannot be hit, the attack goes through
with an automatic miss, followed by a counterattack.
[14.2] Counterattack Round
Counterattack normally occurs after an attacking submarine has
conducted combat against surface ships, but under certain
9
 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945
circumstances, Counterattack may occur before and after the
submarine has attacked surface ships.
Note: Any units sunk in the attack round before are removed prior
to Counterattack.
To conduct Counterattack, use the following procedure:
A. Add the following for the Japanese:
1. The ASW value of all revealed Japanese forces (even
those not attacked) in the column containing the
submarine and in all adjacent columns, fractions
rounded up. Remember, the ASW value of a ship with a
Damage marker is zero. The ASW value of an aircraft is
added regardless of the column the aircraft is in.
2. The number of red boxes for the current war period in
the Area Activity Chart of the OpArea where the combat
is occurring.
3. The general ASW value from the War Period display for
the current war period.
B. For the submarine, add:
1. The submarine's Defense value.
2. The value of a Super Skipper marker assigned to this
submarine (if any).
C. Subtract the submarine's result from the Japanese result
and locate the applicable row on the Counterattack Table.
Roll a die and apply the following modifiers:
1. For each damage marker a submarine has, add one
(+1).
2. If this Counterattack is following a Re-Attack, add one
(+1).
3. If the submarine has a Spotted marker, add one (+1).
In some cases on the table, a second roll on the counterattack
table is needed. Apply the results of the table immediately.
Example: Continuing from the Spearfish example above in War
Period 2 in the East China Sea with a general ASW level of 1.
The player calculates the following counterattack:
a) 1 revealed ASW +3 red boxes in the Area Activity Chart + 1
general ASW level = +5.
b) 3 submarine defense points + 1 Super Skipper= +4.
c) The player consults the '1 'line of the Counterattack Table (5-
4=1).
[14.3] Withdrawal
Once the Counterattack Round is over, the player may voluntarily
withdraw the submarine from combat. If the player voluntarily
withdraws, proceed to Super Skipper Determination (see [14.5]).
[14.4] Re-Attack Rounds
If the submarine has not been sunk, withdrawn, or forced to RTB
(Return to Base), it can choose to engage the convoy or task
force a second time. The TDC markers from the first round are
removed and mixed back into the draw pool. Revealed Japanese
units remain revealed.
PROCEDURE
Prior to Re-Attack combat, the player may re-position the
submarine to an adjacent column.
The player then repeats steps [14.12] through [14.16] followed by
© 2005 Compass Games, LLC
[14.2], with the following exceptions:
A. Japanese units must be revealed in the following order (see
[14.12]):
Ships with the Rising Sun battle flag must be revealed
first (if in columns eligible for revealing).
Only when all Rising Sun flags have been revealed may
a "red ball" flag be turned over.
B. If equipped with radar (1943 to 1945), the submarine may
not "unflip" a Japanese unit that was revealed in the first
attack round.
In the Re-Attack round, one is subtracted from every TDC marker
except for any -3 markers. This represents the submarine
maneuvering for a better shot.
[14.41] The first Re-Attack is at the player's option. A second Re-
Attack may only occur if the player has a Super Skipper on the
submarine and rolls equal to or less than the Super Skipper's
rating.
[14.42] Once a second Re-Attack is concluded, combat ends
[14.3].
[14.5] Super Skipper Determination
If the submarine has sunk three (3) or more ships totaling 16,000
or more tons during the Combat Phase, the submarine has a
"Super Skipper''.
If the submarine does not already have a Super Skipper, a
Super Skipper marker is randomly drawn and assigned to
that submarine with the +1 side of the marker.
If the submarine already has a + 1 Super Skipper, the Skipper
is flipped to the +2 side.
If the submarine already has a +2 Super Skipper there is no
additional benefit.
See SUPER SKIPPERS [25.0] for additional rules.
[14.6] Sub vs. Sub Combat
If the Search and Contact Phase resulted in an encounter with an
enemy submarine, conduct the following steps:
A. If a wolfpack is involved, randomly select one of the player
submarines to encounter the enemy submarine. The other
submarines are not involved, though this does not affect
belonging to the wolfpack.
B. Make a die roll and subtract one if the player submarine is
SPOTTED and/or DAMAGED. Add one if the player
submarine has radar (date is 1943-45). If the result is 0-3 the
enemy has spotted the player submarine first. If the result is
4-9 the player has detected the enemy first.
C. Consult the Enemy Submarine Table [30.3] in the scenario
booklet to determine what enemy submarine pieces are
available based on date and OpArea. The player randomly
draws one of these from a cup.
D. Place the submarine which detected the other first in the
Submarine Box of any column on the Combat Display, and
the detected submarine in a Target Box of the same column.
Draw and reveal a TDC marker for the target submarine.
E. Conduct one attack round with the firing submarine using its
full attack rating plus any Super Skipper value against the
target submarine's Defense rating plus any Super Skipper
value. Allied submarines use the current value of the Mk-XIV
torpedo unless assigned another torpedo value by special
10
 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945
rule (early Dutch). Japanese, German, and Italian torpedoes
have a value of +1 regardless of date.
F. If the target submarine is hit, consult the 1-4 row of the Attack
Results Table. If the player submarine is sunk, advance the
Subs Lost marker by one. If an Axis submarine is sunk,
advance the Ships Sunk marker by one and the Tonnage
Sunk marker by the appropriate amount.
Sub vs. Sub Combat ends following a single combat round. There
is no Counterattack or Re-Attack round.
[14.7] Endurance Check
COMMENTARY
There are four key elements to keeping a World War II warship at
sea: Fuel, victuals, crew; and weapons loadout. During the
Pacific War, given the small number of torpedoes carried (12 to
24), and the problems with the Mk-XIV torpedo, the most often
encountered limitation was torpedo loadout.
PROCEDURE
Following a turn's combat(s) for a submarine, the player must roll
a die to see if the submarine has expended its loadout of
torpedoes or is running too low on fuel or other consumables. To
do this, the player cross-indexes the submarine's Endurance with
the current value of the Mk-XIV torpedo on the Endurance Table,
and rolls a die. Subtract one from the result if the submarine
elected to bypass the Search and Contact Phase (see [13.1 ]), or
encountered no enemy contacts. Add one to the result if the
submarine is damaged.
If the result is higher than the number indicated, the
submarine must RTB rolling on the Transit Event table if
necessary (See [15.22]).
If the result is equal to or less than the number, place the
submarine in the "Done" section of the OpArea.
[14.8] Clean-Up
Return the Japanese units and Combat Event markers to the
appropriate cups. If any of the ships that are italicized on the War
Mix Table (Shokaku, Taiho, Shinano, Yamato, Kaga, Asahi,
lzumo, or the BV) were sunk, they are removed from the game
and not placed back into the cups. Remove TDCs from the
combat display and return them to the draw pool.
[15.0] TRANSIT MOVEMENT PHASE
Transit Movement is the only way a submarine may move to and
from a Base. Submarines move along the light blue lines
connecting the Areas. Submarines performing Transit Movement
are placed on their Transit side. There are two types of Transit
Movement:
Deployment
Return to Base (RTB)
[15.1] Deployment: From a Base to an OpArea or Base to Base
If the submarine starts the Operations Segment in the Ready for
Sea Box of a Base, it can move any number of OpAreas up to its
' speed.
Note: departure from a permanent base to an adjacent OpArea is
counted against its speed rating, while departure from a Special
Mission Zone (SMZ) base to a connected OpArea is not since the
SMZ is considered to be "in" the OpArea.
© 2005 Compass Games, LLC
Perform a Transit Event roll [19. 1] for the sub using the OpArea
with the lowest number on the line for the current War Period
which contains a red box through which the submarine moved.
Do not use the OpArea from which the submarine started. If the
submarine survives undamaged, place it in the "Done" section of
the ending OpArea. The player places the submarine Transit side
up if it intends to transit further next turn, or Patrol side up if it
intends to patrol next turn. Once in patrol status a submarine may
never enter transit status again unless it is returning to base.
[15.11] In the following turn(s), a Transit side up submarine
repeats transit movement (and Transit Event roll). A submarine
may never move farther from an active base than its range value.
[15.2] Return to Base (RTB): From an OpArea to a Base.
Submarines may conduct RTB movement voluntarily or as a
Combat or Transit Event result. Such a submarine is marked with
an RTB marker and can never return to patrol status without
readying at a Base.
[15.21) Submarines may choose to RTB by skipping the Search
and Contact, and Combat Phases. Such a submarine is moved
via OpAreas to the Broom Box of the Base (see also [18.0]
Damage and [21.0] Bases). Perform a Transit Event roll for the
sub using the OpArea with the lowest number on the Area Activity
Chart with red boxes.
If the submarine is moving from an OpArea to an adjacent
Base (such as from the Hawaiian Islands to Pearl Harbor),
no Transit Event roll is made.
If the submarine cannot return to base in one move, it is left
in the "Done" section of the closest OpArea to the base that
it can reach. During the Transit Movement Phase of the
following turn(s), the submarine repeats Transit Movement
uAtil it can be moved to the Broom Box of the destination
Base. Conduct applicable Transit Events.
[15.22) A submarine may be forced to RTB by a Transit Event, a
Counterattack result during Combat, or by the Endurance Table.
Submarines forced to RTB are flipped to their Transit side and a
RTB marker is placed on them. During the Transit Movement
Phase, the submarine is moved via OpAreas to a destination
Base as directly as possible within its operational radius. If
undamaged, the submarine is placed in the Broom Box. If
damaged, it must determine the level of damage before being
placed in a Repair Box. (See 18.0 Damaged Submarines).
[15.23) Dutch Harbor
Operations out of Dutch Harbor were extremely difficult on
submarines and crew. Frigid temperatures resulted in extended
repairs and increased wear on machinery. Turnarounds on
submarine deployments sometimes exceeded a month. As a
result, any undamaged submarine which RTBs to Dutch Harbor
must make a roll on the Damage Table. Any results of Repair 2 or
Repair 3 are changed to Repair 1.
[15.24] Cautious Transit
A submarine that is Transit side up may choose to move a single
OpArea instead of at a higher speed in order to reduce
vulnerability to patrolling ASW assets. If a submarine chooses to
move one OpArea, subtract one from the Transit Event check
[19.1].
11
 SILENT WAR: Tire United States' Submarine Campaig11 Against Imperial japan: 1941-1945
[16.0] CONCLUDE TURN PHASE
[16.1 ] Check Victory Conditions
Check victory conditions for victory or defeat. If either is
achieved, play ends immediately.
[16.2] Spotted Marker Removal
Roll a die for every submarine at sea with a Spotted marker on it,
and subtract the rating of the sub's Super Skipper if it has one.
On a die roll of 0 through 6, remove the Spotted marker. On a die
roll of 7 through 9, the submarine remains spotted. Only one roll
is made for a spotted wolfpack, and the entire pack either
remains spotted or has the markers removed.
[16.3] Upon entry to a Base, any Spotted marker a submarine
has is removed.
[16.4] Remove ULTRA marker(s) from the map.
[16.5] Advance the Week marker, and the Month/Year markers if
needed.
[17.0] WAR PROGRESS PHASE
COMMENTARY
Almost every historian agrees that, ultimately, Japan would have
been defeated. Silent War assumes the inevitable defeat of
Japan as a key underlying component to the game system. The
game scenarios portray the Pacific War in four distinct periods:
W1-Pearl Harbor to Midway, W2-Midway to the End of the
Solomons Campaign, W3-Solomons Campaign to Leyte Gulf,
W4-Leyte Gulf to Tokyo Bay. The periods however, will not
follow the historical dates precisely. While some of this is
arbitrary, it is felt that these time frames roughly parallel the
change in Japanese naval and shipping movements upon which
the Area Activity Charts and Search and Contact processes are
based.
[17.1] PROCEDURE
The War Period marker begins the game set on the War Period
Track, according to the scenario instructions. At the beginning of
months marked with numbers in their boxes on the War Period
Transition Table, the player may determine if the War Period
advances. Conduct the following steps:
A. Consult the "War Period Modification Table". Ships &
Tonnage Sunk totals can advance the progress of the war or
retard it. Under the section for the next war period, cross-
index the Ships Sunk and the Tonnage Sunk to determine
the modification, rounding DOWN unless already at the
lowest level. This will give the player a modifier for use in the
next step.
B. Consult the "War Period Transition Table" and roll a die,
adding the Step A modifier. If the result is equal to or greater
(= or >) than the number in the box, the War Period
advances.
C. If the War Period fails to advance, another attempt may not
be made until the beginning of the following month.
[17.2] Automatic Advance
If the War Period has not advanced by the time all numbers for
transition have been attempted (November, 1942 for example),
the War Period advances automatically.
© 2005 Compass Games, LLC
[18.0] DAMAGED SUBMARINES
Submarines may be "damaged" during Transit Events or during
combat. If damaged, a Damage marker is placed on the
submarine. The actual level of damage is determined when the
submarine reaches a base.
[18.1] Should a submarine receive a second Damage marker, a
die is rolled:
If the die result is greater than (>)the Defense rating of
the submarine, it is sunk. Advance the Submarines
Sunk marker by one (1 ).
If the sub is not sunk, place a second Damage marker
on the sub. When the sub reaches base, determine its
damage level (see 10.0 Repair Phase) by rolling twice
on the Damage Table and adding the resulting Repair
Box numbers. If the total damage of the sub would place
it beyond Repair Box "3", then the submarine is
considered a "constructive total loss." It is removed from
play but it does not count against the submarines sunk.
[18.2] Should a submarine receive a third Damage marker, it is
sunk. Advance the Submarines Sunk marker by one (1 ).
[18.3] Damaged submarines that RTB must roll one die on the
Damage Table. The results of this die roll either place the
submarine in one of the Repair Boxes or into the Broom Box.
Damaged Submarines may not depart a major base once they
have arrived. In the cases of Manila and Surabaya, any damaged
submarines in the Repair Boxes 2 or 3 or in the Hold Box when
the base falls are scuttled and considered a "constructive total
loss." Do not advance the Lost Submarine marker. Submarines in
Repair Box 1 may limp out to sea. They receive a Damage
marker and must RTB to the nearest base. They roll again on the
Damage Table when arriving at their new base, though a result of
"Superficial Damage" is considered to be "Light Damage", placing
them in Repair Box 1.
[18.4] The player may "decommission" a badly damaged
submarine that the player does not want to repair at any time
while on the repair track. The submarine is removed from the
game but is not counted as "lost." If the submarine has a Super
Skipper, determine if he is assigned another submarine as per
[25.3].
[18.5] Damaged Surface Ships
Surface ships can be damaged as a result of submarine attack.
The ASW value of a ship with a Damage marker is zero (0), and
a negative one (-1 ) modifier is applied to the target value during
the Combat Phase. If a damaged surface ship survives all
combat (that is, it is not sunk), then the damage has no further
effect. Remove the Damage marker; the ship is assumed to have
made it to port.
[19.0] EVENTS
COMMENTARY
For good or bad, combat, whether between divisions, brigades,
ships, or aircraft, is governed by that intangible element called
fate. Submarine warfare is particularly susceptible to it.
Napoleon, the master opportunist, was once asked if given the
choice of choosing between a good general or a lucky general
12
 SILENT WAR: The United States' S11bmarine Campaign Agair1st Imperial japan: 1941-1945
who would he take? Le Tondue replied, "L'on fortune, chaque
temps!"- The lucky one, every time! Admirals Christie and
Lockwood would no doubt have agreed wholeheartedly with him.
At various times throughout the game, events will be summoned
by the game system. Players must immediately resolve these
events as they have immediate consequences for the
submarine(s). There are two types of events, Transit Events and
Combat Events.
[19.1] Transit Events
Transit Events reflect instances where submarines were spotted
and attacked before they were aware of the attacker's presence,
I or the loss of a submarine due to "causes unknown". These could
include being torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, attacked by
f an aircraft, striking a mine, or simply accidental loss such as a
battery explosion, or a catastrophic mechanical failure. A Transit
Event check occurs during Transit and Patrol Movement any time
a submarine enters an OpArea or SMZ.
PROCEDURE
Every time a submarine completes a Transit or Patrol Movement,
the player performs a Transit Event check. The Transit Event is
based on the governing OpArea. The governing OpArea is
determined in the following manner:
For Patrol Movement, use the OpArea the submarine has
moved into.
For a Special Mission Zone, use the OpArea from which the
submarine entered the Special Mission Zone.
For Transit Movement, use the OpArea with the lowest
number on the line for the current War Period which contains
a red box through which the submarine moved. Do not use
the OpArea from which the submarine started.
Roll a die for the submarine and apply the following cumulative
modifiers:
Subtract one if the submarine is Transit side up (i.e. not
performing Patrol Movement).
Subtract one if the submarine is conducting Cautious Transit
[15.24].
Subtract one if the submarine is a member of a wallpack [24.4].
Add one if the submarine is Spotted during War Periods 1
and 2 [23.0].
Add two if the submarine is entering a Special Mission Zone
(SMZ), see (20.3], or if entering/leaving the Sea of Japan [7.1].
Add one or more for Congregating Risk [22.1].
If the die roll equals or exceeds(= or>) the number at which red
results start, the player has encountered a Transit Event. The
player now rolls again twice on the Transit Event Table (located
on map) to find the row and column, and cross-references the
result. The result is applied immediately.
[19.11] If a submarine receives an RT8 result, the submarine is
placed in the OpArea used to determine the Transit Event check.
If more than one OpArea could have been used (lowest number
on the Area Activity Chart which contains a red box is the same),
the submarine is placed in whichever OpArea the player decides.
[19.2] Combat Events
Each cup contains one chit marked "Combat Event." When an
Event chit is revealed, play is momentarily stopped and the Event
is immediately resolved. The results of the Event supercede the
rules in all cases.
© 2005 Compass Games, LLC
PROCEDURE
Upon revealing an Event chit, roll a die and consult the Combat
Event table below. Implement the effects listed. The Event is
applicable to a single attack round, and only one Event can occur
per attack round.
COMBAT EVENTS
Die Roll
0 Target Lumbers into Wav
A Japanese ship suddenly crosses the path of one or
more torpedoes. Conduct the Combat Phase normally,
but prior to conducting the first attack round (14.15),
choose any face down "red ball" flagged ship in this or
an adjacent column, reveal it, and determine if it is sunk.
To do this, roll a die and add the current torpedo modifier
on the correct target size line of the Attack Results
Table. Continue the attack round normally. If no eligible
ships are on the display, ignore this Event.
Surface Gunnerv Combat
The submarine surfaces to engage in gun combat.
Conduct the Combat Phase normally but instead of the
attack round perform the following: 1) Place a Spotted
marker on the submarine. 2) Choose any revealed
Japanese merchant/transport piece in this column and
attack it using a die roll on the 26-35 line of the Attack
Results Table (Argonaut, Nautilus, and Narwhal use the
18-25 line, Surcouf uses the 10-17 line, and Leviathan
uses the 5-9 line). The value of the Mk-XIV torpedo is
NOT applied to the result. If there is no revealed
merchant/transport piece, or if there is a revealed IJN
unit ("white" aircraft, escort, CL, 88 etc or a Diligent
Escort), this event is ignored. When finished, proceed to
the Counterattack Round.
2 Circular Running Torpedo
A torpedo runs in a circle back toward the submarine.
Conduct the Attack Round normally, but additionally
conduct an attack on your own submarine. To conduct
this attack, the player adds one to the current Mk-XIV
torpedo value and a specially drawn TDC marker
(adding a negative number is the same as subtracting),
and rolls a die. If the die roll is equal to or less than the
result, the submarine is sunk. If the submarine survives
proceed to the Counterattack Round.
3 Betty Bomber Soots Submarine
The submarine is spotted and attacked by a Japanese
patrol bomber. Roll immediately on the "Event Aircraft"
line of the Counterattack Table and apply the results.
Proceed to the Endurance check.
4 Mechanical Troubles End Attack
The submarine encounters mechanical trouble. There is
no Combat Phase for the submarine this turn. Roll a
die:
• If an odd result, place a Damage marker and an RTB
marker on the submarine;
• If an even result, the chief engineer fixes the problem
and the submarine may resume normal operations
