version 1.1 rulesplay a patrol scenario before proceeding to play a campaign game. players may find...

Version 1.1 Rules

© 2012 Compass Games, LLC 2

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

Table of Contents[1.0] INTRODUCTION

[1.1] How to Read these Rules

[2.0] GAME COMPONENTS

[2.1] The Game Map

[2.2] Game Charts and Tables

[2.3] Playing Pieces

[2.4] Scale

[2.5] Conventions

[3.0] SETTING UP THE GAME

[3.1] The “War Mix”

[3.2] Marker Set Up

[4.0] SEQUENCE OF PLAY

[5.0] WAR EVENT PHASE

[6.0] TORPEDO IMPROVEMENT PHASE

[7.0] THE ULTRA PHASE

[8.0] SUBMARINE REINFORCEMENTS PHASE

[9.0] READYING SUBMARINES FOR SEA PHASE

[10.0] REPAIR PHASE

[11.0] PREP FOR OPERATIONS PHASE

[12.0] PATROL MOVEMENT PHASE

[13.0] SEARCH AND CONTACT PHASE

[13.1] Activity Determination Step

[13.2] Search and Contact Procedure

[14.0] COMBAT PHASE

[14.1] First Attack Round

[14.2] Counterattack Round

[14.3] Withdrawal

[14.4] Re-Attack Rounds

[14.5] Super Skipper Determination

[14.6] Sub vs. Sub Combat

[14.7] Endurance Check

[14.8] Clean-Up

[15.0] TRANSIT MOVEMENT PHASE

[16.0] CONCLUDE TURN PHASE

[17.0] WAR PROGRESS PHASE

[17.1] Procedure

[17.2] Automatic Advance

[18.0] DAMAGE

[19.0] EVENTS

[19.1] Transit Events

[19.2] Combat Events

[20.0] SPECIAL MISSION ZONES

[21.0] BASES

[21.1] Forward Bases

[21.2] Submarine Tenders

[22.0] CONGREGATING RISK

[23.0] SPOTTED EFFECTS

[24.0] WOLFPACKS

[24.1] Wolfpack Formation

[24.2] Wolfpacks and Movement

[24.3] Wolfpack Types

[24.4] Wolfpacks and Transit Events

[24.5] Wolfpacks and Combat

[24.6] Wolfpacks and “SPOTTED” results.

[25.0] SUPER SKIPPERS

[26.0] TWO PLAYER VARIANT

[27.0] QUICK RESOLUTION

[28.0] RULES ADDED IN THE IJN EXPANSION KIT

[IJN 4.0] LONERS

[IJN 5.0] CRASH DRIVE!

[IJN 6.0] TARGETING AN ESCORT

[IJN 7.0] EARLY ADVANCEMENT TO WAR PERIOD 4

[1.0] INTRODUCTIONSilent War is a solitaire simulation of the United States’ submarinewar against Imperial Japan during the Second World War. Thescenarios allow players to recreate various stages of the war orthe entire campaign. In these scenarios, each player takes on therole of Commander Submarines, U.S. Pacific Fleet(ComSubPac), deploying available submarines from either PearlHarbor or Australia in order to attack the Japanese Navy.Additionally, in the patrol game, using single submarines, playerscan recreate some of the war’s most famous patrols.

[1.1] How to Read these RulesTo help you quickly familiarize yourself with the game, a detailedsequence of play has been created. The rules follow thissequence: Set up the game, and follow the sequence of play toget an overview of game events. Then, begin the game,referencing the rules as you go. It is suggested new players firstplay a patrol scenario before proceeding to play a campaigngame. Players may find it very helpful to read through theComprehensive Example of Play found at the rear of the scenariobook. This provides a solid overview of a typical turn and willallow players to see past the rules into the process.

[2.0] GAME COMPONENTSSilent War has the following components:

One Game MapOne Combat DisplayOne Charts & Tables CardOne Submarine Tender CardOne Counter Explanation/Sense of Scale CardOne War Mix Table/ULTRA Table CardOne SOP card (Silent War and Steel Wolves)Five Counter Sheets One Rules Book

War Event TableOne Scenario Book

Example of PlayOne Ten-Sided DieOne Box and Lid Set

Note: Players must supply four opaque cups.

[2.1] The Game MapThe map portrays the Pacific Theater of Operations and containsgraphic representations of submarine transit routes and areaswhere submarines conducted operations and special missions,as well as a number of displays and charts necessary for play.There are three types of play “Areas” on the map:

• Submarine Base: Represented by a hexagon and a port(anchor) symbol.

• Operations Area (OpArea): Large circular area containingan Activity Chart. An Operations Area is divided into anOperating section (top) for the submarines conductingcombat in that Area and a Done section (bottom) forsubmarines which have completed their combat ormovement in that Area.

• Special Mission Zone (SMZ): Small circular area withoutan Activity Chart, that points to an OpArea. If a submarinetender is in the zone it is a forward submarine base. If notender is present, these zones can only be entered by asubmarine when activated by a War Event.

All Areas are linked by transit routes, a series of lines thatdelineate movement for submarines. Only submarines move onthe map. Each OpArea belongs to a geographic group, noted intext on the top of each Activity Chart (examples: Empire,Indochina, North Pac(ific), South Pac(ific)).

[2.2] Game Charts and TablesThere are a number of charts and tables in Silent War, someprinted on the map and others on a separate card.

Map tables include: Individual Area Activity Charts, Search andContact Chart, Transit Event Table, Submarine Damage Table,and Endurance Table.

Printed on the Charts and Table card is the Attack Results Table,Counterattack Table, Combat Events Table, Transit Event Table,Search and Contact Table, Endurance Table, Enemy SubmarinesTable, Torpedo Improvement Table, and War Period Tables.

Printed on a separate card is the War Mix Table Table and theULTRA Table.

Printed in the Rules Booklet are the War Event Tables for all 4War Periods and the East Wind Early scenario.

Map displays include: the Tonnage & Ships Sunk/SubmarinesLost 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, andManila/Subic Bay. Each Base Display contains a Repair Holdbox, with three levels of patching up, a Ready for Sea box, PierSide box, and “Broom Box” (for subs that have just returned fromsea).

On the Submarine Tender/Surabaya Display card there are eightSubmarine Tenders and the Surabaya Display.

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© 2012 Compass Games, LLC

[2.3] Playing PiecesThere are several different types of pieces in the game:

A. SUBMARINESEvery U.S. submarine that participated in the Pacific War isrepresented by its own playing piece. There are two sides toevery U.S. submarine: Transit, the light blue side, and Patrol,the gray side.