next turn. (It does not have to roll on the Endurance
Table for this turn.)
13
 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial japan: 1941-1945
5 Perfect Setup
The submarine approach was perfect. Proceed normally
except that all TDC markers for this round have negative
values. (i.e., treat all"+" as"-".)
6 Tonnage Doubled
The skipper spots a fat target. At the end of the Combat
Phase, double the tonnage of the largest merchant ship
sunk.
7 Counterattack - Combat
The sequence of combat is altered for this round only.
The escorts attack first, then, if not sunk or forced to
RTB, the submarine attacks the surface ships. Conduct
the initial attack round up through [14.11] thru [14.14]
then skip to the Counterattack Round [14.2]. If the
submarine is not sunk or forced to RTB, it may then
attack normally as per [14.15]. Then skip the
counterattack [14.2] since it was already conducted.
8 Counterattack
Escorts detect the submarine making its approach and
hold it down. Resolve as per Combat Event #7 except
the submarine cannot make an attack. If this event
occurs to a wolfpack, and one or more of the
submarines in that wolfpack have no escorts in the
same or an adjacent column, those submarines may go
on to attack the surface ships.
9 Combat - Combat
The submarine eludes all escorts and attacks the
surface ships. There is no Counterattack. After the first
round the Japanese force is still revealed in accordance
with [14.4].
(20.0] SPECIAL MISSION ZONES (SMZs)
COMMENTARY
Often, submarines were co-opted by higher levels of command
for special missions. In these cases, they were not available for
normal combat operations. Fortunately, special missions tended
to be of short duration and the co-opted subs were quickly
returned to regular duty.
Special Mission Zones (SMZs) are the circular areas on the map
without Area Activity Charts in them. These areas are where
submarines carried out special missions such as covering
invasions, inserting supplies and guerillas, supporting major
surface battles such as searching for downed airmen, or barring
enemy ship movement through a particular geographic location.
These SMZs see intensive activity by enemy surface forces thus
increasing both the chance to contact and engage targets, as well
as increasing the danger of detection and ASW attack.
[20.1] SMZs may not be entered unless they have been
activated on the War Event Table. Individual SMZs are activated
by a die roll on the Table during the Strategic Segment, and are
activated for only a single turn. SMZs are linked by a light blue
arrowhead to one or more OpAreas. SMZs may only be entered
via a linked OpArea.
[20.2] When assigned to an active SMZ, allocated submarines
are exempt from Congregating Risk (see 22.0) in that OpArea.
© 2005 Compass Games, LLC
[20.3]1mmediately after arriving in an OpArea, a submarine may
be repositioned to an active SMZ that is connected by a light blue
arrowhead to that OpArea. If a player moves a submarine to one
of the SMZs belonging to that OpArea, a Transit Event check
must be performed with a die roll modifier of +2, using the Area
Activity Chart of the OpArea from which the submarine entered
the SMZ.
[20.4] When in a SMZ, the submarine conducts the mission
given by the War Event. If it is a Search and Contact mission, use
the Area Activity Chart belonging to the OpArea from which it
entered into the SMZ. All die roll results on this Area Activity Chart
are increased by one Activity Level. Thus, Sparse becomes Low,
Low becomes Moderate, Moderate becomes High. High remains
High and No Contact remains No Contact. Other results may
apply as directed by the War Events Table.
[20.5] Submarines in a SMZ skip the Endurance check unless
otherwise noted. These submarines must conduct RTB
movement in the Transit Movement Phase of the current turn.
They may not return to any newly created Submarine Base
(Tender or Base) in that SMZ as the Base does not become
active until the War Progress Phase of the turn.
[21.0] BASES
Bases are where submarines start and end missions (unless they
are sunk during the mission). There are five major Bases in the
game, PEARL HARBOR, FREMANTLE, BRISBANE,
MANILNSUBIC BAY, and DUTCH HARBOR. Major bases are
represented by Base Displays on the Map. Of the major bases,
only Pearl Harbor is continuously active throughout the war. The
others become active and/or inactive due to a War Event as
follows:
A. Manila - Active at War Start. Inactive on War Event.
B. Fremantle -Active on War Event.
C. Brisbane - Active on War Event.
D. Dutch Harbor- Active on War Event. Inactive on War Event.
E. Subic Bay - Active on War Event.
[21.1] Forward Bases
The remaining bases are Forward Bases that are represented on
the map by Submarine Tenders in SMZs. These bases are:
A. Surabaya -Active on War Event. Inactive on War Event.
B. Midway - Active on War Event.
C. Majuro -Active on War Event.
D. Mios Woendi -Active on War Event.
E. Saipan -Active on War Event.
F. Guam - Active on War Event.
[21.11] Once active, a Forward Base SMZ may no longer be the
target of a Special Mission unless inactivated by a War Event.
Submarines moving to a Forward Base do not add +2 to their
Transit Event roll as per [20.3].
[21.2] Submarine Tenders
Submarine Tenders are specialized ships that support
submarines in forward areas, providing fuel , torpedoes, food, and
other supplies. They lacked the capabilities of a full base, but
could conduct minor repairs and provided valuable seNice in
extending the time a submarine could operate far from its home
port.
14
 SILENT WAR: The United States ' Submarine Campaign A gainst Imperial japan: 1941-1945
[21.21] When a Forward Base is made active by the War Event
Table, the player randomly selects a submarine tender and
places it in the SMZ in the War Progress Phase of the turn unless
otherwise noted. A tender may not be added to the draw pile until
its deployment date, which is printed on both the counter and the
submarine tender display.
[21.22] A submarine tender's support capacity is listed on the
Submarine Tender card and on the Tender counter. This is the
maximum number of submarines that can be in the tender's
Broom, Shipside, and Ready for Sea Boxes at any one time. If
the tender is at maximum capacity, no additional submarines may
RTB to that tender.
[21.23] A damaged submarine may RTB to a Forward Base in an
attempt to make minor repairs. Roll immediately on the
Submarine Damage Table. If the result is 'Superficial Damage',
move the submarine to the Broom Box of the appropriate tender.
If any other result, move the damaged submarine to the 'Done'
section of the applicable OpArea, and in subsequent turns it may
only RTB to a major base.
[21 .24] A submarine tender that is at a base which falls is
removed from play but remains eligible to be used for a new
base.
[22.0] CONGREGATING RISK
CO:v!MENTARY
One of the greatest risks for submarines not operating as a
.volfpack or assigned to special missions was congregating a
great number of them in an operating area. First, the radio traffic
often alerted the Japanese to increased activity, and second, the
activities of one submarine might unexpectedly draw enough
attention to reveal another. Just such an effort in 1942 caused a
rapid rise in submarine losses prompting the shore-based
commanders to stop ''playing checkers" with the boats.
There is no limit on the number of submarines that may be in an
OpArea. However, as the number of submarines increases,
abilities of increased submarine activity take effect.
[22.1] For each multiple of four submarines beyond the first four
n an OpArea with RED or BLUE boxes in its Area Activity Chart
:or the current War Period, implement the following modifiers for
all submarines:
A. Add one (+ 1) to any Transit Event die roll if the sub is
passing through, arriving or departing.
B. Subtract one (-1) when searching for ships on the Area
Activity Chart.
[ 22.2] The above modifiers are cumulative for additional
'Tlultiples of four (i.e. -2 search penalty and +2 to transit roll if nine
submarines in an OpArea, etc.).
[22.3] Wolfpacks and Congregating Risk
Every two (fractions rounded up) submarines in a wolfpack [24.0)
count as one submarine for purposes of Congregating Risk.
f) 2005 Compass Games, LLC
[23.0] SPOTTED EFFECTS
A spotted submarine has greater difficulty locating the enemy (as
the enemy is avoiding the area the reported submarine is in.) as
well as experiencing an increased risk of encountering Japanese
escort forces. When spotted during War Periods 1 and 2, subtract
one (-1) from any rolls on the Area Activity Chart and add one
(+1) on any Transit Event rolls.
Spotted submarines must also add one (+1) when rolling on the
Counterattack table per [14.2).
[23.1] Additional Spotted markers have no effect. If a submarine
that is already Spotted receives a Spotted result, no action is
taken.
[24.0] WOLFPACKS
COMMENTARY
Despite the successful use of co-mutually operated submarines
by the Germans (called wolfpacks, a term not universally adopted
by U.S. submarine forces) the United States was loath at first to
emulate this tactic. Various reasons are given ranging from
tactical ones to psychological ones. (The United States had, after
all, been brandishing the sword of indignant rage at the Germans
for their unrestricted submarine warfare and for the use of
"wolfpacks".) However, by the spring of 1943, Jimmy Fife,
commander of submarines in Brisbane, was willing to give it a try.
It would take some time for the Americans to develop the skill
necessary but by mid-1944, American wolfpacks were
accomplishing what the Germans could only dream of.
PROCEDURE
A Wolfpack may be only formed at a major sub Base (not a
Forward Base). All units that participate in a wolfpack must start
out from their Base at the same time and must arrive in the
wolfpack's OpArea at the same time. All wolfpack submarines are
placed under a Wolfpack marker. Submarines may leave a
wolfpack at any time but once a submarine has left a wolfpack, it
may not re-join it at sea later. The minimum number of
submarines a wolfpack may have is three (3).
[24. 1] Wolfpack Formation
Starting in October 1943, wolfpacks may be formed. The
submarines chosen must all be in the Ready for Sea Box.
[24.11] Prior to the Wolfpack Experience marker reaching nine
(9) (See Wolfpack Experience [24.7)), the following restrictions
are in effect:
A. A player may only deploy one wolfpack at a time.
B. Wolfpacks may not exceed three (3) submarines.
[24.12] The turn after the Wolfpack Experience marker reaches
nine (9), the following restrictions are in effect:
A. A player may deploy up to three oolfpacks at a time.
B. Wolfpacks may not exceed four (4) submarines.
[24.13] The turn after the Wolfpack Experience marker reaches
fifteen (15), the following restrictions are in effect:
A. A player may deploy up to five oolfpacks at a time.
B. Wolfpacks may not exceed six (6) submarines.
15
 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submari11e Ca111paign Agai11st l111perial japan: 1941-1945
[24.14] Disbanding
A wolfpack which falls below three submarines ceases to exist at
the end of the Combat Phase in which the pack fell below three.
The other two (or one) submarines may continue to attack
together for the current phase only. If the wolfpack falls below
three members due to a Transit Event or a member failing its
Endurance check, the pack is disbanded immediately.
COMMENTARY
A wolfpack is more than the sum of its parts. Although a pair of
submarines operating together benefits statistically, it is not
sufficient to qualify as a wolfpack for rules purposes.
[24.2] Wolfpacks and Movement
Wolfpacks follow the rules of movement except that all members
of a wolfpack move together as if it were a single unit. Wolfpacks
cannot transfer from Base to Base, but they may 'bounce' to a
new base after spending at least one turn in 'patrol' mode.
[24.3] Wolfpack Types
COMMENTARY
American wolfpacks had the boats operate in close proximity to
each other. While they covered less area, they were able to
quickly deliver a coordinated attack. German wolfpacks tended
to operate in a barrier fashion, often stretching in a line hundreds
of miles long. This allowed the Germans to have a higher
probability of detecting a convoy, but often resulted in the further
boats being unable to catch it.
Wolfpacks may be deployed in an OpArea or SMZ in two ways:
Group or Barrier. The player decides which type he is using prior
to the Search and Contact Phase [13.0).
[24.31] Group Pack: If deployed in a Group, the pack makes a
single die roll on the Area Activity Chart [13.2.A) with no modifier.
[24.32] Barrier Pack: If deployed in a Barrier, the pack makes a
single die roll on the Area Activity Chart [13.2.A] with a +2
modifier. If contact is made, one randomly chosen submarine
from the wolfpack is assumed to have made the contact. A
separate die roll is then made for each additional submarine in
the pack to determine if it is able to intercept as well. On a roll of
0-5 the submarine is able to intercept. On a roll of 6-9 the
submarine is unable to intercept and is set aside (but is still in the
wolfpack). At the conclusion of the turn, all surviving wolfpack
submarines (including those that did not intercept) that do not
have to RTB are placed in the "Done" section of the OpArea.
[24.4] Wolfpacks and Transit Events
Each submarine of a wolfpack must undergo Transit Events.
Each member must roll separately for Transit Events as normal,
however each wolfpack member subtracts one (-1) from the
Transit Event die roll.
Should a wolfpack member encounter a Transit Event, the
remaining die rolls to resolve that Transit Event are normal,
unmodified rolls.
[24.41] A member of a wolfpack sustaining a RTB/DAMAGE
result must drop out from the wolfpack and return to Base. This
may force a wolfpack to disband. A member of a wolfpack that is
sunk is removed from play.
[24.5] Wolfpacks and Combat
Wolfpacks conduct combat with all the wolfpack members on the
Combat Display. The player may freely assign submarines to the
© 2005 Compass Games, LLC
columns, with no more than two subs per column.
[24.51]1f a Diligent Escort counter is drawn, its attack is made on
a randomly chosen submarine prior to placing it in its proper
column.
[24.52] Combat Events [19.2) only apply to the submarine that
reveals the event chit.
[24.53] Combat is conducted normally except as noted below.
Each submarine resolves its attack and counterattack individually
(one at a time). The following sequence is used:
a. Assign subs to columns.
b. Starting with the sub of your choice, reveal Japanese
units per 14.12.
c. With the same sub, place TDC markers per 14.13.
d. Make the attack with that sub, utilizing the current
Revealed Escort level.
e. Resolve the counterattack on that sub.
f. Return to step (b) with sub #2, and so on.
[24.54] Revealed Escort Level
Each submarine will have its own Revealed Escort level, which
applies to the attack and the counterattack.
a. If a submarine has an escort in its column, the escort's
ASW factor is applied to that submarine.
b. If a submarine has an escort in an adjacent column, and
no submarine is in that column, the escort's ASW factor
is applied to that submarine.
c. The ASW level of an aircraft is applied to all submarines
regardless of column.
Note: this can result in the ASW factor of an escort vessel being
applied to up to four submarines.
[24.55] Re-Attack
Wolfpacks may Re-Attack once but never twice (coordination
breaks down too much). Each member of the wolfpack must
successfully roll for Re-Attack. Failure of this roll results in the
submarine withdrawing [14.3) from the current combat phase, but
the submarine is still a member of the wolfpack.
To determine if a wolfpack can conduct a Re-Attack, roll a die for
each member submarine. If the die roll is less than or equal to the
tactical rating of the submarine plus any Super Skipper value, it
may participate in a Re-Attack. Damaged submarines add two
(+2) to this die roll.
[24.6] Wolfpacks and SPOTIED Results.
Any SPOTTED result obtained by a member of a wolfpack results
in all members of that wolfpack being spotted. In the Conclude
Turn Phase, one die roll is made for the entire pack. If the result
is removal of the spotted marker, markers are removed from all
submarines in the pack. Otherwise, the entire pack remains
spotted.
[24.7] Wolfpack Experience
When two or more subs in a wolfpack sink an enemy ship in any
one Combat Phase [14.0), the wolfpack gains a Wolfpack
Experience Point. The Wolfpack Experience marker is increased
by one on the tonnage track. A wolfpack may only gain one
experience point per patrol.
When the Wolfpack Experience marker reaches nine
(9), the player's ability to deploy and assign submarines
16
 SILENT WAR: The U11ited States' Submarille Campaig11 Agai11st Imperial Japall: 1941-1945
to wolfpacks is improved.
When the Wolfpack Experience marker reaches fifteen
(15), the player's ability to deploy and assign
submarines to wolfpacks reaches its maximum.
[25.0] SUPER SKIPPERS
COM MENTARY
In any military endeavor, there are gifted individuals who rise
above their peers to achieve greatness.. The Submarine War
was no exception. Legendary skippers such as Morton, O'Kane,
and Klakring forever established a tradition of excellence for
those who would wear silver or gold dolphins in the U.S. Navy.
SILENT WAR provides twenty-four named skippers, two of which
are Allied skippers, who accomplished great feats of daring.
However, behind every great skipper is a skilled, dedicated crew
that allows the submarine to perform as a superb engine of war.
[25.1] Super Skipper Determination [also 14.5]
'I the submarine has sunk three (3) or more ships totaling 16,000
or more tons during the Combat Phase, the submarine has a
Super Skipper''.
If the submarine does not already have a Super Skipper,
a Super Skipper marker is randomly drawn a nd
assigned to that submarine with the +1 side of the
marker.
If the submarine already has a + 1 Super Skipper, the
Skipper is flipped to the +2 side.
If the submarine already has a +2 Super Skipper there is no
additional benefit.
[25.2] The Super Skipper normally remains with one submarine
and is lost if the submarine is lost.
[25.3] The only time a Super Skipper may be reassigned is if the
submarine is withdrawn from service (removed as per War Event
·esult or declared a constructive total loss (see [18.1] and [18.4]
:Jamage)). In such an event, roll a die for the Skipper. If the result
.s 0 thru 4, the Skipper is removed from play (re-assigned to
ira1ning command, a surface warship, or transferred to the War
Department). If the result is 5 thru 9, he may be assigned at the
-1 level to any submarine currently in a Repair Box, or a ny
submarine next in line to be received as a reinforcement or
•eturning from an overhaul.
Example: In December 1943, S-42 with +2 Whitaker is withdrawn
'rom active service. The player rolls a die and gets an 8. The
olayer may reassign + 1 Whitaker to any sub that is in a Repair
Box, or to Redfin, Angler, Flasher, Robalo, Tang, Jack, or Tambor
.vhich will be received in January of 1944.
[26.0] TWO PLAYER VARIANT
'O\I:-.1ENTARY
.; though there was one Commander of Submarines Pacific,
·~ere was, in all reality, two fully functional commands operating
s:;bmarines against the Japanese; Pacific Command at Pearl
_,arbor, and SouthWest Pacific Command at the two Australian
3ases at Fremantle and Brisbane.
i s possible to play Silent War with two players playing
C 2005 Compass Games, LLC
simultaneously, each taking one of the commands. This is not a
competitive game between players- it is a cooperative one. The
distribution of submarines and the variance of the Area Activity
Charts coupled with the distance between the commands and the
operational areas make it very hard to artificially balance the
game such that two players can "compete" for tonnage. All game
rules are followed normally. Both players play each turn using the
submarines at their disposal. Transfers of submarines are by
player agreement when not specified in the rules. A suggestion
for cooperation might be: Anytime the number of submarines
operating from Australia falls below thirty six, the SouthWest
Pacific Commander may demand six of the newest class of
submarines available to the Pearl Harbor Command. Players
should otherwise balance the distribution of submarines
(authorizing transfers as needed) and agree on operating areas.
Players are not prohibited from both hunting in the same OpArea
but Congregating Risk rules (22.0] apply.
[27.0] QUICK RESOLUTION
The quick resolution process is intended to resolve combats in an
expedited manner. Players should be fully familiar with the
normal combat process before using the quick resolution
process. This process is valid if used on occasion, however it is
not intended, nor recommended, for extensive use over a
campaign as the results this table generates are approximate and
over the course of a war can vary greatly from the historical
results.
PROCEDURE
Proceed normally thru [13.1]. Instead of continuing to (13.2],
follow the below alternate sequence:
1) Roll die twice . If 0,0 is the result, conduct Sub vs Sub
combat [1 4.6] and do not continue this sequence.
2) Calculate the submarine's attack value by adding its
attack factor, any super skipper value, and the current
Mk-XIV torpedo value. Subtract one (-1) if the
submarine is damaged, one (-1) if it is spotted (for a
maximum possible subtraction of two (-2) .
3) Determine the number of colored (non-white) boxes in
the applicable war period line of the OpArea chart, and
cross-index the two numbers on the Quick Resolution
Table.
4) Roll one die subtracting one (-1) if this is an ULTRA
area, one (-1) if the submarine has radar (1943-45), and
one (-1 ) if the submarine is a member of a wallpack (for
a maximum possible subtraction of three (-3).
5) Subtract this number from the number previously found
on the Quick Resolution Table. This result is the number
of ships sunk.
(If the table value was 3 and the die roll was 2, then one
ship is sunk)
6) Draw the first ship from Cup A, the second from Cup B,
the third from Cup C, the fourth from Cup D, the fifth
from Cup A, and etc. Remember which cup was the last
one drawn from, and in the next combat sequence begin
with the Cup following the last one.
7) All ships drawn are sunk except for Diligent Escorts.
17
 SILENT WAR: Tile United Stales' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