Transit Side: The Transit side has the name and class name ofthe submarine plus the following information and ratings:

• Entry Date: The date in which the submarine arrives in thegame (W/S means at “War Start”, 12/41).

• Speed: The number of OpAreas that a submarine may movein a single turn.

• Range: The maximum number of OpAreas that asubmarine may be from any friendly Base at any time.

• Readiness: The value the player must roll to “ready” theparticular submarine for sea.

Patrol Side: The Patrol side has the name and class name of thesubmarine plus the following ratings:

• Attack: The fighting value of the submarine, a mixture of thenumber of torpedo tubes the submarine has, whether or notthe submarine has tubes both fore and aft, and its overallloadout of torpedoes.

• Defense: An evaluation of the submarine’s ability tomaneuver, speed of dive, diving depth, tonnage, and the“robustness” of her design and construction. Size matters.

• Tactical: An estimation of the submarine’s ”handiness“ incombat, a mixture of the measurement of her generalmodernity, engineering responsiveness, and mostimportantly, 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 mayremain on patrol or if it must return to base. This ratingfactors in torpedo loadout and consumables such as food,water, and fuel supply.

• Range: The maximum number of OpAreas that asubmarine may be from a friendly Base at any time.

B. SURFACE SHIPS & EVENT MARKERSJapanese units are represented by generic pieces that are usedover 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, CVfor Carrier. Following is a complete list of ship types used inthe game:

CV – Aircraft Carrier.BB – BattleshipBV – Battleship Carriers (Ise class converted to hybrid

carriers.)CA – Heavy CruiserAC – Armored CruiserAR – Repair ShipCL – Light CruiserDD – DestroyerDE – Destroyer EscortAO – Oil TankerAF – Stores ship, often refrigerated.M – Merchant, including freighter, transport, and

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 theship is to hit with a torpedo, and the robustness of herconstruction - an indication of her ability to withstanddamage. Inherent explosion dangers are factored into thisrating. Aircraft have no defense rating as they cannot beattacked.

• ASW Rating: An evaluation of the ASW capabilities of theship and crew. Values are either 0, ½, 1, 2, 3, or 4. The ASWvalue of a ship with a Damage marker is zero. Aircraft onlyhave an ASW rating.

Ships/aircraft with white top and bottom bands are ImperialJapanese Navy (IJN) units, while ships with yellow top andbottom bands are merchant vessels.

Some Japanese pieces have the word “COMBAT EVENT” onthem. These pieces indicate that a unique event has occurred.(See Combat Events [19.2])

Some specific named Japanese ships are provided. These arethe carriers Kaga, Shokaku, Shinano, and Taiho, the battleshipYamato, the repair ship Asahi, and the armored cruiser Izumo. Ifsunk, these ships and the BV hybrid battleship/carrier areremoved from play.

There are three Diligent Escort pieces in the game. These arethe Japanese surface ships that are printed on the front with anorange DD silhouette on a gray band. These representparticularly alert, aggressive, and tenacious destroyer captainswho occasionally surprised a submarine skipper with their skilland daring.

C. TDC MARKERSTDC markers represent the Target Data Computer (TDC)solutions on a target, incorporating the vagaries of target positionrelative to the submarine, and general good or bad fortuneinherent in World War II submarine combat. TDC markers havetarget modification values between -3 and +3 printed on them.

D. SUPER SKIPPERSThese pieces represent the top U.S. submarine skippers of WorldWar II. Super Skippers have a combat bonus rating which isadded into the submarine’s attack and defense calculations. OneBritish and one Dutch skipper are provided if the optional Alliedsubmarine rules are used.

E. MARKERSThe rest of the counter mix has markers for the game turn,recording the number of ships and tonnage sunk, the number ofsubmarines lost and the current War Period in the game.

[2.4] ScaleThe map represents the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii to the MalayPeninsula, and from Northern Australia to Alaska’s AleutianIslands and as such is somewhat scaleless. Each game turn isone week.

[2.5] ConventionsWhen rolling the ten sided die, zero (0) is always zero (0) and notten (10).

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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 Modifications (changes to the die roll + or -).

Fraction Rounding: Fractions are rounded up or down to thenearest integer. However, pay close attention; although acommon convention was desired, Silent War uses both rounding-up, and rounding-down in order to keep as close to the statisticalmodel as possible. When fractions are rounded, round allfractions less than one half (<0.499) down, and all fractions equalto 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 bythe month noted on each piece from the beginning through theend of the scenario. You can speed up setup by sorting thesubmarines by month or by Entry Date instead of having to pickthrough the countermix for a particular name. The Entry Date“w/s” indicates that the submarine is available at “war start.”

Place the submarines for the beginning month of the scenario intheir arrival locations, Transit side up. Place all the Wolfpack andSubmarine Tender markers aside as these will not come into playuntil later in the game. Next, sort out the markers, TDC markers,Super Skippers and finally the Japanese ships marked with eitherthe Japanese naval ensign or the Japanese national ensign. TheJapanese ships will be distributed among four cups in a “War Mix.”

[3.1] The “War Mix”The “War Mix” is the distribution of the Japanese ships into fouropaque cups designated A, B, C, and D. The player should sortthe Japanese ships by type and tonnage and then consult the“War Mix” Table.

[3.11] The “War Mix” Table is divided into the four War Periods,with an extra column for the bonus 1932 campaign. Inside eachWar Period is a column for the four cups. Along the left side of thetable are the Japanese ship categories. Choose the columns forthe War Period noted in the scenario and sort the Japanesepieces into each cup as per the Table. If a ship category (such asM 7k tons or more) has different types of pieces, choose anddistribute them randomly into the cups. The type of flag on theunit makes no difference and such units (For example, a CL witha naval ensign and a CL with a “red ball” flag) are distributedrandomly. The flags are meant to apply some fog of war in thatyou can rarely be certain of what you see through the periscope.

[3.12] Nine Japanese ship pieces have Entry Dates printed onthem. These ships should not be placed into the War Mix cupsuntil 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] If any of the italicized Japanese units are noted as sunk atthe beginning of a scenario, their pieces are not placed in the WarMix. They are removed from the game and not replaced.

[3.14] It is suggested that the War Mix be re-shuffled every twomonths, to avoid the player remembering what units are in whichcup. Additionally, the War Mix is re-shuffled as per the War MixTable any time the War Period advances [17.1].

[3.2] Marker Set UpPlace the Tonnage, Ships Sunk, and Submarines Lost markers inthe appropriate boxes on the Tonnage & Ships Sunk /Submarines Lost Track, and the Torpedo, Month, Week, Year,and War Progress markers in their respective boxes according tothe scenario. The game is now ready to begin.

[4.0] SEQUENCE OF PLAYSilent War is played in Game Turns representing one week ofactual time. Each game turn contains Segments and eachSegment contains Phases. The following sequence of play is forthe operational and campaign scenarios. For patrol scenarios,ignore the Strategic and Triple-R segments except for the Prepfor Operations Phase [11.0].

Note: The organization of the rules generally follows thesequence of play. The section numbers of the segments beginwith “5.0” as that is the rules section covering that segment.

I. STRATEGIC SEGMENT

5.0 War Event PhaseRoll a d10; if result is 0-3, reroll on War Events Tableand implement the results.

6.0 Torpedo Improvement PhaseRoll d10 on Torpedo Improvement Table. If result = or> than Ships Sunk #, move the torpedo marker onecolumn to the right.

7.0 ULTRA PhaseRoll d10 on ULTRA Table, noting drms. Mark ULTRAAreas: add one (+1) to Area Activity Chart rolls anddraw one (1) extra ship from each cup.

II. TRIPLE ‘R’ SEGMENT(Reinforcement, Ready, Repair)

8.0 Submarine Reinforcement PhaseConsult the Master Submarine Reinforcement List.Place and remove submarines as appropriate.

9.0 Ready Submarines Phase (at bases and subtenders)Move subs in the Pierside Box to the Ready for SeaBox. Roll for subs in Broom Box to ready them: roll =or < than Ready # to place in Ready for Sea Box; ifroll is > than Ready # place in Pierside Box.

10.0 Submarine Repair Phase (at bases)Roll = or < than # in Repair Box to move sub to nextbox (3-to-2-to-1-to-Broom).

11.0 Prep For Operations PhaseMove all submarines from “Done” section of OpAreato “Operating” section.

III. OPERATIONS SEGMENT(Conduct individually for each Sub)

12.0 Patrol Movement Phase Subs currently deployed with their Patrol side up maymove to the “Operating” section of an adjacentOpArea or Special Mission Zone if currently active.Roll for a Transit Event.

13.0 Search and Contact PhaseFollow Search and Contact on-map instructions (with+1 drm for ULTRA, +2 DRM for a barrier wolfpack,etc).

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14.0 Combat Phase14.1 First Attack Round14.2 Counterattack Round14.3 Withdrawal (Proceed to 14.4 or 14.5)14.4 Re-Attack Rounds (Optional, followed by

Withdrawal)14.5 Super Skipper Determination14.6 Sub vs. Sub Combat14.7 Check Endurance

15.0 Transit Movement PhaseSubmarines that are in the Ready for Sea Box of abase, are outbound to a patrol area, or are in theOperating section of an OpArea and have an RTBmarker may move a number of OpAreas up to theirmovement rating. Roll for a Transit Event if applicable.Place submarine in “Done” section of OpArea Patrolside up if it intends to patrol there next turn or Transitside up if it intends to continue on to another OpAreaor Base.

IV. END TURN SEGMENT(After all subs have conducted movement and combat)

16.0 Conclude Turn PhaseRemove Spotted markers from subs on roll of 0-6;Automatically remove Spotted markers upon return toBase. Check Scenario Victory Conditions. AdvanceDate markers.

17.0 War Progress PhaseCheck War Period Transition Table. If month has anumber, roll d10; if result = or > than #, advance WarPeriod.

[5.0] WAR EVENT PHASEAt the start of each turn, the player rolls one die. If the die roll is0, 1, 2, or 3, the player rolls again on the War Events Table andfollows the event’s instructions.

[5.1] Some events are one-time only events (such as the fall ofManila). 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 certainnumber of submarines to a Special Mission Zone for the turn.These submarines utilize Patrol Movement to enter the SMZ. Ifthe player does not have enough submarines able to enter thezone via Patrol Movement (see [12.0]), non-RTB submarines thatare Transit side up in or adjacent to an OpArea with the SMZmust be flipped to their Patrol side and moved into the SMZ.

(Note: this is the ONLY time a Transit side submarine may beflipped to Patrol side at the beginning of the turn, before combat).

If the player still does not have enough submarines to fulfill theconditions of the War Event, there is no penalty, but the player mustmove as many submarines as possible up to the number indicated.

[6.0] TORPEDO IMPROVEMENT PHASECOMMENTARYThe Mark XIV Torpedo, which the Americans went to war with,was the product of the Newport Torpedo Station, a U.S. NavyBureau. In an appalling example of elitist arrogance, this Bureau

obstinately refused to acknowledge the truth of the manycomplaints from experienced combat submariners that the MarkXIV was not working properly. Instead, they accused the skippersof “improperly” setting the weapon.

However, careful experiments in July of 1942 in Australia, and theintercession of Admiral King himself, finally moved the NewportTorpedo Station to act. Still, it was not until fully a year later thatthe Mk-XIV was operating the way it was intended to, 21 monthsafter the start of the war.

The Mk-XIV (also representing the Mk-X used by S-boats and thelate war Mk-XVIII electric) torpedo marker begins the game onthe Current Torpedo Value track according to the scenarioinstructions. This table lists ships sunk in tens and a series of dierolls. During the Torpedo Improvement Phase of the turnimmediately following a turn when the current number of shipssunk reaches or exceeds one of the listed numbers of ships sunk,the player rolls a d10. If the die roll equals or exceeds the resultlisted for that number of ships sunk, the torpedo marker isimmediately advanced indicating a fix to the torpedo problem. Ifthe die roll is less than the result there is no change, and anotherroll may not be attempted until the next listed number of shipssunk is reached.

Example: In 1942 the player sinks seventy ships. He is noweligible to attempt torpedo improvement from –2 to –1. The dieroll is ‘6’ indicating that no improvement is made (a ‘9’ isrequired). The player may not roll again until seventy-five shipshave been sunk, and a result of ‘8’ or ‘9’ will result in theimprovement to –1.

[7.0] THE ULTRA PHASECOMMENTARYUltra was the name of the American cipher project that broke andread the German codes. Magic read the Japanese Navy Codesbut the output of their combined efforts came to be known as“ULTRAs”. Throughout the war, the Ultras provided theSubmarine arm with dramatically accurate information onJapanese convoy movements. Early lack of success was not dueto failing to be “at the right place at the right time” but ratherhaving defective torpedoes that failed to run at the correct depthand explode as designed. In all ways, the Ultra War was astunning success. In an odd way, it was also a tribute to theJapanese naval planners that they could schedule and runconvoys on such tight schedules — an accomplishment thatultimately proved fatal.