8) If a Combat Event marker is drawn, immediately resolve
it before making further draws. Disregard all events
except "Circular running torpedo", "Betty Bomber spots
submarine", and "Mechanical Troubles End Attack".
9) If a Diligent Escort is drawn, roll immediately on the
"Diligent Escort" line of the counter-attack table.
10) If an aircraft is drawn, roll immediately on the "Event
Aircraft" line of the counter-attack table.
[27-1] Quick Resolution Counter Attack
To resolve the counter-attack, roll a die, subtract one-half
(fractions rounded up) of the submarine's defense value and find
the colored box in the appropriate war period line of the OpArea
Activity chart, applying the following results:
If the result is a white box, the combat for the round ends.
If the result is a green box, the submarine is spotted.
If the result is an orange box, the submarine must RTB.
If the result is a blue box, the submarine is damaged.
If the result is a red box, the submarine has been sunk.
If the submarine began the combat damaged, add one (+ 1) to the
die roll.

Quick Resolution Table [27.0]

Number of non-white boxes on Area Activity Chart

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
7 1 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5
Attack factor, 6 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5
+ Super Skipper, 5 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4
+ Torpedo Value, 4 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4
-1 if Damaged, 3 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3
-1 if Spotted 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3
= Sub Attack Value 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3
0 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3

[28.0] RESERVED for future game expansion.

[29.0] RESERVED for future game expansion.

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 18

 SILEN T W A R : The United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

[5.0] War Event Tables

War Period 1
Die Roll Event
0 Special Mission: Fall of Luzon.
Three submarines must move to Davao to evacuate Allied personnel and Filipino gold reserves.
No attacks may be made. All submarines currently inport Manila regardless of readiness must
conduct Base-to-Base movement to Surabaya andfor Fremantle. Any subs in Repair Boxes 2
or 3 or in the Hold Box are scuttled but are not counted as sunk. Once this event occurs, Manila
has fallen and no further operations may be conducted from it. Fremantle Base immediately
becomes operational. Immediately place the American Submarine Tender Holland at Surabaya.
If this Event is rolled a second time, conduct:
Special Mission: Run to Corregidor.
Two submarines must move to Davao delivering supplies and evacuating VIPs. No attacks may
be made.
1 If "Fall of Luzon" has not occurred (result 0), conduct that Event instead. If it has:
Special Mission: Fall of Dutch East Indies.
Six submarines must move to Surabaya to evacuate Allied personnel. No attacks may be made.
All submarines currently inport Surabaya regardless of readiness must conduct Base-to-Base
movement to Brisbane and/or Fremantle. If the Dutch submarine base is active, any subs in
Repair Boxes 2 or 3 or in the Hold Box are scuttled but are not counted as sunk. Remove
Holland from Surabaya. Brisbane Base immediately becomes operational.
If this Event is rolled again, conduct Barrier mission in the East Indies Straits.
2 Special Mission: Barrier mission in the East Indies Straits.
Deploy eight submarines to the Makassar and Molucca Straits. Only contacts with C2 and TF
results are used.
3 Roll twice on the ULTRA table.
4 No roll on the ULTRA table this turn.

5 The Hunt for Wounded Bear.

The Battle of the Coral Sea has occurred. CinCPac orders submarines to search for the damaged
carrier Shokaku. Twelve submarines must deploy to the Coral Sea, Bismark Sea, andfor Caroline
Islands. Only TF results count for submarines in these OpAreas. If Shokaku is located in one of
these areas this turn, place a damaged marker on her. This is a one time only event, after that
treat as No Event.
6 Aleutians Campaign Opens.
Eight submarines must deploy to the Aleutians. Dutch Harbor Sub Base becomes operational
and the player must designate a minimum of eight submarines to base from and RTB to Dutch
Harbor. These submarines may only operate in the Aleutians and Kuriles, and must be replaced
if lost. This is one time only event, after that, treat as No Event.
7 No roll on the ULTRA table this turn.
8 Roll twice on the ULTRA table.
9 If "The Hunt for Wounded Bear" (result 5) has not occurred, conduct that Event instead. If it has:
The Battle of Midway.
Eleven submarines must deploy to Midway. All submarines in the Pierside Box at Pearl Harbor
are immediately placed in the Hawaiian Islands patrol side up. All submarines in the Pierside
Box at Dutch Harbor (if active) are immediately placed in the Aleutians patrol side up. Only TF
results are used for the submarines in these OpAreas and at Midway. This is a one time only
event, after that, treat as No Event.

~ 2005 Compass Games, LLC 19

 SILENT WAR: I11e U11ited States' Submarine Campaign Agai11st Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

War Period 2
If certain Events have not been rolled during the previous period, Manila and Surabaya Bases are no longer operational.
Fremantle, Brisbane, and Dutch Harbor Bases become operational, and the Aleutian Campaign opens.

Die Roll Event

0 Roll twice on the ULTRA table.
1 No roll on the ULTRA table this turn.
2 Relegation to training duty.
Remove three submarines from play. These may be at sea or a Base and may be under repair.
These boats are not counted as sunk. The first submarines removed must be Cachalot and
Cuttlefish if still in play. The player is not required to remove any submarine with an attack
rating of '4' or higher. If the Subs Lost marker is at twenty or higher, only two submarines
need be removed. If no eligible submarines remain in play, treat as No Event.
3 Roll twice on the ULTRA table.
4 No roll on the ULTRA table this turn.
5 Special Mission: Blockade ofTruk.
Player must deploy fifteen submarines to Truk. Only contacts with C2 and TF results are used.
6 Torpedo Shortage.
Due to lagging production of Mk-XIV torpedoes and delays in shipments, especially to Australia,
four submarines are sent on dangerous inshore minelaying missions instead. These four
submarines must deploy to one of the following SMZs: Formosa, Lingayen Gulf, Davao,
Makassar Strait, Molucca Strait, Mios Woendi, or Surabaya. No S1 or S3 classes may be
used (these had plenty of old Mk-X torpedoes) . No attacks may be made.
7 Political Pressure.
With Japanese submarines torpedoing Yorktown, Wasp, Saratoga, and North Carolina, the
brass asks why American subs aren't performing similar feats. Submarines are ordered to
concentrate on warships. For all OpAreas except Empire and China, only contacts with TF
results are used.
8 Midway Base Operational.
Place a Submarine Tender on Midway in the War Progress Phase. This is a one time only event,
after that, treat as No Event.
9 Special Mission: Solomons Campaign.
Player must deploy twelve submarines to Guadalcanal. Only contacts with TF results are used.

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 20

 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

War Period 3
If certain Events have not been rolled during the previous period, Midway Base becomes operational, and
if still in service, Cachalot and Cuttlefish are relegated to training duty.

Die Roll Event

0 If the date is not October 1943 or later, conduct Relegation to Training Duty instead.
If it is:
Special Mission: End of Aleutians Campaign.
Player must deploy twelve submarines to Aleutians and Kuriles. Only contacts with TF results
are used. Following this event, Dutch Harbor Submarine Base is closed, and all remaining
S-boats (51 and 53 classes) are relegated to training duty (removed from play). If any damaged
submarines are at Dutch Harbor, they remain there until they are repaired normally. This is a
one time only event, after that, treat as No Event.
1 No roll on the ULTRA table this turn.
2 Relegation to training duty.
Remove three submarines from play. These may be at sea or a Base and may be under repair.
These boats are not counted as sunk. The first submarines to be removed must be Argonaut,
Narwhal, and Nautilus if still in play (these large boats were used for special operations). The
player is not required to remove any submarines with an attack rating of '6' or higher. If the Subs
Lost marker is at fifty or higher, only two submarines need be removed. If no eligible submarines
remain in play, treat as No Event.
3 Special Mission: Airstrike on Truk.
Player must deploy ten submarines to Truk. Only contacts with C2 and TF results are used.
4 Special Mission: Invasion of the Marshalls.
Player must deploy twelve submarines to Majuro. Only contacts with TF results are used.
Place a Submarine Tender on Majuro in the War Progress Phase. This is a one time only
event, after that, treat as No Event.
5 Special Mission: Airstrike on Palau.
Player must deploy twelve submarines to Palau. Only contacts with TF results are used.
6 Roll twice on the ULTRA table.
7 Special Mission: Airstrike on Surabaya.
Player must deploy ten submarines to Surabaya. Only contacts with C2 and TF results are used.
8 Special Mission: Invasion of Biak.
Player must deploy ten submarines to Mios Woendi. Only contacts with TF results are used.
Place Submarine Tender on Mios Woendi in the War Progress Phase. This is a one time
only event, after that, treat as No Event.
9 If date is not April, 1944 or later, roll twice on the ULTRA table.
If it is:
Special Mission: Invasion of Saipan.
Player must deploy six submarines to Saipan and six submarines to the Bonins. Only contacts
with TF results are used for these Zones/Areas. Place a Submarine Tender on Saipan in the
War Progress Phase.
If this Event is rolled again, conduct:
Special Mission: Invasion of Guam.
Player must deploy six submarines to Guam and six submarines to the Bonins. Only contacts
with TF results are used for these Zones/Areas. Place a Submarine Tender on Guam in the
War Progress Phase. This is a one time only event, after that, treat as No Event.

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 21

 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

War Period 4
If certain Events have not been rolled during the previous period, Aleutians Campaign is ended and Dutch Harbor is closed.
Mios Woendi, Majuro, Saipan, and Guam Bases become operational. If still in service, all S-boats (S1 and S3 classes) plus
Argonaut, Narwhal, and Nautilus are relegated to training or special operations.

Die Roll Event

0 If year is 1944,

conduct Airstrike on Ryukyus (Event 2).

If year is 1945:
Special Mission: Invasion of Okinawa and the Hunt for Iron Maiden.
Player must deploy eleven submarines to Okinawa to cover the invasion and intercept the
Yamato response force. Only contacts with TF results are used. If this event is rolled again,
conduct relegation to training duty.
1 Special Mission: Invasion of Leyte.
Player must deploy fifteen submarines to Davao and/or Formosa. Only contacts with TF results
are used.
If it Event is rolled again, conduct:
Special Mission: Liberation of the Philippines.
Player must deploy twenty submarines to Lingayen Gulf and/or Formosa. Only contacts
with TF results are used. Submarine Base Subic Bay becomes operational in the War
Progress Phase. This is a one time only event, after that, treat as No Event.
2 Special Mission: Airstrike on the Ryukyus.
Player must deploy eight submarines to Okinawa. Only contacts with C2 and TF results are used.
3 Roll twice on the ULTRA table.
4 No roll on the ULTRA table this turn.
5 Special Mission: Airstrike on Formosa.
Player must deploy eight submarines to Formosa. Only contacts with C2 and TF results are used.
6 Relegation to training duty.
Remove three submarines from play. These may be at sea or a Base and may be under repair.
These boats are not counted as sunk. The player is never required to remove any submarine
with an attack rating of '7' or higher. If the Subs Lost marker is at seventy or higher, only two
submarines need be removed. If no eligible submarines remain in play, treat as No Event.
7 Special Mission: Support B-29 raids on Japan.
Player must deploy six submarines to the Inland Sea to rescue downed pilots. No attacks may
be made.
8 Special Mission: Pursuit of lse & Hyuga.
Player must deploy ten submarines to Formosa to intercept the hybrid carrier force which is
fleeing from Singapore to Japan. Only contacts with TF results are used.
If this Event is rolled again, conduct "Support B-29 raids on Japan" (event 7).
9 Special Mission: Invasion of lwo Jima.
Player must deploy five submarines to the inland Sea. Only contacts with TF results are used
for subs in the Bon ins and Inland Sea. If this Event is rolled again, place a second Submarine
Tender at Guam. If this Event is rolled yet again, treat as No Event.

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 22

 SILEN T WAR: T11e United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

War Events for East Wind Early Campaign

Die Roll Event
0 Special Mission: Japanese landing on Luzon.
Four submarines must move to Lingayen Gulf to attack Japanese landing forces. Only
contacts for C2 or TF results are used. If this Event is rolled again, roll on ULTRA table
using the WP4 line.
1 Special Mission: Japanese invasion of Guam.
Four submarines must move to Guam to attack Japanese landing forces. Only contacts
for C2 or TF results are used. If this Event is rolled again, roll on ULTRA table using
the WP3 line.
2 Special Mission: Interdiction of Japanese support forces.
Two submarines must move to Formosa and each must remain until Spotted, Damaged,
or an RTB result is received. Only contacts for C2 or TF results are used.
3 Special Mission: Bombardment of port facilities at Okinawa.
Two submarines must move to Okinawa. If available, Leviathan, Argonaut, Narwhal, Nautilus,
Barracuda, Bass, and/or Bonita must be used for this event due to their large caliber guns. Only
TF contacts may be used. If this Event is rolled again, roll on ULTRA table using the WP3 line.
4 Roll on the ULTRA table this turn using the WP4 line.
5 Roll on the ULTRA table this turn using the WP3 line.
6 Advance Base set up. Place submarine tender Holland at Wake Island. If this Event is rolled
again, roll on ULTRA table using the WP3 line.
7 Roll on the ULTRA table this turn using the WP4 line.
8 If the " Japanese Landing on Luzon" (result 0) has not occurred, conduct that event instead.
If it has, and date is September or earlier:
Roll on ULTRA table using the WP41ine.
If October or later:

Japanese Army forces break through and approach Manila, prompting withdrawal of
submarines to Mindanao. Place submarine tender Canopus at Davao along with all
undamaged submarines currently inport Manila. All damaged submarines at Manila are
scuttled regardless of damage level, but are not counted towards subs lost. Any damaged
submarines at sea must RTB to Pearl Harbor (or Surabaya if active).
If this Event is rolled again, roll on ULTRA table using WP3 line.
9 Dutch Intervention.
Feeling that they will be next, the Dutch intervene and send a submarine division to assist.
Place submarine tender Pelikaan on Surabaya to indicate that it is active. K-V/11, K-X, K-XI, and
K-X/1 are immediately available in the Broom Box at Surabaya. Dutch submarines use the
same torpedo value as the Americans.
If this Event is rolled again, roll on ULTRA table using the WP4 line.