PROCEDUREAt the start of each turn, the player should consult the ULTRATable by rolling a die and finding the result under the current WarPeriod. Place an ULTRA marker in each of the listed Areas. All dierolls on the Area Activity Charts in these Areas are increased byone (+1). All numbers from the Engagement Table (the numbersplaced in columns A, B, C, and D) are increased by one exceptfor those cups indicating “no draw”.

[7.1] When the Sea of Japan OpArea contains an ULTRAmarker, 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 willbe rolled at the beginning of each turn.

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[7.3] There may never be more than three (3) ULTRA Areas inexistence during any one turn. If two rolls are made due to a WarEvent, take the Areas in order they are received, top to bottom.

Example: In War Period 3, a War Event calls for rolling twice onthe ULTRA table. The player rolls a ‘2’ followed by a ‘4’. ULTRAmarkers are placed on the Empire Pacific, Bismarck Sea, and theKuriles. A marker is not placed in the Carolines.

[7.4] Submarines are never required to respond to ULTRAinformation. The decision to Patrol Move and take advantage ofthe target-rich environment is up to the player and should bebalanced by the risks associated with Patrol Movement (see[12.0]).

[8.0] SUBMARINE REINFORCEMENTS PHASECOMMENTARYThe United States quickly began a massive program of buildingsubmarines using both coastal and Great Lakes yards. Newconstruction poured into the Pacific at an amazing rate. Not onlydid new submarines appear, but nearly every submarine throughthe Gato class received a major overhaul during the course of thewar. Many overhauls repaired major battle damage that wasbeyond the capabilities of Pacific bases; in some cases replacingdefective main diesel engines or rebuilding entire conning towers.While overhauls do not alter a submarine's ratings, they dorepresent a major logistics impact to operations and therefore areincluded as part of the game.

Players consult the Master Submarine Reinforcements list. Thereare four categories of units listed:

A. Additions to War Mix: Japanese units with entry dates areadded to the War Mix as per the War Mix Table.

B. Reinforcements: Newly received submarines are listedalong with their base of arrival. Place them in the Broom Boxof the proper Base display. If a base of arrival is not yetactive or has fallen, the submarines are received at PearlHarbor (Exception: Brisbane subs are received at Fremantleif the latter is active).

C. Withdrawals: Submarines are withdrawn for overhaul atone of the yards on the West coast of the United States.These submarines are preceded by “Withdraw”, and areremoved from play immediately, even if at sea and/ordamaged. Place them in the “West Coast” Box on the map.Any Super Skipper stays with the boat, and anydamaged/spotted markers are removed. If the submarinehas been sunk, no other submarine takes its place. While inoverhaul, a submarine cannot be removed from play via theWar Event “Relegation to Training Duty”.

D. Returns: After a number of months, the submarines inoverhaul are returned to service. These are preceded by“Return” in the list. All returning submarines are placed in theBroom Box of Pearl Harbor unless otherwise noted.

[9.0] READYING SUBMARINES FOR SEA PHASECOMMENTARYPrior to deploying to sea, a submarine must be “readied”. Thisrepresents provisioning and fueling, as well as assembling andtraining the crew. The latter evolution (to use the Navy term for anactivity) can be somewhat indeterminate in length of time it takes.

The average Pacific submarine was able to perform a turnaround between patrols in a week. Sometimes it took two. Theolder, “creakier” boats took a little more effort to ready for seathan their brand new war construction sisters.

PROCEDUREMove all submarines in the Pier Side Box of a Base (ShipsideBox of a Tender), to the Ready for Sea Box. For each submarinestarting in the Broom Box, roll a die. If the result is equal to or lessthan (= or <) the “Readiness” rating, the submarine is moved tothe Ready for Sea Box of the Base display. If the roll is greaterthan the rating, the submarine is moved to the Pier Side Box onthe Base display, where it will be automatically ready for sea inthe following turn.

[10.0] REPAIR PHASESubmarines with a damaged marker may be repaired at a Base.There are four 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 PROCEDURERoll a die for each submarine in a Repair Box, starting with thesubmarines in Repair Box 1 and advancing one box at a time tothe Hold Box. If the result is equal to or less than (= or <) thatbox’s Repair number, advance the submarine to the next box. Asubmarine in box “1” advances into the Broom Box.

[10.1] The Base Max Repair Capacity is the total number ofsubmarines that may be in boxes “ 1”, “2”, and “3” at any onetime. A submarine with damage may not be advanced into therepair process unless there is room for it.

[10.2] If a submarine receives damage of one (1) or more, andthe Base is already at its Max Repair Capacity (the total numberof submarines that may be in boxes “ 1”, “2”, and “3” at any onetime), any submarines in excess must be placed in the “HoldBox”. 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 arrivedearlier.

[10.21] When submarines are repaired and there is room formore to be repaired, submarines may be advanced from the HoldBox into the “3” box (regardless of the actual damage it suffered-it is assumed to have deteriorated from waiting in the holdingbasin), but must wait until the following turn to roll for repair.

Note: Players should carefully plan for the return of damagedsubs to avoid the holding basin penalty. For example, subsoperating out of Pearl Harbor can “bounce” to Australia if needed.

[10.3] Submarines waiting in a Repair Box may not leave aBase. If a Base should fall with a submarine in a Repair Boxnumbered 2 or 3 or in the Hold Box, see [18.3].

[11.0] PREP FOR OPERATIONS PHASEAll submarines at sea are moved from the “Done” section of theirOpArea to the “Operating” section.

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[12.0] PATROL MOVEMENT PHASENormally when on patrol, submarines tend to remain in a singleOpArea. However, the player may change their patrol area to anadjacent OpArea using Patrol Movement. To use PatrolMovement, a submarine is simply moved to any adjacentOpArea, so long as that OpArea does not place the submarinefurther from a Base than its Range rating. A roll is made for aTransit Event (see [19.1]). If an RTB result is obtained, flip thesubmarine to its Transit side and place an RTB marker on it.

[12.1] If a Special Mission Zone has been activated by a WarEvent, a submarine may enter it using Patrol Movement for noadditional movement cost. A roll is made for a Transit Event (see[19.2]).

Example: A Special Mission Event has occurred for aGuadalcanal Patrol. A submarine on patrol in the Coral Sea mayPatrol Move to the Solomons, and then enter the GuadalcanalSpecial Mission Zone for no additional cost, rolling for a TransitEvent using the Solomons Area Activity Chart.

[12.2] Submarines may not use Patrol Movement to enter ordepart a submarine base.

[13.0] SEARCH AND CONTACT PHASECOMMENTARYSubmarine combat is essentially sorting through the availablecontacts and determining quickly the best opportunities forsinking selected ships. Information is usually imperfect, timeshort, angles and opportunities limited. Within these bounds, asubmarine commander must make his decisions such that thebest opportunity to inflict damage is taken.

[13.1] Activity Determination StepA submarine may choose to bypass the Search and ContactProcedure in order to not engage in combat. Such a submarineis spending most of its time submerged and/or avoiding surfacetraffic. If the player chooses this option, remove any Spottedmarker from the submarine and proceed directly to theEndurance Phase [14.7] with a –1 modifier to the Endurance roll.

The player may also decide in this step to voluntarily RTB thesubmarine. If so, place an RTB marker on the submarine, skipdirectly to the Transit Movement Phase [15.0] and move thesubmarine towards the desired base.

Note: This is the only time a submarine can enter RTB status andconduct RTB transit movement in the same turn. If a submarineenters RTB status for reasons of combat, event, or endurance, itis placed in the DONE section of the OpArea.

[13.2] Search and Contact PROCEDURETo determine if the submarine makes contact with the enemyand, if so, how many ships the submarine contacts, the playerfollows these steps:

A. Consult the Area Activity Chart in the OpArea in which thesubmarine is located. If the submarine is located in a SpecialMission Area that has been activated by a War Event, theplayer consults the Area Activity Chart of the OpArea fromwhich the submarine entered the Special Mission Zone. Ifthere are any colored boxes in the row for the current war

period, the player owning the submarine rolls a die, addingthe 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 shipsOrange - contact with a small number of enemy shipsBlue - contact with a moderate number of enemy shipsRed - 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 atleast one colored box, the player rolls a second die. If thisis also a zero, the player submarine has encountered anenemy submarine. Proceed to the Sub vs. Sub Combatsegment [14.6].

• If there is no contact, proceed directly to the EndurancePhase [14.7] with a –1 modifier to the Endurance roll.

B. Once enemy ships have been contacted, the player rolls onthe Contact Table (left side of map), again first determiningthe War Period, and then rolling a die. The result is either: C1- 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 dieroll with the Contact result from the Contact Table. TheEngagement Table will direct the player to randomly select anumber of pieces from each of the four prepared ‘War Mix’cups, A, B, C, or D. Pieces are drawn from the cup (withoutexamining them) and placed face down on the CombatDisplay in the column corresponding to their cup.

If the OpArea has an ULTRA marker (see [7.0]), the numberof pieces per cup is increased by one unless the result forthat cup was “no draw”.

[14.0] COMBAT PHASEThe player now engages the Japanese convoy or task force in aseries of attack rounds.

[14.1] First Attack RoundPROCEDURE[14.11] Place the submarine in one of the submarine boxes onthe Combat Display. No more than one submarine may beplaced in each box. See also [24.5] Wolfpacks and Combat.

[14.12] The player reveals a number of Japanese units on theCombat Display equal to the Tactical Rating of the submarine byturning them face up, one at a time. The ships the player choosesto reveal must be from either the column the submarine is in, orfrom an adjacent one on the Combat Display.

• If a “Combat Event” marker is revealed, the event isimmediately resolved as per the Events instructions (see[19.2]). If any additional Combat Event markers are drawnduring an attack round, they are returned to the cup.

• If a “Diligent Escort” is revealed, the player rolls immediately onthe Diligent Escort row of the Counterattack Table, applyingany result. Combat then proceeds normally with the Diligent

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Escort in its place, face up, in the proper column. If thesubmarine is damaged, the player may choose to withdrawfrom combat at this point, proceeding to the Endurance Phase[14.7].

If the year is 1943-45, the submarine is equipped with radar andmay “unflip” any one Japanese unit unless it is a Combat Event,Diligent Escort, or an Aircraft. The choice to “unflip” the unit mustbe made immediately, before any other units are revealed. If aunit is “unflipped”, another unit must be revealed in its place.

[14.13] The player utilizes the Tactical Rating of the submarine todetermine the number of “TDC” (Target Data Computer) piecesthat are randomly selected from the pool of face down TDCmarkers. The player places TDC markers (without examiningthem), one per target, on any of the revealed OR face downJapanese ships in the same column containing the submarine orin an adjacent column. Once they are all placed, TDC markersmay not be moved.

[14.14] The player reveals the TDC markers and selects targetsfor attack. A target must be a unit with a TDC marker on it. Theplayer may select as many targets as he can allocate thesubmarine’s attack value to, with a minimum of one (1). The totalof all attacks may not exceed the attack value of the attackingsubmarine. A submarine can only attack targets that are in thesame or an adjacent column.

Example: USS Spearfish (6-3-4) has Whitaker (+1) as her superskipper and is in combat against two 2-0, one 1-0 cargo ship, andone revealed 7-1 destroyer. One of the 2-0 cargo ships has aTDC value of –2 but is in an adjacent column, the other, a TDCvalue of +1. The 1-0 cargo ship has a TDC value of 0. The playerassigns 3 attack points to the first cargo maru and 3 attack pointsto the third maru. He does not target the second target or theescort. Total attack points assigned: 6.

Once all the targets have been selected, any unrevealedJapanese unit that is being targeted is now turned face up. If aJapanese aircraft or Combat Event marker is revealed, removethe TDC marker from it. Attack points allocated to the aircraft orCombat Event marker may be reallocated to any other unit witha TDC marker on it.

• If a Combat Event marker is revealed, the event isimmediately resolved as per the Events instructions (see[19.2]). If any additional Combat Event markers are drawnduring an attack round, they are returned to the cup.

• If a Diligent Escort is revealed, the player rolls immediatelyon the Diligent Escort row of the Counterattack Table,applying any result. Combat then proceeds normally with theDiligent Escort in its place, face up, in the proper column. Ifthe submarine is damaged, the player may NOT choose towithdraw from combat at this point.

[14.15] Each attack is resolved separately. The followingprocedure (steps a through d) is used for each attack:

A. Total the following for the attacking submarine:

1. The portion of the submarine’s Attack Value allocated tothis target.

2. The value of a Super Skipper marker assigned to thissubmarine (if any). Each attack gets this bonus.

3. The current Mk-XIV torpedo value (Remember, adding anegative number is the same as subtracting it.)

B. Total the following for the target:

1. The target’s Defense Value.2. The ASW value of all revealed Japanese vessels in the

submarine’s column and adjacent columns, and theASW value of all revealed aircraft regardless of column.

3. The TDC marker value (Remember, adding a negativenumber is the same as subtracting it.)

4. If the target ship is not in the same column as thesubmarine, add one (+1). Note: there is a maximum oftwo submarines per column.

5. If the target ship has a Damage marker subtract one (-1).

C. Subtract the target’s value from the attacker’s value (rounddown) to get a result and roll a die. If the roll is equal to orless than the result (difference), the target has been hit.