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 23

 Cctt11 ~, , ,-
Compass Games LLC
PO Box 271. Cromwell, CT06416
www.compossgomes.com

JOOJ-l
 SILENT WAR: Tire United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japmz: 1941-1945

[30.0] SPECIAL RULES [31.01] Master Submarine Reinforcements List

The following table is used for all campaigns except for
The following special rules reflect unique conditions that are not MacArthur's Navy, which has its own. This lists the submarines
covered under the regular rules sections. that enter the war starting in January 1942 and their starting
bases .. The list is consulted starting the month following the
[30.1] Japanese Battleship Doctrine beginning of the campaign being run. If a base of arrival is not yet
Japanese battleships were closely hoarded by Combined Fleet active, or it has fallen, the submarines are received at Pearl
Command. To accurately reflect the employment of the Japanese Harbor (Exception: Brisbane subs are received at Fremantle if
battleships, all BB and BV other than Kongo class (BB 32t) and the latter is active). All arriving submarines are placed in the
Yamato (BB 68t) may only appear in Empire Pacific, Sea of Broom Box of the receiving Base.
Japan, and East China Sea. In War Period 3, they may also
appear in the North Philippine Sea. If a combat takes place in an The list also contains submarines that are withdrawn for refit in
area other than the above, any battleships other than a 32t or 68t California. These submarines are preceded by "Withdraw", and
turned up on the combat display are placed back in the cup. are removed from play immediately, even if at sea and/or
Reveal another counter in their place. damaged, and placed in the "West Coast" Box on the map. Any
Super Skipper stays with the boat, and any Damaged marker is
[30.2] Special Entry for Japanese Ships removed. If the submarine has been sunk (or is listed as sunk at
Nine Japanese ships have entry dates printed on them. These the start of the campaign), no other submarine takes its place.
ships are not placed in the cups until their date of entry. These While in overhaul, a submarine cannot be removed from play via
ships enter on the following dates: BB Yamato (4/42), CV Taiho the War Event result "Relegation to Training Duty".
(3/44), CV Shinano (11/44), the BV (10/43), and the five DE
Matsu class (3/44 ). After a number of months, submarines in overhaul are returned
to service. These are preceded by "Return" on the list. All
[30.3] Enemy Submarines returning submarines are placed in the Broom Box of Pearl
For Sub vs. Sub Combat [14.6], consult the below table to Harbor except for the S-boats, which are placed in the Broom
Box of Dutch Harbor.
determine what submarine classes are available for selection,
and randomly draw one submarine. Tonnage is the value of the
January 1942:
submarine if it is sunk.
Pearl Harbor:
Cuttlefish, Grayling, Tuna
Class Date Available Date Withdrawn Tonnage
February 1942:
L4 4/32 4/43 1t
Dutch Harbor:
KD4 4/32 7/44 2t S-18, S-23
C1 12/41 n/a 3t Pearl Harbor:
KD7 2/42 n/a 2t Gar, Grampus, Grayback, Grenadier
3/43 n/a 1t Withdraw:
K6
Dolphin, Argonaut, Plunger, Pompano,
IXC40* 6/43 5/45 1t Tautog
Calvi* 7/43 9/43 2t
March 1942:
IXD2* 8/43 5/45 2t
None

*German and Italian submarines are only available if the OpArea April1942:
is Java Sea or South China Sea 2. Dutch Harbor:
S-34, S-35
Brisbane:
[31.0] THE CAMPAIGN GAMES S-42, S-44, S-47
Pearl Harbor:
The campaign games of SILENT WAR allow a player to explore,
Drum, Gato, Greenling, Silversides
in depth, the full operational aspects of waging a major
submarine campaign against a significant naval power. SILENT May 1942: BB Yamato added to War Mix
WAR presents five standard campaign games: The Full Dutch Harbor:
Campaign, Red Sun Rising, Turning the Tide, Red Sun Setting, S-27, S-28
and MacArthur's Navy. Also presented is a bonus hypothetical Pearl Harbor:
campaign set a decade earlier: East Wind Early. Flying Fish, Grouper, Growler, Nautilus,
Trigger
No matter which campaign game the player chooses, be aware
Return:
that it will take a long time to play out the entire war. While it is
Dolphin, Pompano, Tautog
not necessary, players are advised to begin with the patrol games
Brisbane:
in order to familiarize themselves with the mechanics of play
S-43, S-45, S-46
before tackling the campaign games. When a player begins a
campaign game, it is advisable to select a place to set up the
game that will allow it to remain set up for a long time.

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 2

 SILENT WAR: Tlze U11ited States' Submarine Campaig11 Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

June 1942: March 1943:

Dutch Harbor: Pearl Harbor:
Grunion, Finback Scamp
Withdraw: Withdraw:
Tarpon. Perch Swordfish, Searaven
Return:
April1943:
Plunger
Pearl Harbor:
July 1942: Pogy, Scorpion, Snook, Steelhead
Dutch Harbor: Withdraw:
S-31, S-32. S-33 Kingfish
Pearl Harbor: Return:
Haddock Salmon, Seal, Skipjack, Seawolf
Withdraw:
Porpoise, Pike, Pollack, Shark May 1943:
Pearl Harbor:
August 1942: Hoe, Tinosa
Dutch Harbor: Return:
S-30, Halibut Seadragon, Sargo, Saury, Sculpin,
Pearl Harbor: Sailfish, Sea/ion
Albacore, Guardfish, Wahoo Return to Dutch Harbor:
Return: S-40, S-41, S-42, S-44, S-45, S-46, S-47,
Argonaut Narwhal
September 1942: June 1943:
Pearl Harbor: Pearl Harbor:
Amberjack, Kingfish Gunnel, Gurnard, Harder, Jack, Lapan,
Withdraw: Mingo
Pickerel, Permit, Pompano, Narwhal Withdraw:
Grayback, Gudgeon, Grenadier, Gato,
October 1942:
Wahoo
Pearl Harbor:
Ret urn:
Whale
Sturgeon, Spearfish, Searaven, Snapper
Withdraw:
S-40, S-41, S-42, S-43, S-44, S-45, S-46, July 1943:
S-47 Brisbane:
Return: Balao, Pompon
Tarpon, Pollack, Perch Pearl Harbor:
Paddle, Tullibee
November 1942:
Withdraw:
Pearl Harbor:
Tautog, Gunnel
Sunfish
Ret urn:
December 1942: Kingfish, Swordfish
Withdraw:
August 1943:
Salmon, Seal, Skipjack, Seawolf
Fremantle:
Return :
Billfish, Bowfin, Puffer
Porpoise, Pike, Shark
Pearl Harbor:
January 1943: Submarines are equipped with radar Parga, Seahorse
Brisbane: Withdraw:
Peto Thresher, Triton
Pearl Harbor: Return:
Runner, Sawfish, Tunny Wahoo
Withdraw:
September 1943:
Sturgeon, Sargo, Saury, Sculpin,
Brisbane:
Seadragon, Sea/ion
Bluefish, Bonefish, Cisco, Rasher
Return:
Pearl Harbor:
Pompano
Barb, Cabril/a, Cero, Muska/Junge, Shad,
February 1943: Skate
Withdraw: Withdraw:
Spearfish, Sailfish, Snapper Gar, Grampus, Tambor, Whale, Finback,
Return: Tunny
Pickerel, Permit Return:
Gudgeon, Grenadier, Gato, Grayback

~ 2005 Cor-pass Ga~es LLC 3

 SILENT WAR: The Utzited States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial japan: 1941-1945

October 1943: BV 36t added to War Mix, wolfpacks may be April1944:

formed Brisbane:
Brisbane: Bashaw, Bluegill, Flounder
Blackfish Pearl Harbor:
Fremantle: Gabilan, Guavina, Perch II, Tilefish
Cape/in, Cod, Crevalle Return:
Pearl Harbor: Drum, Gurnard, Muskallunge, Tuna
Dace
Withdraw: May 1944:
Grayling, Trout, Jack, Greenling, Grouper Pearl Harbor:
Return: Flier, Guitarro, Pilotfish, Pintado, Pipefish,
Tautog Shark II
Withdraw:
November 1943: Trigger, Skipjack
Brisbane: Return:
Raton, Ray Albacore, Barb
Pearl Harbor:
Apogon, Aspro, Corvina June 1944:
Withdraw: Brisbane:
Bream
Stingray, Hoe, Lapon, Paddle, Growler,
Grunion Pearl Harbor:
Caval/a, Cobia, Hammerhead, Piranha,
Return:
Plaice, Pomfret, Sea/ion II
Triton, Thresher, Gunnel
Withdraw:
December 1943: Halibut, Herring, Silversides, Pogy,
Pearl Harbor: Kingfish, Sargo, Spearfish
Archerfish, Batfish, Darter, Haddo, Hake, Return:
Herring Guardfish, Amberjack
Withdraw:
July 1944:
Drum, Pargo, Harder, Mingo, Shad
Pearl Harbor:
Return:
Barbel, Croaker, Hardhead, Redfish,
Greenling, Whale, Finback, Gar, Grampus
Ronquil, Spadefish, Sterlet
Januarv 1944: Withdraw:
Fremantle: Peto
Redfin
August 1944:
Pearl Harbor:
Pearl Harbor:
Angler, Flasher, Robalo, Tang
Barbero, Baya, Becuna, Hawkbi/1,
Withdraw:
Queenfish, Razorback, Scabbardfish,
Gurnard
Segundo
Return:
Withdraw:
Jack, Tambor
Tinosa, Tul/ibee
Februarv 1944:
September 1944:
Pearl Harbor:
Pearl Harbor:
Burrfish, Picuda, Rock, Sandlance
Berga/1, Besugo, Escolar, lcefish, Sea
Return:
Devil, Sea Dog, Trepang
Growler, Grayling, Hoe, Lapon, Mingo,
Withdraw:
Trout, Tunny
Pompon, Puffer, Rasher, Scorpion,
March 1944: CV Taiho and five DE Matsu added to Stee/head, Sandlance, Tautog
War Mix Return:
Pearl Harbor: Shad, Silversides, Trigger
Bang, Golet, Pampanito, Parche
October 1944:
Withdraw:
Muska/Junge, Guardfish, Albacore, Barb, Pearl Harbor:
Atule, Jallao, Kete, Sea Cat, Sea Fox,
Amberjack
Blackfin
Return:
Return:
Paddle, Pargo, Harder, Grouper, Grunion
Peto, Pogy, Skipjack, Kingfish, Sargo,
Spearfish

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 4

 SILENT WAR: The Ur1ited States' Submari11e Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

November 1944: CV Shinano added to War Mix July 1945:

Pearl Harbor: Pearl Harbor:
Blenny, Caiman, Dragonet, Sea Owl, Sea Catfish, Entemedor, Macabi
Poacher, Sea Robin, Spikefish Return:
Withdraw: Hake, Snook
Flying Fish
August 1945:
December 1944: Pearl Harbor:
Pearl Harbor: Cutlass, Stickleback
Blueback, Boarfish, Charr, Devilfish, Return:
Kraken, Spot, Threadfin Flasher, Flounder
Withdraw:
Cod, Cera, Corvina, Darter, Raton, Ray September 1945:
Return:
Return:
Tinosa, Tullibee, Tautog Bream, Rock, Sawfish, Sunfish

Januarv 1945:
Pearl Harbor:
Blower, Brill, Lagarto, Piper, Sennet [31.1] CAMPAIGN GAME 1: THE SUBMARINE
Withdraw: CAMPAIGN AGAINST JAPAN
Haddo, Redfin, Robalo
Return: Prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th,
Pompon, Rasher 1941 that pulled the United States into the Pacific War with
Japan, the United States had taken a very strong moral position,
Februarv 1945: strenuously protesting Germany's unrestricted submarine war.
Pearl Harbor: Pointing to incidents such as the World War I sinking of Lusitania,
Bugara, Chub, Lamprey, Springer, Tench various naval treaties, and the London Submarine Agreement,
Withdraw: the United States was able to influence Germany, albeit slightly,
Angler, Dace, Whale towards a more "restricted" use of its submarines. The moral high
Return: ground had been defended. Yet, just six hours after bombs and
Puffer, Scorpion torpedoes crippled much of the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, the
following communication was issued to all American naval forces:
March 1945:
Pearl Harbor: "EXECUTE UNRESTRICTED AIR AND
Hackleback, Tigrone, Tirante, Trutta SUBMARINE WARFARE AGAINST JAPAN."
Withdraw:
Hake, Snook American Naval innocence was over: the humble beginnings of
Return: what would be the greatest submarine campaign ever waged had
Cod, Cera begun.
April1945:
Pearl Harbor: [31.11] GAME LENGTH
Bumper, Lionfish, Lizardfish, Taro, Torsk SILENT WAR's full campaign game starts in December 1941 ,
Withdraw: and lasts until the war ends as per the War Period Table. At the
Flasher, Flounder end of the game, players total the Japanese tonnage and ships
Return: sunk and th e number of submarines lost. Victory conditions are
Corvina, Darter, Raton, Ray, Sandlance determined according to [31 .1 4].

May 1945: Game Start: Week 2, December 1941

Pearl Harbor: Game End: Historically Week 3, August 1945
Cabezon, Capitaine, Carbonero, Dentuda, Length: Historically 178 turns
Loggerhead, Manta, Quillback In the first turn of the campaign, the Strategic Segment is
Withdraw: skipped. There is no check for War Event, Torpedo Improvement,
Rock, Runner, Sawfish, Scamp, Sunfish or ULTRA areas.
Return:
Haddo, Dace, Flying Fish
[31.12] CAREER LONGEVITY
June 1945: (MINIMUM PERFORMANCE)
Pearl Harbor: It is clear that given historical 20-20 hindsight about the true
Carp, Moray, Runner II, Thornback, nature of the vast industrial capability of the United States, the
Argonaut II Americans could have waited for newer ships and submarines to
Withdraw: come into play before assaulting the Japanese Empire. But that
Bream was not a realistic course of action for those who were looking at
Return : the burning battleships in Pearl Harbor in 1941. Prosecuting the
Whale, Angler, Redfin, Robalo war against the Japanese was crucial , not only from a strategic
point of view, but also in terms of morale on the home front. The

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 5

 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

military need, too, was great lest Imperial Japan acquire a firm Deploy in Special Mission Zone Wake: (These submarines
foothold in the far-flung islands of the Pacific. must remain in the Wake Island SMZ for two turns after which
these submarines RTB to Pearl Harbor. No rolls are made on the
The player takes the role of COMSUBPAC and is tasked with Endurance Table. Only contacts with TF results are used.)
"bringing home the bacon" throughout the war. If the player fails Tambor, Triton
to achieve a certain number of tons sunk at the end of the first six
quarters of the war, the player is "sacked" by CINCPAC at the
[31 .14] VICTORY CONDITIONS
request of the Chief of Naval Operations, and loses the game.
COMMENTARY
Following the conclusion of the last week of the indicated months The final victory, the defeat of Imperial Japan, is a given in
below, the player consults the tons sunk chart. If the total tonnage SILENT WAR. Armed with the hindsight of history and executing
sunk is not equal to or greater than the minimum performance a methodical plan, a player should be able to duplicate the
tons sunk, the player is relieved of command and assigned to the American victory. The real challenge of SILENT WAR is to
Bureau of Ordnance, where he or she will eventually be blamed exceed that victory and bring the war to an end before August of
for the failures of the torpedo, the campaign , and even the war. 1945. The more ships and tonnage a player sinks, the more likely
The game is over. the war's end will come sooner and, in the end, when all is said
and done, that is the ultimate goal of any military operation.
Month Date Tons Sunk
3 Feb 42 90,000 The war ends when tonnage sunk exceeds 5,500,000 tons. The
6 May 42 220,000 level of victory is determined by the date at which this occurs:
9 Aug 42 360,000
Pre-1945: Total Victory
12 Nov 42 620,000
Jan-Mar '45: Decisive Victory
15 Feb 43 720,000
Apr-Jun '45: Improved Victory
18 May 43 980,000
July-Aug '45: Historical Victory
Beginning in June 1943, the player continues the game to the Sept '45: Draw
end without fear of early relief. Oct-Dec '45: Failure

This is the basic victory level. The player should now modify this
[31.13] SUBMARINE ORDER OF BATTLE level by the total of the submarines lost during the war according
The following table lists the submarines that start the war in to the following schedule:
December, 1941. All submarines are considered "Ready for Sea"
unless noted otherwise: Submarines Lost Result
0 to 20 Raise by two levels.
Deploy at Submarine Base Manila: 21 to 40 Raise by one level.
Perch, Permit, Pickerel, Pike, Porpoise, S-37, S-38, S- 41 to 60 No modification. (historical: 49*)
39, S-40, S-41, Sailfish, Salmon, Sargo, Saury, Sculpin, 61 to 80 Lower by one level.
Sea/, Searaven, Seawo/f, Shark, Skipjack, Snapper, 81 or more Lower by two levels.
Spearfish, Stingray, Sturgeon, Swordfish, Tarpon
Repair 1 Box: • The United States lost 52 submarines during the war, three of
Sea/ion, Seadragon which were lost in the Atlantic.