Example: Continuing from the Spearfish example above witha current Mark XIV torpedo value of minus (–1). The playercalculates the following attacks:

Assuming Cargo Ship #1 is 2-0, Adjacent Column:

a) 3 attack points + 1 super skipper point + torpedo value–1, for a total of (3+1+[-1]) = +3.

b) 2 defense points + 1 revealed escort + TDC –2, +1 forbeing 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 hitthis 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 + TDC +1 for a totalof (1+1+1) = +3

c) The player must roll equal to or less than (3-3) = 0 to hitthis target (10% chance of hit).

D. If the target is hit, consult the Attack Results Table. Find thesize of the target in tonnage in the left column and roll a die,adding the current value of the Mk-XIV torpedo (adding anegative number results in subtraction).

• If the modified result falls into the orange results, thetarget has been damaged. Place a Damage marker onthe vessel. If the target already had a Damage marker,it is sunk.

• If the result falls into the red results, the target has beensunk. Advance the Ships Sunk marker by one and theTonnage 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 ofthe magnetic exploder that was so problematic or the defectivecontact exploders.)

[14.16] There will be times when it is not possible for asubmarine to hit a target, through a combination of low attackfactors, low torpedo rating, adverse TDC modifiers, and/or highescort 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.

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B. If no successful attack can be made in a Re-Attack round, acounterattack round is conducted normally regardless ofwhether an attack is made in the first attack round.

Note: Unrevealed units with TDC markers are considered tohave a defense of ‘1’ until revealed. If attacked, and it isdetermined that the target cannot be hit, the attack goes throughwith an automatic miss, followed by a counterattack.

[14.2] Counterattack RoundCounterattack normally occurs after an attacking submarine hasconducted combat against surface ships, but under certaincircumstances, Counterattack may occur before and after thesubmarine has attacked surface ships.

Note: Any units sunk in the attack round before are removed priorto Counterattack.

To conduct Counterattack, use the following procedure:

A. Add the following for the Japanese:

1. The ASW value of all revealed Japanese forces (eventhose not attacked) in the column containing thesubmarine and in all adjacent columns, fractionsrounded up. Remember, the ASW value of a ship with aDamage marker is zero. The ASW value of an aircraft isadded regardless of the column the aircraft is in.

2. The number of red boxes for the current war period inthe Area Activity Chart of the OpArea where the combatis occurring.

3. The general ASW value from the War Period display forthe 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 resultand 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 counterattacktable is needed. Apply the results of the table immediately.

Example: Continuing from the Spearfish example above in WarPeriod 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 +1general 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] WithdrawalOnce the Counterattack Round is over, the player may voluntarilywithdraw the submarine from combat. If the player voluntarilywithdraws, proceed to Super Skipper Determination (see [14.5]).

[14.4] Re-Attack RoundsIf the submarine has not been sunk, withdrawn, or forced to RTB(Return to Base), it can choose to engage the convoy or taskforce a second time. The TDC markers from the first round areremoved and mixed back into the draw pool. Revealed Japaneseunits remain revealed.

PROCEDUREPrior to Re-Attack combat, the player may re-position thesubmarine to an adjacent column.

The player then repeats steps [14.12] through [14.16] followed by[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 revealedfirst (if in columns eligible for revealing).

• Only when all Rising Sun flags have been revealed maya “red ball” flag be turned over.

B. If equipped with radar (1943 to 1945), the submarine maynot “unflip” a Japanese unit that was revealed in the firstattack round.

In the Re-Attack round, one is subtracted from every TDC markerexcept for any –3 markers. This represents the submarinemaneuvering 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 thesubmarine 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 DeterminationIf the submarine has sunk three (3) or more ships totaling 16,000or more tons during the Combat Phase, the submarine has a“Super Skipper”.

• If the submarine does not already have a Super Skipper, aSuper Skipper marker is randomly drawn and assigned tothat submarine with the +1 side of the marker.

• If the submarine already has a +1 Super Skipper, the Skipperis flipped to the +2 side.

• If the submarine already has a +2 Super Skipper there is noadditional benefit.

See SUPER SKIPPERS [25.0] for additional rules.

[14.6] Sub vs. Sub CombatIf the Search and Contact Phase resulted in an encounter with anenemy submarine, conduct the following steps:

A. If a wolfpack is involved, randomly select one of the playersubmarines to encounter the enemy submarine. The othersubmarines are not involved, though this does not affectbelonging to the wolfpack.

B. Make a die roll and subtract one if the player submarine isSPOTTED and/or DAMAGED. Add one if the playersubmarine has radar (date is 1943-45). If the result is 0-3 theenemy has spotted the player submarine first. If the result is4-9 the player has detected the enemy first.

C. Consult the Enemy Submarine Table [30.3] in the scenariobooklet to determine what enemy submarine pieces are

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available based on date and OpArea. The player randomlydraws one of these from a cup.

D. Place the submarine which detected the other first in theSubmarine Box of any column on the Combat Display, andthe 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 itsfull attack rating plus any Super Skipper value against thetarget submarine’s Defense rating plus any Super Skippervalue. Allied submarines use the current value of the Mk-XIVtorpedo unless assigned another torpedo value by specialrule (early Dutch). Japanese, German, and Italian torpedoeshave a value of +1 regardless of date.

F. If the target submarine is hit, consult the 1-4 row of the AttackResults Table. If the player submarine is sunk, advance theSubs Lost marker by one. If an Axis submarine is sunk,advance the Ships Sunk marker by one and the TonnageSunk marker by the appropriate amount.

Sub vs. Sub Combat ends following a single combat round. Thereis no Counterattack or Re-Attack round.

[14.7] Endurance CheckCOMMENTARYThere are four key elements to keeping a World War II warship atsea: Fuel, victuals, crew, and weapons loadout. During thePacific War, given the small number of torpedoes carried (12 to24), and the problems with the Mk-XIV torpedo, the most oftenencountered limitation was torpedo loadout.

PROCEDUREFollowing a turn’s combat(s) for a submarine, the player must rolla die to see if the submarine has expended its loadout oftorpedoes or is running too low on fuel or other consumables. Todo this, the player cross-indexes the submarine’s Endurance withthe current value of the Mk-XIV torpedo on the Endurance Table,and rolls a die. Subtract one from the result if the submarineelected to bypass the Search and Contact Phase (see [13.1]), orencountered no enemy contacts. Add one to the result if thesubmarine is damaged.

• If the result is higher than the number indicated, thesubmarine is marked with an RTB counter and placed in theDONE section of the OpArea.

• If the result is equal to or less than the number, place thesubmarine in the “Done” section of the OpArea.