Deploy in Special Mission Zone Lingayen Gulf:

(No Patrol Movement is allowed by this submarine, and she must [31 .2] CAMPAIGN GAME 2: RED SUN RISING
RTB to Manila in the Transit Movement Phase of the first turn.
Only contacts with TF results are used.) This is the shortest of the campaign games, but the most difficult.
S-36 There are few submarines with which to stop the Japanese
onslaught.
Deploy at Submarine Base Pearl Harbor:
Dolphin, Tautog [31.21] GAME LENGTH
Repair 3 Box: The campaign game starts in December 1941 , and lasts until the
Narwhal, Cachalot last turn of December 1942. At the end of the game, the player(s)
total the Japanese tonnage and ships sunk and the number of
Deploy in OpArea Hawaiian Islands: (No Patrol Movement is
submarines lost. Victory conditions are determined according to
allowed by these submarines, and they must RTB to Pearl Harbor
[31 .24].
in the Transit Movement Phase of the first turn. Only contacts
with TF results are used.) Game Start: 2nd Week, December 1941
Gudgeon, Plunger, Pollack, Pompano, Thresher Game End: Last Turn, December 1942
Game Length: 51 turns
Deploy in Special Mission Zone Midway: (These submarines
must remain in the Midway Island SMZ for two turns after which In the first turn of the campaign , the Strategic Segment is
these submarines RTB to Pearl Harbor. No rolls are made on the skipped. There is no check for War Event, Torpedo Improvement,
Endurance Table. Only contacts with TF results are used.) or ULTRA areas.
Argonaut, Trout

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 6

 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

[31.22] CAREER LONGEVITY
(MINIMUM PERFORMANCE)
The Career Longevity Rule for Campaign Game 1 [See 31.12]
applies to this scenario. The last check is made in November
1942 (620,000 tons).
[31.23] SUBMARINE ORDER OF BATTLE
The Order of Battle for Campaign Game 1 [See 31.13] applies to
this scenario. The last submarine received is the November 1942
deployment of Sunfish.
[31 .24] VICTORY CONDITIONS
COMMENTARY
The goals of the first year of war were very different than those
determined later. Initially, there was great faith in the Mk-XIV
torpedo with its secret weapon, the magnetic exploder. It was
hoped that the submarines could halt the Japanese expansion
and take a heavy toll on the Imperial Navy. In the words of
Submarine Squadron Commander Stuart "Sunshine" Murray in
Manila on December 8, 1941: "The submarines are all we have
left."
Subs that have been withdrawn permanently for training
or special operations: Cachalot, Cuttlefish, S-18, S-37,
S-38, S-43, Dolphin, Narwhal, Nautilus
[31.32] CAREER LONGEVITY
(MINIMUM PERFORMANCE)
The Career Longevity Rule is not used for this campaign.
[31 .33] SUBMARINE ORDER OF BATTLE
All at-sea submarines are Patrol side up unless noted otherwise.
All in-port submarines start in the Broom Box of their base unless
otherwise noted. Consult the Master Submarines Reinforcement
List beginning in May 1943. Note: Some submarines that appear
on the list for withdrawal or return may have already been lost.
References to withdrawing or returning these submarines should
be ignored.
Deploy at Submarine Base Fremantle:
Gar, Thresher
Deploy in OpArea North Philippine Sea:
Grayling

At the end of December 1942 the player totals his tonnage Deploy in OpArea South Philippine Sea:
results: Tambor

Tons Sunk Victory Level Deploy in OpArea South China Sea 2:

800,000+ Decisive Victory Tautog, Trout
780,000+ Substantive Victory
Deploy in OpArea Java Sea:
750,000+ Draw
Gudgeon, Grenadier
720,000+ Defeat
Less than 720,000 Failure Deploy at Submarine Base Brisbane:
Albacore, Grayback, Grouper, Growler, Peto
This is the basic victory level. The player should now modify this
level by the number of Japanese capital ships (CA, BB, CV) sunk Deploy in OpArea Solomons:
by submarines and submarines lost. Greenling, Guardfish, Tuna
4+ capital ships sunk: Raise by two levels. Deploy in OpArea Bismarck Sea:
3 capital ships sunk: Raise by one level. Haddock, Halibut
1 or 2 capital ships sunk: No Modification,
(Historical: 1). Deploy in OpArea Transfer Route:
0 capital ships sunk: Lower by one level. (All submarines are Transit side up and conducting RTB
12 or more subs lost: Lower by one level movement. Gato must RTB to Pearl Harbor while S-31 and Drum
(Historical: 7). must RTB to Brisbane.)
Gato, S-31, Drum

[31.3] CAMPAIGN GAME 3: TURNING THE TIDE Deploy at Submarine Base Pearl Harbor:
Permit, Plunger, Pogy, Runner, Salmon, Sawfish,
This campaign game covers the resurging strength of Scamp, Scorpion, Seal, Seawolf, Skipjack, Snook,
Submarines Pacific. It may be played to the end of War Period 3 Steelhead, Stingray, Sunfish
or continued to the war's end. Repair 3 Box:
Silversides
[31.31] GAME LENGTH
The campaign game starts in April 1943 and lasts until transition Deploy at Submarine Base Midway:
to War Period 4 or the war's end at player discretion. As such, Sub Tender Sperry
there is no specified game length. Trigger, Wahoo (with Super Skipper Morton + 1)

Date: Week 1, April 1943 Deploy jn OpArea Empjre Pacific:

War Period: 3 Flying Fish, Pickerel, Pompano
Ships Sunk: 233 Deploy in OpArea East China Sea:
Tonnage Sunk: 977,000 Kingfish
Torpedo Status: -1
Subs Lost: 12 Deploy in OpArea Carolines:
(Sea/ion, S-36, S-26, Shark, Perch, S-27, S-39, Pike, Tarpon, Tunny
Grunion, Argonaut, Amberjack, Grampus, Triton)

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 7

 SILENT WA R: Tlw United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial japan: 1941-1945

Deploy in Special Mission Zone Truk: Sea/ion, S-36, S-26, Shark, Perch, S-27, S-39,
(These submarines must RTB in the Transit Movement Phase of Grunion, Argonaut, Amberjack, Grampus,
the first turn. Base is up to the player). Triton, Pickerel, Grenadier, Runner, Grayling,
Finback, Porpoise Pompano, Cisco, S-44, Wahoo, Corvina,
Sculpin, Cape/in, Scorpion, Grayback, Trout,
Deploy in OpArea Marshalls:
Tullibee, Gudgeon, Herring, Golet, S-28,
Pollack Robalo, Flier, Harder
Deploy in OpArea Marianas: Subs Withdrawn: 27
Whale Cachalot, Cuttlefish, S-18, S-23, S-30, S-31,
S-32, S-33, S-34, S-35, S-37, S-38, S-43,
Deploy at Submarine Base Dutc h Harbor: Dolphin, Narwhal, Nautilus, Porpoise, Pike, S-
S-30, S-33, S-34 40, S-41, S-42, S-43, S-45, S-46, S-47,
Repair 2 Box: S-28, S-35 Sturgeon, Pollack
Deploy in OpArea Aleutians :
[31 .42] SUBMARINE ORDER OF BATTLE
S-23, S-32
All at-sea submarines are Patrol side up unless noted otherwise.
Place in USA Refit Box: If Transit side up with an RTB marker, the choice of base is up to
S-40, S-41, S-42, S-44, S-45, S-46, S-47, Snapper, the player unless otherwise noted. All in-port submarines start in
Sturgeon, Sargo, Saury, Sculpin, Seadragon, Spearfish, the Broom Box of their base unless otherwise noted. Consult the
Sailfish, Swordfish, Searaven Master Submarines Reinforcement List beginning in October
1944. Note: Submarines appearing on the list for withdrawal or
[31 .34] VICTORY CONDITIONS return that have been lost during the game are ignored.
If the player continues this campaign game to !he war's end, use
the Campaign Game 1 victory conditions [31.14]. If the player Deploy at Submarine Base Pearl Har bor:
ends the game with the tran sition to War Period 4, use the Apogon, Barbel, Berga/1, Besugo, Blackfish, Burrfish,
following chart to determine victory: Cobia, Croaker, Drum, Escolar, Gabilan, lcefish,
Parche, Perch II, Pomfret, Rock, Ronquil, Salmon,
June '44: Decisive Victory Saury, Sawfish, Sea Devil, Sea Dog, Seadragon, Shark
July-Aug '44: Dramatic Victory II, Silversides (Coye +1 ), Skate, Snapper, Snook,
September '44: Historical (Draw) Sterle!, Tilefish, Trepang, Trigger, Blackfin
Oct-Nov '44: Marginal Failure Repair 2 Box:
Dec '44 - Jan '45: Dramatic Failure Flying Fish, Bluefish
This is the basic victory level. If tonnage sunk exceeds 4,300,000 Repair 3 Box:
tons, raise by one level. Modify the level by the submarines lost Haddock, Scamp, Swordfish
result: Deploy at Submarine Base Fremantle:
Results Angler, Aspro, Bluegill (Barr + 1), Bonefish, Cabrilla,
Submarines Lost
Raise by two levels. Cod, Crevalle, Flasher (Whitaker +1 ), Hammerhead,
0 to 23
Raise by one level. Hoe, Lapan, Parga, Ray, Barbero, Batfish, Caval/a,
24 to 29
30 to 36 No modification. (historical: 33) Hawkbi/1, Baya, Becuna, Hardhead
37 to 42 Lower by one level. Deploy at Submarine Base Brisbane:
43 or more Lower by two levels. Stingray, Cero, Dace, Darter, Permit, Gar, Seawolf

Deploy at Submarine Base Midway:

[31.4] CAMPAIGN GAME 4: RED SUN SETTING Sub Tender Bushnell
This campaign game covers the final year of the war, when Deploy at Submarine Base Majuro:
targets became scarce along with Japanese anti-submarine Sub Tender Sperry
assets.
Deploy at Submarine B ase Mios Woendi:
[31 .41] GAME LENGTH : Sub Tender Orion
The campaign ends when tonnage sunk exceeds five million Deploy at Submarine Base Guam:
tons: Sub Tender Holland
Date: Week 1, September, 1944 Deploy at Submarine Base Saipan:
War Period: 4 Sub Tender Fulton
Ships Sunk: 918 Wolfpack: Picuda, Spadefish (Underwood + 1 ), Redfish
Tonnage Sunk: 3,986,000
Torpedo Status: +1 Deploy in OpArea Kuriles:
War Mix: CV Taiho and CV Shokaku sunk. Sea/, Searaven, Tambor
Do not add to the War Mix.
Deploy in OpArea Empire Pacific:
Wolfpack Albacore, Archerfish, Bang, Pipefish, Plaice,
Experience: 10
Scabbardfish, Shad
Subs Lost: 33

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 8

 SILENT WAR : Tlze United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial japan: 1941-1945
Deploy in OpArea East China Sea:
Guardfish, Sunfish, Thresher, Pintado
Deploy in OpArea Bonins:
Finback, Gato, Pi/offish
Deploy in Special Mission Zone Dayao:
Bashaw, Flounder, Guavina
Deploy in Special Mission Zone Palau:
Grouper
Deploy in Special Mission Zone Truk:
Tarpon, Plunger
Deploy in QpArea North Philippine Sea:
Seahorse (Cutter + 1)
Wolfpack: Billfish, Sailfish, Greenling
Wolfpack: Barb (Fiuckey + 1), Queenfish, Tunny
Wolfpack: Growler, Pampanito, Sea/ion II
Deploy in OpArea South Philippine Sea:
Piranha, Razorback, Segundo, Whale, Redfin
Deploy in OpArea South China Sea 1:
Muskal/unge, Paddle
Deploy in OpArea South China Sea 2:
Haddo, Hake, Jack, Mingo
Deploy in OpArea Java Sea:
Guitarro, Gunnel (both Transit side up, with RTB
marker)
Deploy in OpArea Banda Sea:
Gurnard, Raton {both Transit side up, with RTB marker)
Deploy in OpArea Bismarck Sea:
Bream (Transit side up, with RTB marker)
Deploy in OpArea North Pac ific:
Tuna, Bowfin, Tang (O'Kane +1 ). (All Transit side up,
and must RTB to Pearl Harbor.) Snapper (Transit side
up, is outbound)
Deploy in OpArea Carolines :
Batao (Transit side up, with RTB marker)
Place in West Coast Refit Box:
Halibut, Herring, Tinosa, Tulibee, Pompon, Puffer,
Rasher (Munson +1), Steelhead, Peto, Pogy,
Sandlance, Tautog, Skipjack, Kingfish, Sargo,
Spearfish.
[31.43] VICTORY CONDITIONS
Use the Campaign Game 1 victory conditions [31.1 4].
© 2005 Compass Games, LLC
[31.5] CAMPAIGN GAME 5: MACARTHUR'S
NAVY- THE SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN IN THE
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC
This campaign game focuses on the areas under the operational
control of General MacArthur's command, using the major bases
of Manila, Fremantle, Brisbane, and Subic Bay.
Changes from Full Campaign Game
A. Operations Areas: Submarines are limited to the following
OpAreas:
South China Sea 1
South China Sea 2
Java Sea
North Philippine Sea
South Philippine Sea
Banda Sea
Bismarck Sea
Solomons
Coral Sea
All SMZs adjoining these OpAreas are playable except Guam.
Forward bases may only be set up at Surabaya and Mios
Woendi. When Subic Bay becomes active, it may be used.
Exceotion: A submarine scheduled for withdrawal in the following
month may patrol in the Gilbert Islands, Carolines, or Marianas.
If such a submarine receives an RTB result, the submarine
conducts Transit Movement towards Pearl Harbor. If it survives
the turn, it is withdrawn immediately (coming under operational
control of the Pearl Harbor command).
B. War Events: The War Event Table is used as normal with the
following exceptions:
1. Events that affect OpAreas and SMZs not in play
are treated as No Event.
2. Relegation to Training Duty requires the removal of
only one submarine, regardless of how many have
been lost.
C. ULTRA Areas: ULTRA Areas are determined normally, though
submarines cannot respond to Areas outside of those listed
above.
D. Torpedo Improvement and War Progress: Since these are
as much a part of the Pearl Harbor command's effectiveness, the
tables for these mechanisms are not used. Instead, Torpedo
Status and War Periods are advanced as noted on the
Submarine Reinforcement List.
[31 .51] GAME LENGTH
This campaign game starts in December 1941 and lasts until the
war ends. At the end of the game, the player(s) total the
Japanese tonnage and ships sunk, as well as the number of
submarines lost and determine victory conditions according to
[31.55].
Game Start: Week 2, December 1941
Garne End: Approximately Week 3, August 1945
Length: Approximately 178 turns
In the first turn of the campaign, the Strategic Segment is
skipped. There is no check for War Event or ULTRA Areas.
9
 SI LENT WAR: Tile Uni ted States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial japan: 1941-1945

[31 .52] CAREER LONGEVITY January 1942:

(MINIMUM PERFORMANCE) None
The Career Longevity rule [28.12] is used, but the below table is February 1942:
substituted for the SW Pacific:
None
Month Date Tons Sunk
March 1942:
3 Feb 42 40,000
None
6 May 42 100,000
9 Aug 42 160,000 April 1942:
12 Nov 42 200,000 Brisbane:
15 Feb 43 300,000 S-42, S-44, S-47
18 May 43 410,000 Withdraw:
Tarpon
Beginning in June 1943, the player continues the game to the
end without fear of early relief. May 1942: BB Yamato added to War Mix
Fremantle:
[31.53] SUBMARINE ORDER OF BATTLE Gar, Grampus
All submarines are considered "Ready for Sea" unless noted Brisbane:
otherwise. S-43, S-45, S-46

Deploy at Submarine Base Manila: June 1942:

Perch, Permit, Pickerel, Pike, Porpoise, S-37, S-38, S- Fremantle:
39, S-40, S-41, Sailfish, Salmon, Sargo, Saury, Sculpin, Grayback, Tautog
Sea/, Searaven, Seawolf, Shark, Skipjack, Snapper, Withdraw:
Spearfish, Stingray, Sturgeon, Swordfish, Tarpon Stingray, Perch
Repair 1 Box:
July 1942: Begin War Period 2
Sea/ion, Seadragon
Fremantle:
Deploy in Special Mission Zone Lingayen Gulf: (No Patrol Thresher
Movement is allowed by this submarine, and she must RTB to Withdraw:
Manila in the Transit Movement Phase of the first turn. Only Porpoise, Pike, Shark.
contacts with TF results are used.)
August 1942: Set Mk-XIV Torpedo value to -1
S-36
Fremantle:
Grenadier, Gudgeon, Tambor
[31.54] SOUTHWEST PACIFIC SUBMARINE
REINFORCEMENTS LIST September 1942:
The following table lists the submarines that enter the war Withdraw:
starting in January 1942 and their beginning Base. The list is Pickerel, Permit
consulted beginning at the month following the beginning of the
October 1942:
Campaign Game being run. If a Base of arrival is not yet active,
Brisbane:
or it has fallen, the submarines are received at Fremantle. All
Amberjack
arriving submarines are placed in the Broom Box of the receiving
Withdraw:
Base. Some of the submarines come with a +1 Super Skipper
S-37, S-38, S-39, S-40, S-41, S-42, S-43, S-
already in command. If Silversides has already earned a Super
44, S-45, S-46, S-47
Skipper, that one is used instead of John Coye.
November 1942:
The list also contains submarines that are withdrawn for refit in
Fremantle:
California or are transferred to Pearl Harbor. These submarines
Grayling
are preceded by "Withdraw", and are removed from play
Brisbane:
immediately, even if at sea and/or damaged, and placed in the
Flying Fish, Growler, Plunger, Si/versides
"West Coast" Box on the map. Any Super Skipper stays with the
boat, and any Damaged marker is removed . If the submarine has December 1942:
been sunk, no other submarine takes its place. While in overhaul, Brisbane:
a submarine cannot be removed from play via the War Event Albacore, Gato, Grouper, Tuna, Wahoo
"Relegation to Training Duty". These submarines may be Withdraw:
received again as reinforcements. Salmon, Sea/, Skipjack, Seawolf, Sailfish,
Plunger
COMMENTARY
Submarines were commonly shifted between the Pearl Harbor January 1943: Submarines are equipped with radar
and Australian commands, usually to undergo minor refits at the Brisbane:
more capable facilities at Pearl Harbor. More in-depth overhauls Peto, Argonaut, Greenling, Guardfish,
took place on the West coast, and the withdrawal of submarines Nautilus, Triton
covers both events. Not all submarines withdrawn will be Withdraw:
returning to the Southwest Pacific. Silversides, Sturgeon, Sargo, Saury, Sculpin,
Seadragon, Sea/ion

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 10

 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial ]apa11: 1941-1945

February 1943: February 1944:

Withdraw: Fremantle:
Spearfish, Snapper, Flying Fish Flasher, Hoe, Jack, Robalo
Brisbane:
March 1943:
Dace, Darter
Withdraw: Withdraw:
Swordfish, Searaven, Argonaut, Nautilus Tinosa
Apri l 1943: Begin War Period 3 March 1944: CV Taiho and five DE Matsu added to War Mix
Brisbane: Fremantle:
S-31, Drum
Angler, Gunnel, Lapan, Silversides (Coye +1)
May 1943: Brisbane:
Brisbane: Mingo, Tunny
Scamp Withdraw:
Guardfish, Albacore, Amberjack, Pompon,
June 1943: Batao
Brisbane:
Silversides April 1944:
Withdraw: Brisbane:
Grayback, Gudgeon, Grenadier, Gato, Wahoo Bashaw, Bluegill, Flounder, Seahorse
(Cutter +1)
July 1943: Fremantle:
Brisbane: Paddle, Parga, Harder (Dealey +1)
Batao, Pompon, Stingray, S-38
Withdraw: May 1944:
Tautog Frema ntle:
Aspro, Gurnard, Muskallunge, Sandlance
August 1943: Set Mk-XIV Torpedo value to 0 Withdraw:
Fremantle: Blackfish, Scamp, Tunny
Kingfish, Billfish, Bowfin, Puffer
Withdraw: June 1944:
Grayling, Thresher, Triton Brisbane:
Flying Fish, Bream
September 1943: Fremantle:
Brisbane: Flier, Guitarro
Bluefish, Bonefish, Cisco, Rasher Withdraw:
Withdraw: Bowfin, Billfish, Silversides
Gar, Grampus, Tambor
July 1944:
October 1943: BV 36t added to War Mix, wolfpacks may be Brisbane :
formed Hammerhead, Rock, Guavina, Permit
Brisbane: Withdraw:
Blackfish, Gato Seahorse, Peto
Fremantle:
Cape/in, Cod, Crevalle, Cabril/a August 1944:
Withdraw: Brisbane:
Greenling, Grouper Pollack, Seawolf
Fremantle:
November 1943: Hardhead
Brisbane: Withdraw:
Raton, Ray Tullibee, Cabrilla
Fremantle:
Tinosa September 1944: Begin War Period 4
Withdraw: Fremantle:
Stingray, Growler, Silversides Barbero, Batfish, Caval/a, Growler, Hawkbi/1,
Baya, Becuna
December 1943: Brisbane:
Withdraw: Gar
Drum, Tuna, S-31, S-36, S-38 Withdraw:
January 1944: Set Mk-XIV Torpedo value to +1 Bluefish, Puffer, Rasher, Sandlance
Fremantle: October 1944:
Redfin, Haddo, Hake Fremantle:
Brisbane: Berga/1, Cobia
Cera
Withdraw:
Kingfish

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 11

 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

November 1944: CV Shinano added to War Mix [31.55] VICTORY CONDITIONS

Brisbane: The war ends when tonnage sunk exceeds 1,900,000 tons during
Pintado, Tuna, Tullibee 1945 or two million tons in 1944. The level of victory is
Fremantle: determined by the date at which this occurs:
Barbel, Blackfin, Pampanito
Withdraw: Pre-1945: Total Victory
Flying Fish, Cisco, Creval/e Jan-Mar. '45: Decisive Victory
Apr-Jun. '45: Dramatic Victory
December 1944: July-Aug. '45: Historical Victory
Fremantle: Sept. '45: Draw
Besugo, Blenny, Caiman, Sea Robin Oct-Dec. '45: Failure
Withdraw:
Aspro, Batfish, Gunnel, Jack, Muskallunge, This is the basic victory level. The player should now modify this
Bonefish, Cod, Cero, Permit, Darter, Raton, level by the total of the submarines lost during the war according
Ray to the following schedule:

Januarv 1945: Set Mk-XIV Torpedo value to +2 Submarines Lost Result

Fremantle: 0 to 12 Raise by two levels.
Blueback, Boarfish (Gross +1 ), Charr, Croaker, 13 to 20 Raise by one level.
Perch II, Sea/ion II, Gabilan 21 to 25 No modification.
Withdraw: (historical: 23)
Haddo, Redfin, Robalo, Gar, Lapon, Paddle 26 to 34 Lower by one level.
35 or more Lower by two levels.
February 1945:
Fremantle:
Blower, Brill, Lagarto, Kraken [31.6] CAMPAIGN GAME VI: EAST WIND
Withdraw:
Angler, Dace, Harder
EARLY- THE SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN IN
THE 1930s (Hypothetical)
March 1945:
Fremantle: A naval war between the United States and Japan was
Bugara, Chub, Lamprey, Puffer considered likely even before the end of World War I. The
Withdraw: American presence in the Philippines and Japanese acquisition
Hake, Pargo, Pintado, Hoe, Mingo, Sea Robin of Germany's Pacific colonies created political friction that was
exacerbated as Japan felt the beginnings of the shortage of
April1945: natural resources that was to constrict her economy. In this
Fremantle: campaign game, with the effects of the Great Depression being
Bullhead, Cod, Sculpin felt in full , Japan looks south towards Indonesia and the
Withdraw: Philippines. In answer to the Japanese strike, the United States
Gabilan, Gurnard, Flasher, Flounder enables Plan Orange, a holding action in the Philippines until the
May 1945: Pacific Battlefleet can prepare and cross the ocean for a climactic
Fremantle: battle with the Imperial Battlefleet. The job of Commander
Herring, Bluefish, Bumper, Lizardfish Submarines Pacific is to prevent landings in the Philippines, and
Withdraw: to cut down the strength of the Japanese fleet prior to this battle.
Rock, Blackfin, Barbero, Bashaw He must do all he can to tilt the balance in favor of the American
surface fleet.
June 1945:
Fremantle: [31 .61] CHANGES FROM STANDARD RULES
Capitaine, Carbonaro, /cefish, Loggerhead A. Operations Areas: All OpAreas are available for transit
Withdraw: purposes, but for patrol, submarines are limited to the following
Bream, Caval/a, Perch II OpAreas:
July 1945: South China Sea 1
Fremantle: South China Sea 2
Cabrilla, Rasher, Raton North Philippine Sea
Withdraw: South Philippine Sea
Bluegill Kuriles
Empire Pacific
August 1945:
Yel low Sea
Fremantle:
East China Sea
Ray
Bon ins
Marianas
Carolines
All SMZs are playable. Only Pearl Harbor and Manila are active
at start. All Area Activity Charts use the War Period 1 value. The

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 12

 SILENT WAR: Tile United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945
General ASW value is 0. All Combat Events are usable, though
instead of Betty (G4M) Bomber, the Mitsubishi B1M torpedo
bomber is the aircraft encountered.
B. ULTRA Areas: ULTRA Areas are only determined each turn if
called for by the War Event Table.
C. Toroedo Improvement and War Progress: The Mark VI
magnetic exploder has not yet been developed so the torpedo
level starts at - 1. Torpedoes may improve normally to 0 using the
-2 to -1 column, but no further. There is no War Progress Phase
in this campaign game.
t D. War Mix: The War Mix is determined as per the War Mix Table
and [3.1] with the following exceptions:
1 1. The CV 1Otis treated as italicized. If sunk, it (Hosho)
is removed permanently from the War Mix.
2. Only DO 2t with a defense rating of '6' are used. The
6-3 DO is treated as a Diligent Escort in all respects.
E. Japanese Battleship Doctrine: Japanese battleships
(including BB 32t) may only appear in the North Philippine Sea
and South China Sea 1 as well as the OpAreas listed under [30.1].
[31.62] GAME LENGTH
This campaign game starts in April 1932 and lasts until the end of
December 1932. At the end of the game, the player totals the
Japanese tonnage and ships sunk and the number of submarines
lost, and compares it to the victory conditions to determine the
level of victory achieved. The Year marker is not used.
Game Start: Week 3, April 1932
Game End: Week 4, December 1932
Length: 34 turns
In the first turn of the campaign, the Strategic Segment is skipped.
There is no check for War Event or ULTRA areas.
[31.63] SUBMARINE ORDER OF BATTLE
All submarines are considered "Ready for Sea" unless noted
otherwise.
Deploy at Submarine Base Manila:
S-2, S-30, S-31, S-32, S-34, S-35, S-36, S-38, S-39,
S-40, S-41
Repair 1 Box:
S-33
Deploy in Special Mission Zone Lingayen Gulf: (No Patrol
Movement is allowed by the following submarine, and she must
I RTB to Manila in the Transit Movement Phase of the first turn.
I Only contacts with TF results are used.)
S-37
Deploy in Special Mission Zone Formosa: (The following
submarine begins at the neutral port of Tsingtao. No attacks may
be made, and she must RTB to Manila in the Transit Movement
Phase of the first turn.)
S-34
Deploy at Submarine Base Pearl Harbor:
S-1, S-18, S-19, S-23, S-26, S-28, S-42, S-43,
S-44
Repair 3 Box:
S-27
© 2005 Compass Games, LLC
[31.64] SUBMARINE REINFORCEMENTS LIST
The following table lists the submarines that enter the war starting
in May 1932. The list is consulted beginning with the Week 1, May
1932 turn. All submarines are placed in the Broom Box at Pearl
Harbor.
May 1932:
Bass, Bonita
June 1932:
Barracuda, Narwhal, S-47, S-48, Leviathan
July 1932:
Argonaut, S-45, S-46
August 1932:
Nautilus
September 1932:
Dolphin
[31.65] LEVIATHAN
COMMENTARY
Based on German successes in World War I, the US Navy began
consideration of a class of cruiser submarines as early as 1918.
The General Board laid down a series of requirements specifying
speed, endurance, guns, and torpedoes that in turn dictated how
the Navy Construction & Repair (C&R) Bureau had to approach
the design. With each study, range and armament increased, with
size and tonnage growing commensurately. By 1922, a series of
competing designs reached their limits with the development of a
20,000 ton, steam driven submarine- the diesel engines of the
period lacking the power to generate the shaft horsepower
required. It was at this point that Congress, realizing the futility of
the resulting design, killed the program. However, if key
breakthroughs in diesel engine development had occurred before
rather than after 1922, the Navy surely would have moved forward
with Congress' blessing and budget.
The USS Leviathan is based on the 23 October 1920 "Type 5" US
Navy design for an 18,500 ton steam-electric cruiser submarine
mounting eight 8" guns. Capable of diving to 200 feet, it boasted
a top design speed of 20 plus knots. As with many designs, it
would have been a compromise of technology and requirements
and hence it is projected that Leviathan would have ended up with
four 10" guns in semi-spherical domes to counter water pressure,
diesel engines, and 3" armor plate, all elements adopted from
other US cruiser submarine design proposals. Given the progress
of aviation in 1922, it would also have included an aircraft storage
tank (hanger). This is the final design presented in the game.
Certainly, for all the strange "what-if' warship designs throughout
the 20th century, save for some key developments in engine
technology, it is likely that at least one of these submarines could
have been built. The name Leviathan, however, is a purely
speculative name.
GUNNERY
If there is no Combat Event associated with the Leviathan's
attack, and there are no revealed IJN units ("white" escort, CL, BB
etc), the player may voluntarily invoke Combat Event #1 "Surface
Gunnery Combat".
[31.66] VICTORY CONDITIONS
The campaign game ends at New Years 1933 when the IJN and
USN battlelines clash for control of the Philippine Seas. The
winner will eventually control the Southwest Pacific. Submarine
13
 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

victory depends on tonnage sunk prior to the end of the December Tirante's 1st Patrol, George L. Street:
1932 turn. Capital ship tonnage (CV, BB, AR, AC, CA) is doubled 6 ships/12,600 tons.
for victory conditions if sunk, and counted normally if damaged as
the damaged ship misses the battle: The First Wolfpack, Charles Momsen:
3 ships/23,500 tons.
Tons Sunk Victory Level
500,000+ Decisive Victory [32.11] HENRY G. MUNSON: S-38's 7th PATROL
400,000+ Victory Patrols in the old S-boats were hard on the crew. They were
300,000+ Draw uncomfortable, dangerous, and frustrating with few targets being
250,000+ Defeat sunk. S-38 was patrolling the Solomons around midnight August
less than 200,000 Catastrophic Defeat 8, 1942 when she encountered a small troopship convoy hastily
This is the basic victory level. The player should now modify this gathered to reinforce Guadalcanal following the America n
level by the following schedule: landings. Lieutenant Commander Henry Munson made his
approach, submerged and passed beneath an escorti ng
Less than 6 subs lost, raise by one level. destroyer, then fired torpedoes by sonar bearing from deep
More than 15 subs lost, lower by one level. submergence. In what Munson agreed was a lucky shot, two
More than 20 subs lost, lower by two levels. torpedoes blew up Meiyo Maru, carrying the heavy weapons and
Per Japanese BB or CV sunk, raise by one level. headquarters for the relief force. With the ground force "headless",
the convoy turned back for Rabaul, giving the Marines a breathing
space to consolidate their beachhead.
[32.0] THE PATROL GAMES
Submarine: U.S.S. S-38 SS-143, S-1 Class
The Patrol Game allows a player to take a single submarine on a Starting Base: Brisbane
historical patrol attempting to best the actual results. The Patrol Starting Date: July 1942 (War Period 2)
Game uses the same system as the Campaign Game, but Patrol Destination: Solomons
involves just one patrol, from departure from base to return. Short, Torpedo Status: -1
fast, and furious, the Patrol Game brings a personal view to the Ships Sunk: 1
submarine war against Imperial Japan. Tonnage Sunk: 5,600
Super Skippers are not used for the Patrol Games. YOU are the Length of Patrol: 3 weeks
skipper and YOU are trying to best the named skipper's patrol.
War Events are not used in the Patrol Game, and there are no [32.12] LUCIUS G. CHAPPELL: SCULPIN'S 5th PATROL
changes to the War Period or the Mk-XIV torpedo value. The War had been tough on USS Sculpin. She was driven out of
Manila, and again from Surabaya. Lucius Chappell had made
[32.1] PATROL GAME VICTORY multiple attacks with good set-ups only to have the torpedoes
There are three "victory" statistics in the Patrol Game: The number pass beneath his targets or strike without exploding. Chappell put
of ships sunk, the amount of tonnage sunk, and the length of the his complaints regarding torpedo performance in writing and
Patrol. Beat either ships or tonnage sunk and you can consider received a dressing down for "undermining confidence" in the
yourself a good skipper. Beat both the ships and tonnage sunk weapon. When the Guadalcanal campaign opened, Sculpin
goal, and you're a ~ skipper. Beat both ships and tonnage transferred to Brisbane to interdict Japanese shipping around
sunk, and do so in a shorter amount of time, and you are a New Britain. In confined waters with heavy ASW pressure, he was
legendary skipper. Losing the boat subtracts one level from the able to sink two Marus and damage the light cruiser Yura .
results. Submarine: U.S.S. Sculpin SS-191 , New
S2 Class
THE PATROLS Starting Base: Brisbane
The following are the Patrol Scenarios in the game: Starting Date: September 1942 (War Period 2)
Patrol Destination: Solomons
S-38's 7th Patrol, Henry G. Munson:
Torpedo Status: -1
1 ship/5,600 tons.
Ships Sunk: 2
Sculpin's 5th Patrol, Lucius Chappell: Tonnage Sunk: 6,600
2 ships/6,600 tons. Length of Patrol: 7 weeks
Wahoo's 4th Patrol, Dudley W. Morton:
[32.13] DUDLEY "MUSH" MORTON: WAHOO'S 4th
9 ships/20,000 tons.
PATROL
Harder's 2nd Patrol, Samuel D. Dealey: Wahoo, famous from Mush Morton's wild first patrol in which he
5 ships/15,200 tons. engaged two destroyers, one with a down the throat shot (which
Tang's 3rd Patrol, Richard H. O'Kane: damaged the DD) and one where he engaged in a surface gun
duel (DESTROYER GUNNING, WAHOO RUNNING) set to sea
10 ships/39, 100 tons.
once again. Before Morton, Wahoo had a poor reputation; now
Flasher's 5th Patrol, George W. Grider: she was the star submarine of the Pacific War, and Morton was a
6 ships/42,800 tons. controversial skipper. On a previous patrol, burning with hatred
towards the Japanese for Pearl Harbor, Morton had ordered the
Rasher's 5th Patrol, Henry G. Munson:
machine-gunning in the water of several thousand Japanese
5 ships/52,000 tons.
soldiers from a troopship, and destruction of the ship's boats by

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 SILENT WAR: Tile United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial japan: 1941-1945

deck gun. He returned to port flying a pennant with "Shoot the survived the ascent through 180 feet of water. They were picked
sunza bitches!" on it, and reported the incident in his patrol log. up by the Japanese and severely beaten. In all, eight men,
The patrol report was accepted without comment, but Morton was including O'Kane, survived the war.
awarded the Navy Cross for the patrol, which many skippers took Submarine: U.S.S. Tang SS-306,
to be tacit approval of the massacre. Balao Class
Starting Base: Pearl Harbor
For, this, her 4th patrol, Wahoo headed for the north end of the Starting Date: May 1944 (War Period 3)
Yellow Sea where the average depth was only 120 feet. Patrol Destination: East China Sea
Aggressively pressing both torpedo and surface gunnery attacks, Torpedo Status: +1
Morton swept the Yellow Sea. ULTRA Comms intercepts Ships Sunk: 10
indicated that the Japanese thought a wolfpack had been Tonnage Sunk: 39,100
unleashed on them. Morton's patrol tally racked up 9 ships and Length of Patrol: 5 weeks
20,000 tons, a record to date.
Submarine: U.S.S. Wahoo SS-212, [32.16] HENRY G. MUNSON : RASHER'S 5th PATROL
Gato Class Hank Munson had graduated from the now retired S-38 to USS
Starting Base: Pearl Harbor Rasher. Capitalizing on a contact report, Munson headed
Starting Date: February 1943 (War Period 2) southward to intercept convoy Hl-71 , which was on a special
Patrol Destination: East China Sea mission to reinforce the Japanese facing MacArthur in the
Torpedo Status: -1 Philippines. A pitch black, rain filled night made it a perfect
Ships Sunk: 9 opportunity to strike the convoy. Hl-71 consisted of fifteen ships
Tonnage Sunk: 20,000 escorted by a veteran survivor of submarine attacks, the light
Length of Patrol: 6 weeks carrier Taiyo. Munson lined up a spread of torpedoes but halted
after firing two, thinking that his gyro's were misaligned. Running
[32.14] SAMUEL D. DEALEY: HARDER'S 2nd PATROL along the flank of the convoy he observed "an appalling
Sam Dealey was not a successful naval officer. Nearly busted explosion" that he thought was perhaps a tanker. It was not. It
from the Academy for bad grades, he did not excel in the political was the carrier Taiyo , it's fully loaded aviation fuel stores blowing
environment of the peacetime Navy. He was in command of an the ship apart. Munson finished out the night with a Re-Attack
elderly noncombatant S-boat and not expected to go any higher expending all his torpedoes and sinking 5 ships for a total of
Nhen the war broke out. An acute shortage of qualified skippers 52,600 tons.
"esulted in his getting command of USS Harder. After conducting Submarine: U.S.S. Rasher SS-269,
"IS first patrol off the Honshu coast, Harder's diving officer
Gato Class
commented, "His imagination pictured situations so vividly and Starting Base: Fremantle
scenes photographed themselves on the retina of his mind that Starting Date: July 1944 (War Period 3)
~e really did not need a TDC solution." On the second patrol,
Patrol Destination: Pearl Harbor
Jealey turned in one of the best performances to date in nine
Torpedo Status: +1
separate attacks. He went on to pioneer wolfpack tactics and
Ships Sunk: 5
::>ecame famous for the "down the throat" torpedo shot at
Tonnage Sunk: 52,600
attacking Japanese destroyers. Dealey's score stood at sixteen Length of Patrol: 6 weeks
sh1ps for 54,000 tons when Harder was sunk by a Japanese
-n1nesweeper in August of 1944. Loss of the popular Dealey
[32.17] GEORGE W. GRIDER: FLASHER'S 5th PATROL
shocked the entire submarine community.
George Grider, a kind, considerate, and contemplative man,
Submarine: U.S.S. Harder SS-238, worried how he would face his first patrol and taste of command
Gato Class in combat. Leaving Australia in November 1944, he headed for a
Starting Base: Pearl Harbor spot west of Mindoro as part of a wolfpack. Contacting a convoy
Starting Date: August 1943 (War Period 3) in the rain, Grider successfully sank two 2,000 ton destroyers and
Patrol Destination: Empire Japan one tanker, enduring a fierce depth charge attack during the
Torpedo Status: 0 engagement. Two weeks later, Grider placed himself in shallow
Ships Sunk: 5 water between the shore and another convoy and with skill went
Tonnage Sunk: 15,200 first to his bow, then stern tubes to sink three tankers, two of
Length of Patrol: 6 weeks 9,000 tons, and one 10,000 tanner. It was the third best patrol of
the war.
[32.15] RICHARD H. O' KANE: TANG'S 3rd PATROL
Submarine: U.S.S. Flasher SS-249,
3] all accounts, this was the finest war patrol of an American
Gato Class
Svbmarine ever, hardly tarnished by the loss of the boat. O'Kane
Starting Base: Fremantle
took Tang off Nagasaki where he sank four ships of a convoy for
Starting Date: November 1944 (War Period 4)
• 6.000 tons. Following that, O'Kane went west and north into the
Patrol Destination: South China Sea
Yellow Sea, off Korea , where he sank the remaining six. Five
Torpedo Status: +1
;"'10nths later Tang was struck in the after torpedo room by her
Ships Sunk: 6
::J.vn circular running torpedo. Dick O'Kane and the conning tower
Tonnage Sunk: 42,800
.·.atch were thrown into the water, while Tang sank stern first, Length of Patrol: 7 weeks
·ap1dly plunging to the bottom. Thirteen men attempted to use the
'.'omsen Lung and egress through the escape trunk. Five men