[14.8] Clean-UpReturn the Japanese units and Combat Event markers to theappropriate cups. If any of the ships that are italicized on the WarMix Table (Shokaku, Taiho, Shinano, Yamato, Kaga, Asahi,Izumo, or the BV) were sunk, they are removed from the gameand not placed back into the cups. Remove TDCs from thecombat display and return them to the draw pool.

[15.0] TRANSIT MOVEMENT PHASETransit Movement is the only way a submarine may move to andfrom a Base. Submarines move along the light blue linesconnecting the Areas. Submarines performing Transit Movementare placed on their Transit side. There are two types of TransitMovement:

• Deployment• Return to Base (RTB)

[15.1] Deployment: From a Base to an OpArea or Base to BaseIf the submarine starts the Operations Segment in the Ready forSea Box of a Base, it can move any number of OpAreas up to itsspeed.

Note: departure from a permanent base to an adjacent OpArea iscounted against its speed rating, while departure from a SpecialMission Zone (SMZ) base to a connected OpArea is not since theSMZ is considered to be “in” the OpArea.

Perform a Transit Event roll [19.1] for the sub using the OpAreawith the lowest number on the line for the current War Periodwhich contains a red box through which the submarine moved.Do not use the OpArea from which the submarine started. If thesubmarine survives undamaged, place it in the “Done” section ofthe ending OpArea. The player places the submarine Transit sideup if it intends to transit further next turn, or Patrol side up if itintends to patrol next turn. Once in patrol status a submarine maynever enter transit status again unless it is returning to base.

[15.11] In the following turn(s), a Transit side up submarinerepeats transit movement (and Transit Event roll). A submarinemay 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 aCombat or Transit Event result. Such a submarine is marked withan RTB marker and can never return to patrol status withoutreadying at a Base.

[15.21] Submarines may choose to RTB by skipping the Searchand Contact, and Combat Phases. Such a submarine is movedvia OpAreas to the Broom Box of the Base (see also [18.0]Damage and [21.0] Bases). Perform a Transit Event roll for thesub using the OpArea with the lowest number on the Area ActivityChart with red boxes.

• If the submarine is moving from an OpArea to an adjacentBase (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 leftin the “Done” section of the closest OpArea to the base thatit can reach. During the Transit Movement Phase of thefollowing turn(s), the submarine repeats Transit Movementuntil it can be moved to the Broom Box of the destinationBase. Conduct applicable Transit Events.

[15.22] A submarine may be forced to RTB by a Transit Event,Combat, or by the Endurance Table. Submarines forced to RTBare flipped to their Transit side and an RTB marker is placed onthem. They are placed in the DONE section of the currentOpArea and in the following turn they must conduct transitmovement to any base within range. If undamaged, thesubmarine is placed in the Broom Box. If damaged, it mustdetermine the level of damage before being placed in a RepairBox. (See 18.0 Damaged Submarines).

[15.23] Dutch HarborOperations out of Dutch Harbor were extremely difficult onsubmarines and crew. Frigid temperatures resulted in extendedrepairs and increased wear on machinery. Turnarounds onsubmarine deployments sometimes exceeded a month. As aresult, any undamaged submarine which RTBs to Dutch Harbormust make a roll on the Damage Table. Any results of Repair 2 orRepair 3 are changed to Repair 1.

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[15.24] Cautious TransitA submarine that is Transit side up may choose to move a singleOpArea instead of at a higher speed in order to reducevulnerability to patrolling ASW assets. If a submarine chooses tomove one OpArea, subtract one from the Transit Event check[19.1].

[15.25] Submarines Beyond the Range of a BaseSubmarines may not move beyond their range (in OpAreas) to abase. However, some events may precipitate a submarine beingout of range of a base (such as the fall of a base during the earlywar period). A submarine that is discovered to be out of range ofany base is immediately damaged and must RTB to the nearestbase using normal transit movement at a speed one (1) less thanits printed speed (but never less than one (1)). The crew isoperating the boat using long range cruise endurance methodssuch as single engine, slow speeds, and such.

[16.0] CONCLUDE TURN PHASE

[16.1] Check Victory ConditionsCheck victory conditions for victory or defeat. If either isachieved, play ends immediately.

[16.2] Spotted Marker RemovalRoll 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 dieroll of 7 through 9, the submarine remains spotted. Only one rollis made for a spotted wolfpack, and the entire pack eitherremains spotted or has the markers removed.

[16.3] Upon entry to a Base, any Spotted marker a submarinehas is removed.

[16.4] Remove ULTRA marker(s) from the map.

[16.5] Advance the Week marker, and the Month/Year markers ifneeded.

[17.0] WAR PROGRESS PHASECOMMENTARYAlmost every historian agrees that, ultimately, Japan would havebeen defeated. Silent War assumes the inevitable defeat of Japanas a key underlying component to the game system. The gamescenarios portray the Pacific War in four distinct periods: W1—Pearl Harbor to Midway, W2—Midway to the End of the SolomonsCampaign, W3—Solomons Campaign to Leyte Gulf, W4—LeyteGulf to Tokyo Bay. The periods however, will not follow thehistorical dates precisely. While some of this is arbitrary, it is feltthat these time frames roughly parallel the change in Japanesenaval and shipping movements upon which the Area ActivityCharts and Search and Contact processes are based.

[17.1] PROCEDUREThe War Period marker begins the game set on the War PeriodTrack, according to the scenario instructions. At the beginning ofmonths marked with numbers in their boxes on the War PeriodTransition Table, the player may determine if the War Periodadvances. Conduct the following steps:

A. Consult the “War Period Modification Table”. Ships &Tonnage Sunk totals can advance the progress of the war orretard it. Under the section for the next war period, cross-index the Ships Sunk and the Tonnage Sunk to determinethe modification, rounding DOWN unless already at thelowest level. This will give the player a modifier for use in thenext 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 Periodadvances.

C. If the War Period fails to advance, another attempt may notbe made until the beginning of the following month.

[17.2] Automatic AdvanceIf the War Period has not advanced by the time all numbers fortransition have been attempted (November, 1942 for example),the War Period advances automatically.

[18.0] DAMAGED SUBMARINESSubmarines may be “damaged” during Transit Events or duringcombat. If damaged, a Damage marker is placed on thesubmarine. The actual level of damage is determined when thesubmarine reaches a base.

[18.1] Should a submarine receive a second Damage marker, adie is rolled:

• If the die result is greater than (>) the Defense rating ofthe submarine, it is sunk. Advance the SubmarinesSunk marker by one (1).