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 SILENT WAR: Tl1e United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

[32.18] GEORGE L. STREET Ill: TIRANTE'S 1st PATROL
George Street conducted an aggressive patrol with his new
Tench class boat though by this time available targets were
growing scarce. After picking off a small freighter and tanker,
Tirante sank a troopship returning soldiers to Japan from
Shanghai. Not content with this performance, Street entered the
Korean port of Cheju Do at night in only 60 feet of water. He fired
six torpedoes, sinking a transport and two ASW frigates. For this
action, Street received the Medal of Honor and his XO, Ned
Beach, received a Navy Cross.
Submarine: U.S.S. Tirante SS-420,
Tench Class
Starting Base: Saipan
Starting Date: March 1945 (War Period 4)
Patrol Destination: East China Sea
Torpedo Status: +2
Ships Sunk: 6 [33.11] RESTRICTIONS
Tonnage Sunk: 12,600
Length of Patrol: 7 weeks
[32.19] CHARLES (SWEDE) MOMSEN: THE FIRST
WOLFPACK
Although the Germans had been conducting wolfpack operations
for over three years, the US command was hesitant to adopt the
practice. There were fears of submarines operating in close
proximity to each other, thereby drawing extra ASW attention to
themselves, as well as making accidental attacks on each other.
The first pack experiment was commanded by Squadron
Commander Swede Momsen, flying his flag in USS Cera.
Coordinated operations were plagued by communication and
navigation problems that soured many skippers on the pack
concept. Momsen's report was that coordination at sea was too
difficult, and packs should be controlled from shore, as German
Admiral Donitz had been doing for years.
would defend India, simplifying the supply situation for the larger
and more capable American fleet boats in isolated Australia.
As the naval war in European waters wound down, Dutch and
British submarines were dispatched to India. Eventually, several
Dutch and British submarines were attached to US 7th fleet
command out of Fremantle.
Allied submarines may be integrated into any of the campaign
games. Ships and tonnage sunk by Allied submarines will have
to be tracked separately than that sunk by American submarines,
for they do not affect Career Longevity, Torpedo Improvement, or
War Period change. They DO affect War End and Allied
submarine losses, which affects the level of victory. A Dutch
(Groeneveld) and British (Hezlet) Super Skipper counter have
been provided if needed. If additional skippers are generated,
use an American Skipper counter.
Dutch submarines may only base from and RTB to Surabaya until
that base falls, after which they (and British submarines) may
only base from Fremantle and Subic Bay and utilize the advance
base of Mios Woendi. They may not be removed from play by the
War Event "Relegation to Training Duty". They may not be part of
a wolfpack.
Dutch submarines may not be shunted into Surabaya's "Hold"
Box to make room for an American sub, though American
submarines may be repaired at Surabaya.
[33.12] ALLIED TECHNOLOGY
The Dutch used a variety of Dutch, German , British, and
American torpedoes. All Dutch attacks in 1941-42 have a torpedo
value of -1. In 1943-45, all Dutch and British attacks are
calculated using the current value of the Mk-XIV torpedo. Dutch
and British submarines in 1943-45 are equipped with radar.

Submarine: U.S.S. Shad SS-235, [33.13] DUTCH WITHDRAWAL

Gato Class Beginning with Week 2 of March 1942, all Dutch submarines that
Submarine: U.S.S. Cera SS-225, RTB or complete repairs are removed from the map (sent to
Gato Class Ceylon or to the US for refit) if Surabaya has fallen. This removal
Submarine: U.S.S. Grayback SS-208, does not count towards subs lost. If Surabaya has not fallen, they
T Class are removed beginning the week after the base falls, or when the
Starting Base: Pearl Harbor War Period transitions to War Period 2.
Starting Date: September 1943 (War Period 3)
Patrol Destination: East China Sea
[33.14] ALLIED UNITS
Torpedo Status: 0 Surabaya begins the game active with the submarine tender
Ships Sunk: 3 Zuiderkruis placed in the Surabaya SMZ to designate it so. If
Tonnage Sunk: 23,500 Surabaya falls, reinforcements are received at Fremantle
Length of Patrol: 7 weeks
instead.

At War Start (All units are Dutch)

[33_0] OPTIONAL RULES
The below rules may be used at player's option.
[33.1] ALLIED SUBMARINES
COMMENTARY
Although the Pacific submarine war was an overwhelmingly
American affair (Americans sank 97% of all the Japanese
tonnage lost to submarines), Royal Netherlands Navy
submarines played an important part of the ABDA Command's
(American-British-Dutch-Austalian) defense of the East Indies.
For a time, Dutch Admiral Helfrich had operational control of all
American submarines of the Asiatic Fleet (those formerly based
at Manila). In March 1942, it was decided the Dutch submarines
Deploy at Submarine Base Surabaya:
Repair 2 Box:
K-V/11, K-X
Deploy in OpArea Java Sea: (No Patrol Movement is allowed
by this submarine, and she must RTB to Surabaya in the Transit
Movement Phase of the first turn. Only contacts with TF results
are used.)
K-XIV
Deploy in Sea Zone Makassar Strait: (No Patrol Movement is
allowed by these submarines. Only contacts with TF results are
used. These submarines must remain in the SMZ until spotted,

16
© 2005 Compass Games, LLC
 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945

damaged, sunk, or an RTB result is achieved through combat or April1945:

endurance.) Fremantle:
K-XV, K-XVI 0-24 (Dutch), Sea Scout, Stygian (British)
Additions to the Master Submarine Reinforcements List: (All Withdraw:
arriving submarines are placed in the Broom Box of the receiving Spiteful (British)
Base [Fremantle if Surabaya has fallen].
May 1945:
Januarv 1942: Fremantle
Surabaya: Trenchant, Tiptoe, Taciturn, Supreme (British)
Return:
K-XV/11 (Dutch)
Telemachus, Tantivy, Spiteful, and Sirdar to
February 1942: Fremantlet (British) (See NOTE below) even if
Surabaya: previously sunk
K-X/, K-X/1, 0-19 (Dutch) Return: 0-21(Dutch) to Fremantle

March 1942: June 1945:

Beginning Week 2, determine withdrawal of Dutch Withdraw:
[33.13]. Zwaardvisch (Dutch)

September 1943:
*Note: If K-XIV and/or K-XV were previously sunk, they may be
Fremantle: replaced by K-XVI and/or K-XV/11 if those two submarines
0-21 (Dutch) survived. If they are a/so lost no submarines are received.
November 1943:
Withdraw: Optional Dutch submarine:
0-21 (Dutch) When the old K-XIV class submarines were being refitted in
Philadelphia, the US Navy proposed retiring two of them and
February 1944: combining the crews to man a new Balao class submarine with a
Fremantle: few American technicians. The idea was abandoned due to
K-XV* (Dutch) objections from London, but would have eased the difficulty that
the US submarine force was having manning newly constructed
April1944:
vessels in the face of competition from the surface fleet for
Fremantle:
qualified seamen.
K-XIV* (Dutch)

September 1944: If the player desires, he may remove Hawkbi/1, K-X/V, and K-XV
Fremantle from the Reinforcement List of his campaign, and substitute the
0-19, Zwaardvisch (Dutch) Dutch submarine Zeeleeuw, which arrives at Fremantle in
November 1944.
October 1944:
Fremantle: Postscript: In 1953, two Guppy IB refitted Balao class
Telemachus, Tantivy, Spiteful, Sea Rover, submarines (Hawkbi/1 and lcefish), were transferred to the Royal
Sturdy, Sirdar, Stoic (British) Netherlands Navy as Zeeleeuw and Walrus.
November 1944:
Fremantle: t Note: The British rotated the 8th Submarine Flotilla through
Tantalus (British) American 7th Fleet Command and British Far East Command.
Due to limitations in the countermix, the submarines received in
December 1944: May 1945 represent other submarines of the same class. These
Withdraw: submarines are received, even if the originals are sunk before
Stoic (British) they can be withdrawn.
January 1945:
[33.15] ADJUSTMENTS TO CAMPAIGNS
Fremantle:
Campaign Game 1: The Submarine Campaign Against Japan
Tradewind, Spark (British)
In January, 1945, subtract 63,000 tons from the Tonnage Track,
Withdraw:
and add the tonnage scored by Allied Submarines. Subtract four
Sea Rover (British)
from the Subs Lost track, and add the number of Allied
February 1945: submarines lost.
Withdraw:
Campaign Game 2: Red Sun Rising
Telemachus (British)
In December, 1942, subtract 24,000 tons from the Tonnage
March 1945: Track, and add the tonnage scored by Allied Submarines.
Fremantle: Subtract two from the Subs Lost track, and add the number of
Tudor (British) Allied submarines lost.
Withdraw:
Tantivy, Sirdar Campaign Game 3: Turning the Tide
If ending the campaign at the transition to War Period 4, subtract
1 ,000 tons from the Tonnage Track and add the tonnage scored

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 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial japan: 1941-1945
by Allied submarines in January, 1944. Also add the number of
Allied submarines lost. If ending the campaign at War End,
subtract 39,000 tons from the Tonnage Track, and add tonnage
scored by Allied submarines. Also if playing to war end, subtract
two from the Subs Lost track, and add the number of Allied
submarines lost.
Campaign Game 4: Red Sun Setting
Begin the Dutch submarines K-XV, 0-19, and Zwaardvisch in the
Broom Box at Fremantle. K-XIV is in the Repair 3 Box at
Fremantle. In January, 1945, subtract 38,000 tons from the
Tonnage Track and add the tonnage scored by Allied
Submarines. Subtract two from the Subs Lost track, and add the
number of Allied submarines lost.
Campaign Game 5: MacArthur's Navy
In January, 1945, subtract 63,000 tons from the Tonnage Track,
and add the tonnage scored by Allied Submarines. Subtract four
from the Subs Lost track, and add the number of Allied
submarines lost.
[33.2] CAREL ADRIAN US JOHANNES VAN WELL
GROENEVELD: K-XIV's 2nd PATROL
Submarines were generally ineffective at opposing amphibious
assault due to the high density of escorts. One exception was the
2nd war patrol of HNLMS K-XIV. Luitenant ter zee eerste Klasse
van Well Groeneveld was off the North coast of Borneo when the
Japanese began their landings at Sarawak. Directed to the site
by a Dutch Dornier flying boat, K-XIV made a night attack on the
surface, missing a destroyer with a stern shot but sinking two
transports. Van Well Groeneveld reloaded and made another
attack, damaging a troopship so badly that she couldn't leave
port for nine months. Out of torpedoes, he returned to Surabaya.
Submarine: H.NL.M.S. K-XIV, KXIV Class
Starting Base: Surabaya
Starting Date: Dec. 1941 (War Period 1)
Patrol Destination: South China Sea 2
Torpedo Status: -1
Ships Sunk: 2
Tonnage Sunk: 14,000
Length of Patrol: 2 weeks
[33.3] SURCOUF
The Free French submarine cruiser Surcouf may be added to the
game as a non-historical option. She is received at Pearl Harbor
in May of 1942, and removed from play in January, 1943 (used
for special operations).
[33.31] GUNNERY
If there is no Combat Event associated with the Surcouf's attack,
and there are no revealed IJN units ("white" aircraft, escort, CL,
BB etc or a Diligent Escort), the player may voluntarily invoke
Combat Event #1 "Surface Gunnery Combat".
[33.32] TORPEDOES
Surcouf uses the current value of the Mk-XIV torpedo.
[33.33] LOUIS BLAISON: SURCOUF's 1st PATROL
FNS Surcouf was the largest submarine in the world. Built in
1929 as a cruiser submarine, she was armed with a twin eight-
inch gun turret with a range of seven miles (twice that if her MB-
411 float plane was spotting for her). She was undergoing refit at
Brest when France fell, but limped to England on one engine.
© 2005 Compass Games, LLC
The British seized her during Operation Catapult and turned her
over to the Free French. She was refitted in the USA, and
subsequently "liberated" the Vichy French islands of St Pierre
and Miquelon off the Canadian coast. Too large for inshore
European operations, and distrusted by the British who
suspected she might attack Allied convoys, the Free French
decided to send her to the Pacific Theater. While enroute to the
Panama Canal, she was lost in a collision with the American
freighter Thompson Lykes on 18 Feb. 1942. This patrol assumes
she made it to the Pacific. With no historical data for comparison.
the patrol is simply to find out how well you can do.
Submarine: F.F.S. Surcouf, Surcouf Class
Starting Base: Pearl Harbor
Starting Date: May 1942 (War Period 1)
Patrol Destination: Player Discretion
Torpedo Status: -2
[33.4] U-2513
The Type XXI U-boat was the first submarine designed to operate
entirely underwater, as opposed to simply retreating underwater
Called the "Eiektro-boot" due to her enormous battery capacity
she had a submerged speed and range more than double that of
other submarines, as well as a deeper diving depth. U-2513 was
surrendered by the third ranking German 'Super Skipper' Erich
Topp in Norway at the end of the European war. Allotted to the US
as a war prize, she was used for trials and significantly affected
post-war submarine design before being expended as a target
during rocket trials in 1951 off Key West. This option assumes
that the US decided to conduct a wartime test of her capabilities
as well as the capabilities of advanced German acoustic homing
torpedoes.
[33.41] AVAILABILITY
U-2513 is available at Pearl Harbor in July 1945. She is removed
from play at the conclusion of the first patrol in which she is
damaged. The player may not elect to keep her at sea if
damaged.
[33.42] TORPEDOES
U-2513 uses a Torpedo value of +2 regardless of Mk-XIV torpedo
value.
[33.5] NAUTILUS II
Scheme-17 was to be the next generation of American fleet boat
planned to follow the Tench class. They were never built, as the
capture of German submarine gear prompted a rebuild of existing
fleet boats into "GUPpies" (Greater Underwater Propulsion), and
later all-new designs taking advantage of improved German
technology. This allows the player to utilize a prototype Scheme·
17 as a test-bed. The name Nautilus II is purely speculative.
[33.51] AVAILABILITY
Nautilus II is available at Pearl Harbor in July 1945. She is
removed from play at the conclusion of the first patrol in which
she is damaged. The player may not elect to keep her at sea if
she is damaged.
[33.52] TORPEDOES
Nautilus II uses the current value of the Mk-XIV torpedo.
18
 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign Agai11st l111perial japm1: 1941-1 945
[34.0] STAGGERED ARRIVALS AND
WITHDRAWALS
,fa more continuous flow of submarines arriving and departing is
desired, this option may be used. For each submarine that is a
reinforcement, withdrawn for refit, or returned from refit, roll on
the below table. Instead of automatically arriving in Week 1, the
submarine is received or removed in the week indicated. The
player will need to keep track of the proper week for each
submarine.
Die Roll Week
0-2 1 by ordering his exec to "Take her down!"- but it wasn't
3-4 2 heroism that sank millions of tons of shipping. The stark
5-7 3 fact remains that a submarine campaign is a war of cold
8-9 4 numbers waged by a system honed to a relentless rhythm
DESIGNER NOTES AND HISTORICAL
REFLECTIONS
1n the final analysis, the formal instrument of surrender that
ended World War II in the Pacific should have been signed
aboard the USS Gato, not the battleship Missouri, for no
;ype of warship in the history of naval conflict had so
decimated an enemy state as the submarine, and no class
of submarine contributed more to victory than the
Gato/Balao. Few people, even today, some sixty years
after that great conflict's end , have come to clearly
understand the decisive role that the American submarine
arm played in bringing Japan to heel, and even fewer
comprehend the key truth that it was not the triumph of
'earless heroics, nor even of technology itself- but rather of
a cold, calculated approach to the raw mathematical
certainty that ultimately defines an unrestricted submarine
campaign.
Only three times in history has such a campaign been
.vaged, and each time this cold strategy has inflicted
mmense losses on an enemy nation. But only once, has
such a battle been waged to complete and utter success.
Why?
Silent War attempts to answer this question of Why
through the medium of an interactive conflict simulation. Its
origins lie in two seminal works that sought to define those
answers from two distinct viewpoints. Tired of the myth of
th e U-boat and weary of the deferred truth that intelligence
blackouts poised for years after the war, Clay Blair Jr.,
penned Silent Victory in 1975 detailing the history of the
United State's unsung submarine campaign in the Pacific.
Through meticulous documentation, and with an intense
dedication to the truth, Blair lays out the whole of the war-
'rom the tense early days of the first patrols, made hair-
raisingly frightful by the sickeningly neglectful torpedo
scandal- to the halcyon days of submarines patrolling seas
empty of an enemy long since sent to the bottom.
No work on submarines is so honest, so sweeping, and in
~ 2005 Compass Games, LLC
its totality so revealing of one clear truth- a truth that runs
counter to America's penchant for wrapping itself in the
self-inflated mythos of the gallant individual heroically
twisting military fate with bare hands- that the American
victory lay not in gallantry nor heroics, but in the masterful
execution of a clear plan formulated by a few calculating
commanders.
Make no mistake, there was plenty of gallantry and
heroism during the war. Howard Gilmore, wounded and
trapped above decks on USS Growler demonstrated this
of patrols.
Yet, post-war, the history of the submariner's
accomplishment seems lost, a quaint anachronism in an
age dominated by a new type of war, a war of cold
mathematical brinksmanship- the Nuclear Age- the age of
uncertain absolutes. But from the mindset underlying
nuclear analysis comes the clearest understanding of the
submarine's achievement- a mostly unnoticed work called
simply The Attack Submarine. Written by R.E Kuenne in
1965 as an economic study from Yale University Press,
The Attack Submarine puts into digits and decimals the
determination and daring that Blair documents in Silent
Victory. This work, more than any other, validates the
victory of the Americans and factorizes the failures of the
Germans. Stark numbers back up key truths, and between
the two works is born the idea of exploring the submarine
campaign in a conflict simulation.
Tackling Silent War proved to be an immense task. The
amount of raw data, such as ships sunk, tonnage lost,
lengths of patrols, submarine characteristics, and a host of
other technical minutia had to be merged into the greater
historic whole that was the War in the Pacific. The key
decision was the early realization that the simulation was
an inherently solitaire experience; a contest between an
amorphous mass of moving enemy ships and the player's
wit and will to orchestrate a campaign that could go from
the chaos of 1941 to a sustained, calculated plan of attack
against it.
Once this realization was well in grasp, the challenge lay
in finding a graphic way to represent the enormity of the
sailing data against which the player could operate, and
against which the player could achieve historic results. The
Area Activity Charts, in conjunction with the
approach/attack tables, and the War Mix, evolved as the
solution, permitting a manipulation of several axes of multi-
variate information, from the mostly actuarial AACs to the
formulaic Approach/Attack procedures, and finally the
more historically recognizable War Mix.
Silent War benefited greatly when Stephen Jackson came
aboard as its developer. Among the first things that he
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 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial Japan: 1941-1945
brought to the table was the question that as an
exploration of submarine warfare, could the system hold
up to supporting the German Campaigns? Only by doing
so, could it claim to be a valid tool for the investigation of
submarine strategies. As a result, a full year was devoted
to researching the German Campaign and in the end, with
some modifications introduced, the basic system held up
well and spawned preliminary designs for Steel Wolves
and Kaiser's Coffins; the German submarine campaigns of
World War II and I, respectfully. All that was now left to do
was test it with an eye towards validating the four years of
war data presented in the game.
Few games have probably been tested quite like Silent
War. Nearly three full years have been spent doing so.
Early tests were aimed at validating the system, later tests
at validating the data. The level of test play Silent War has
received is on par with that of complex computer games
and still there were always details that slipped by and
needed further evaluation. Those who have devoted their
time and energy to this game are exceptional to the player,
and it is they who have made Silent War work more than
anyone else.
As for those who desire to "play it," forewarned is
forearmed: As it was in history, so it is here, the full
submarine campaign is not for the casual gamer wanting
to "shoot and sink." It is not a fire-and-forget arcade game
that rewards players with unrealistic numbers of vividly
exploding kills. It is not an undertaking for the gridiron type
of hero who brazenly dashes into the fight- it is a fight best
suited to the quiet person, the "mastermind" type, a person
who aspires to becoming the chief-financial officer to the
Grim Reaper, who knows how to calculate the rate of
return on the butcher's bill, for in the sum-total of the war,
that is what King, Christie, Lockwood, and Doenitz were,
Grim Reapers of the accounting kind, strategists on a
grand tactical scale.
In the end, then, Silent War is not so much a game as it is
a simulation in the true sense of what a simulation is
intended to be: A tool for the exploration of some facet of
the world. In this case, it is a historical military campaign;
a sweeping endeavor that rewards the patient, calculating
mind that can grasp small details while seeing the big
picture.
It is unlikely that those who signed the instrument of
surrender in Tokyo Bay foresaw the powerful, sleek
nuclear submarines of today- but the successors to the S-
Boats and Gatos have become, to a great degree like the
battleship, leviathans in a sea empty of enemies- an
anachronism in the age of terror. It is more than likely,
given the nature of the world today and the future it
portends, that massive submarine campaigns such as the
Germans and the Americans waged between 1939 and
1945 will never be seen again. But in as much as any tool
© 2005 Compass Games, LLC
of the mind can, Silent War allows a player to explore what
once was, and from it draw parallels and truths that have
applied to warfare from its earliest days to those of a far
distant future.
And of that, we are very proud.
Brien J. Miller
Submarines Present in Tokyo Bay, 2 September, 1945
USS Gato (SS-212)
USS Caval/a (SS-244)
USS Haddo (SS-255)
USS Hake (SS-256)
USS Muska/lunge (SS-262)
USS Archerfish (SS-311)
USS Pi/offish (SS-386)
USS Razorback (SS-394)
USS Segundo (SS-398)
USS Sea Cat (SS-399)
USS Tigrone (SS-419)
USS Runner (SS-476)
DEVELOPER NOTES
Brien Miller has a distinct design style different than my
own. His design goal is a model that works accurately
when correct data is fed into it. This is much more difficult
than designing for output and effect, as I tend to do. I could
never have designed Silent War, but am honored to have
had a hand in refining it. The sheer amount of data put into
the Silent War engine is amazing and the results are
surprisingly accurate and historical.
For example, in early testing we found ships and tonnage
sunk to be some 10% higher than it should be. We went
back and forth in an effort to determine why. In the end, it
was something simple: we hadn't factored the removal of
the submarines being rotated to the West Coast for major
overhaul. At any one time, this was 10% of the submarine
force. This "error" and its correction, more than anything
else, validated the design- validation that was ultimately
carried out by a dedicated band of playtesters who put in
countless hours of effort, and also provided painstaking
scrutiny of the rules and playing pieces. The final product
is as much a result of their diligence as it is of design and
development.
When playing Silent War , you will often know the
frustration of careful attacks yielding no results. This
frustration cannot match that of the submarine skipper who
brought his boat and valuable crew into enemy waters, and
daringly attacked Japanese convoys only to have his
torpedoes miss because they ran deeper than set (often
running right under the target), or worse, they hit and did
20
 SILENT WAR: TI1e U11ited States' Submarine Campaign Against Imperial japan: 1941-1945
not go off due to defective exploders. The last straw for
these skippers was to return to port and have their reports
on torpedo performance dismissed as attempts to deflect
blame away from their own "improper" use of the weapon.
For those curious about US torpedo evolution, -2
represents the torpedo as certified by the Bureau of
Ordnance, while -1 represents the deep running defect (11
feet deeper than set) being corrected, 0 represents the
defective contact exploder being fixed, +1 represents the
defective magnetic exploder being turned off, and finally
+2 the cumulative effects of a fixed magnetic exploder, the
electric torpedo and the acoustic homing torpedo.
When the opportunities for more counters being added to
Silent War came up, the natural selection was for more
Allied submarines under American command. The Dutch in
particular bore a heavy brunt in the early part of the war.
The British withdrew all of their Eastern Fleet submarines
to the Mediterranean in 1940. Separated from their Nazi-
occupied homeland and short of supplies and parts, the
Dutch nevertheless sent the majority of their modern
submarines to defend British Singapore in 1941.
These subs participated in the pursuit of the German
pocket battleship Admiral Scheer, as well as the defense of
Malaya. In the lightning assault on Malaya, the Dutch
fought aggressively, losing 0-16, 0-20, and K-XV/1 to
Japanese forces while K-X/11 was so badly damaged she
had to be withdrawn. These losses made it even more
difficult for the remaining submarines at Surabaya to stem
the Japanese onslaught following the rapid American
collapse in the Philippines. We are greatly indebted to the
staff at the wonderful www.dutchsubmarines.com website
for their assistance in our research.
Stephen Jackson
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMPLE OF PLAY
Submarine: New S2 class submarine, Seawolf
Start: Manila Naval Base in Broom Box in Manila
War Period: 1
Torpedo Value: -2
WEEK 1, JANUARY 1942
I. STRATEGIC SEGMENT
5.0 War Event Phase: The player rolls a 6, which results
in no roll on the War Event Table.
6.0 Torpedo Improvement Phase: An attempt may not
be made to improve torpedoes until at least 70 ships
have been sunk, which has not yet occurred.
7.0 ULTRA Phase: The player rolls a 7, resulting in
ULTRA markers being placed in the Carolines and
Aleutians.
© 2005 Compass Games, LLC
II. TRIPLE 'R' SEGMENT
(Reinforcement, Ready, Repair)
8.0 Submarine Reinforcement Phase: The player
consults the reinforcement table, and places the
submarines Cuttlefish, Grayling, and Tuna in the
Broom Box of Pearl Harbor.
9.0 Ready Submarines Phase (at bases and sub
tenders): Seawolf has a Readiness rating of '4'. The
player must roll equal to or less than this number. The
roll is 3, and Seawolf moves to the Ready For Sea
box.
10.0 Submarine Repair Phase: No activities.
11.0 Prep For Operations Phase: No activities.
Ill. OPERATIONS SEGMENT
(Conduct individually for each Sub)
12.0 Patrol Movement Phase: No activities.
13.0 Search and Contact Phase: No activities.
14.0 Combat Phase: No activities.
15.0 Transit Movement Phase: Seawolf moves from the
Submarine Base Manila area through the South
China Sea 1 OpArea to the East China Sea OpArea.
A roll for a Transit Event is made, based on the East
China Sea OpArea (red boxes start with a 6 while in
South China Sea 1 they start with a 7). The roll is 8,
modified to 7 (-1 for Seawolf being on its Transit side)
which corresponds to a red box, so a Transit Event
occurs.
The player rolls the die twice to determine the result
of the event; the first roll is 8, which indicates the
middle row of the table is used. The second roll is 5,
which means Seawolf is Spotted. A Spotted marker is
placed on Seawolf.
The player places Seawolf in the "Done" section of
the OpArea and flips her to the Patrol side, since
Seawolf intends to patrol there next turn. If the player
wished to travel further using Transit Movement he
would leave the submarine Transit side up.
W ENDTURNSEGMENT
(After all subs have conducted movement and combat)
16.0 Conclude Turn Phase: Seawolf checks to see if the
Spotted marker is removed (a 0 thru 6 is needed). The
roll is 8, so Seawolf remains Spotted. ULTRA markers
are removed and the turn marker is advanced.
17.0 War Progress Phase: The earliest the War Period
may advance is in March, 1942, so this phase is
skipped.
21
 SILENT WAR: The United States' Submarine Campaign A gainst Imperial Japan: 1941-1945
WEEK 2, JANUARY 1942
I. STRATEGIC SEGMENT (Skipped for this example)
II. TRIPLE 'R' SEGMENT (Skipped for this example)
Ill. OPERATIONS SEGMENT
(Conduct individually for each Sub)
12.0 Patrol Movement Phase: Seawolf stays in East
China Sea OpArea.
13.0 Search and Contact Phase: Seawolf rolls against
the WP1 row of the Area Activity Chart to see if there
are any sightings this week. The roll is 5, and a blue
box indicates a Moderate Density encounter. A
second roll is made (roll is 2) and compared to the
Contact Table for War Period 1. The result is C1, a
small convoy. The player then cross-indexes a small
convoy with moderate density on the Engagement
Table to determine the draws from the war mix. The
convoy is set up by drawing four ships from cup A
(four merchant flags), and three ships from Cup B
(one merchant flag and two warship flags).
14.0 Combat Phase
14.1 First Attack Round: Seawolf sets up in
Column A. Seawolf reveals the four merchant flag
ships in column A revealing an M3t 2-0 merchant, an
M1t 2-0 merchant, an M1t 1-0 merchant, and an A08t
3-0 oiler. Seawolf draws four TDC markers (its
Tactical rating) and places one next to each of the
revealed ships in Column A.
The TDC markers are flipped over revealing the
following; a -2 by the M3t 2-0 ship, a 0 by the M1t 2-
0 ship, a +2 by the M 1t 1-0 ship, and a +2 by the A08t
3-0 oiler.
Note: The player could have chosen to reveal ships
and place TOG markers in column B if he so desired.
Seawolf decides to attack the M3t ship with all of its
Attack rating; the attack value for this attack is 6
(Seawolf Attack rating) - 2 (current torpedo value) for
a total of 4. The defense value for the merchant is 2
(ship defense rating) + 0 (ASW of revealed Japanese
ships) - 2 (TDC value) for a total of 0. The defense
value is subtracted from the attack value to determine
the number needed to hit the target (4 - 0 = 4).
Seawolf rolls the die and gets a 3, hitting the target
merchant. Seawolf rolls another die, modified by the
current torpedo value, and consults the Attack Results
Table to determine the damage to the target. The die
roll is 5 -2 (current torpedo value) = 3, cross-
referenced on the 1 - 4 row (for the 3t merchant); the
result is Sunk. Increase the Ships sunk marker by 1
and the Tons Sunk marker by 3.
14.2 Counterattack Round: The Japanese now
counterattack Seawolf. The Japanese attack value is
0 (ASW value of revealed ships) + 4 (#of Red boxes
on Area Activity Chart for East China Sea) + 0 (War
Period 1 ASW value) = 4. The defense value for
Seawolf is 3. The defense value is subtracted from
the attack value to determine the row used on the
Counterattack Table (4 - 3 = 1 ). The counterattack roll
© 2005 Compass Games, LLC
is 4 + 1 (since Seawolf is Spotted) = 5, for no effect.
14.3 Withdrawal (Proceed to 14.4 or 14.5): No
withdrawal as another attack will be attempted (player
choice).
14.4 Re-Attack Rounds (Optional, followed by
Withdrawal):
TDC markers are removed from the Combat Display.
Seawolf remains in Column A. Seawolf reveals the
two warship flags in Column B, a DD2t 7-1 destroyer,
and a DD2t 7-2 destroyer and the merchant flag which
is a M20t 4-0. Seawolf draws four TDC markers and
places three next to the revealed merchant ships in
Column A, and one by the merchant M20t 4-0 in
Column B.
The TDC markers are flipped over revealing the
following; a -1 by the M1t 2-0 ship, a -3 by the M1t 1-
0 ship, a +2 by the A08t 3-0 oiler, and a +1 by the
M20t 4-0 in Column B.
Seawolf decides to attack the M1t ship with the -3
TDC marker with all of its Attack rating; the attack
value for this attack is 6 (Seawolf Attack rating) - 2
(current torpedo value) for a total of 4. The defense
value for the merchant is 1 (ship defense rating) + 3
(ASW of revealed Japanese ships)- 3 (TDC value) for
a total of 1. The defense value is subtracted from the
attack value to determine the number needed to hit
the target (4- 1 = 3).
Seawolf rolls the die and gets a 2, hitting the target
merchant. Seawolf rolls another die, modified by the
current torpedo value, and consults the Attack Results
Table to determine the damage to the target. The die
roll is 3 - 2 (current torpedo value) = 1. The result is,
cross-referenced on the 1 - 4 row (for the 1t
merchant); the result is Damaged and a Damaged
marker is placed on the merchant, but has no effect
since there are no further combat rounds.
The Japanese now counterattack Seawolf. The
Japanese attack value is 3 (ASW value of revealed
ships) + 4 (#of Red boxes on Area Activity Chart for
South China Sea)+ 0 (War Period 1 ASW value)= 7.
The defense value for Seawolf is 3. The defense
value is subtracted from the attack value to determine
the row used on the Counterattack Table (7 - 3 = 4).
The counterattack roll is 6 + 1 (since this is a Re-
Attack round counterattack), +1 (since Seawolf is
Spotted), for a total of 8, which is a Damaged result.
Seawolf is placed in the Done section of the OpArea
and a Damaged marker is placed on it.
14.5 Super Skipper Determination: Seawolf did not
sink enough ships to earn a Super Skipper.
14.7 Check Endurance: Even with the damage,
Seawolf wants to try and remain at sea, and checks
on the Endurance Table. The Endurance rating for
Seawolf is a B and when cross referenced with the -2
torpedo value, the table shows that Seawolf must roll
a modified 3 or less to stay at sea. The roll is a 6 + 1
since Seawolf is damaged. Seawolf has failed its
check, is flipped to its Transit side and an RTB marker
is placed on it.
22
 SILENT WAR: Tlze United States' Sub11rnri11e Campnig11 Agni11st lrrrperinl japan: 1941-1945

15.0 Transit Movement Phase: Seawolf is returning to

the Submarine Base Manila area through the South
China Sea 1 OpArea. A roll for a Transit Event is
made, based on the South China Sea 1 OpArea (it
has a value of 7). The roll is 5, so there is no Transit
Event and Seawolf pulls into Manila Bay. Since
Seawolf was Damaged , a roll is made on the
Submarine Damage Table to determine the extent of
the damage. The roll is 5, Light Damage, so Seawolf
is placed in the Repair 1 box at Submarine Base
Manila.

CREDITS
Design and Artwork: Brien Miller
Development: Stephen Jackson
Editing: Craig Martin
Playtest: James Byrne, Jeff Hale, Mark Kalina, Ken
Legg, Craig Martin, Arron Monroe, Doug Murphy, Eric
Pass, Jeff Petraska, Dave Richtmyer, Terry Rooker,
Dave Schueler, Bill Thomas, Ron Wuerth, Todd Zirkle
Produced by: Ken Dingley, Mark Kalina, Bill Thomas
Proofing: Ken Dingley, Stephen Jackson, Mark Kalina,
Jeff Petraska, Vince Redolf, Dave Schueler
Special Thanks: Steve Chase for the disaJssions that lead to this
game.
Special Thanks also to: John Kranz, who believed that Silent
War could be the game it is, and to Consimworld.

© 2005 Compass Games, LLC 23