• If the sub is not sunk, place a second Damage markeron the sub. When the sub reaches base, determine itsdamage level (see 10.0 Repair Phase) by rolling twiceon the Damage Table and adding the resulting RepairBox numbers. If the total damage of the sub would placeit beyond Repair Box “3”, then the submarine isconsidered a “constructive total loss.” It is removed fromplay but it does not count against the submarines sunk.

[18.2] Should a submarine receive a third Damage marker, it issunk. Advance the Submarines Sunk marker by one (1).

[18.3] Damaged submarines that reach base must roll one dieon the Damage Table. The results of this die roll either place thesubmarine in one of the Repair Boxes or into the Broom Box.Damaged Submarines may not depart a major base once theyhave arrived. In the cases of Manila and Surabaya, any damagedsubmarines in the Repair Boxes 2 or 3 or in the Hold Box whenthe base falls are scuttled and considered a “constructive totalloss.” Do not advance the Lost Submarine marker. Submarines inRepair Box 1 may limp out to sea. They receive a Damagemarker and must RTB to the nearest base. They roll again on theDamage Table when arriving at their new base, though a result of“Superficial Damage” is considered to be “Light Damage”, placingthem in Repair Box 1.

[18.4] The player may “decommission” a badly damagedsubmarine that the player does not want to repair at any time whileon the repair track. The submarine is removed from the game butis not counted as “lost.” If the submarine has a Super Skipper,determine if he is assigned another submarine as per [25.3].

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[18.5] Damaged Surface ShipsSurface ships can be damaged as a result of submarine attack.The ASW value of a ship with a Damage marker is zero (0), anda negative one (-1) modifier is applied to the target value duringthe Combat Phase. If a damaged surface ship survives allcombat (that is, it is not sunk), then the damage has no furthereffect. Remove the Damage marker; the ship is assumed to havemade it to port.

[19.0] EVENTSCOMMENTARYFor good or bad, combat, whether between divisions, brigades,ships, or aircraft, is governed by that intangible element calledfate. Submarine warfare is particularly susceptible to it.Napoleon, the master opportunist, was once asked if given thechoice of choosing between a good general or a lucky generalwho would he take? Le Tondue replied, “L’on fortuné, chaquetemps!”— The lucky one, every time! Admirals Christie andLockwood would no doubt have agreed wholeheartedly with him.

At various times throughout the game, events will be summonedby the game system. Players must immediately resolve theseevents as they have immediate consequences for thesubmarine(s). There are two types of events, Transit Events andCombat Events.

[19.1] Transit EventsTransit Events reflect instances where submarines were spottedand attacked before they were aware of the attacker’s presence,or the loss of a submarine due to “causes unknown”. These couldinclude being torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, attacked byan aircraft, striking a mine, or simply accidental loss such as abattery explosion, or a catastrophic mechanical failure. A TransitEvent check occurs during Transit and Patrol Movement any timea submarine enters an OpArea or SMZ.

PROCEDUREEvery time a submarine completes a Transit or Patrol Movement,the player performs a Transit Event check. The Transit Event isbased on the governing OpArea. The governing OpArea isdetermined in the following manner:

• For Patrol Movement, use the OpArea the submarine hasmoved into.

• For a Special Mission Zone, use the OpArea from which thesubmarine entered the Special Mission Zone.

• For Transit Movement, use the OpArea with the lowestnumber on the line for the current War Period which containsa red box through which the submarine moved. Do not usethe OpArea from which the submarine started.

Roll a die for the submarine and apply the following cumulativemodifiers:

• Subtract one if the submarine is Transit side up (i.e. notperforming Patrol Movement).

• Subtract one if the submarine is conducting Cautious Transit[15.24].

• Subtract one if the submarine is a member of a wolfpack [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 redresults start, the player has encountered a Transit Event. Theplayer now rolls again twice on the Transit Event Table (locatedon map) to find the row and column, and cross-references theresult. The result is applied immediately.

[19.11] If a submarine receives an RTB result, the submarine isplaced in the DONE section of the OpArea used to determine theTransit Event check, even if already conducting RTB movement.If more than one OpArea could have been used (lowest numberon 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 EventsEach cup contains one chit marked “Combat Event.” When anEvent chit is revealed, play is momentarily stopped and the Eventis immediately resolved. The results of the Event supercede therules in all cases.

PROCEDUREUpon revealing an Event chit, roll a die and consult the CombatEvent table below. Implement the effects listed. The Event isapplicable to a single attack round, and only one Event can occurper attack round.

COMBAT EVENTS

Die Roll

0 Target Lumbers into WayA Japanese ship suddenly crosses the path of one ormore 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 oran adjacent column, reveal it, and determine if it is sunk.To do this, roll a die and add the current torpedo modifieron the correct target size line of the Attack ResultsTable. Continue the attack round normally. If no eligibleships are on the display, ignore this Event.

1 Surface Gunnery CombatThe submarine surfaces to engage in gun combat.Conduct the Combat Phase normally but instead of theattack round perform the following: 1) Place a Spottedmarker on the submarine. 2) Choose any revealedJapanese merchant/transport piece in this column andattack it using a die roll on the 26-35 line of the AttackResults Table (Argonaut, Nautilus, and Narwhal use the18-25 line, Surcouf uses the 10-17 line, and Leviathanuses the 5-9 line). The value of the Mk-XIV torpedo isNOT applied to the result. If there is no revealedmerchant/transport piece, or if there is a revealed IJNunit (“white” aircraft, escort, CL, BB etc or a DiligentEscort), this event is ignored. When finished, proceed tothe Counterattack Round.

2 Circular Running TorpedoA torpedo runs in a circle back toward the submarine.Conduct the Attack Round normally, but additionallyconduct an attack on your own submarine. To conductthis attack, the player adds one to the current Mk-XIVtorpedo 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 theresult, the submarine is sunk. If the submarine survivesproceed to the Counterattack Round.

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3 Betty Bomber Spots SubmarineThe submarine is spotted and attacked by a Japanesepatrol 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 AttackThe submarine encounters mechanical trouble. There isno Combat Phase for the submarine this turn. Roll adie:

• If an odd result, place a Damage marker and an RTBmarker on the submarine;

• If an even result, the chief engineer fixes the problemand the submarine may resume normal operationsnext turn. (It does not have to roll on the EnduranceTable for this turn.)

5 Perfect SetupThe submarine approach was perfect. Proceed normallyexcept that all TDC markers for this round have negativevalues. (i.e., treat all “+” as “-”.)

6 Tonnage DoubledThe skipper spots a fat target. At the end of the CombatPhase, double the tonnage of the largest merchant shipsunk.

7 Counterattack - Combat The sequence of combat is altered for this round only.The escorts attack first, then, if not sunk or forced toRTB, the submarine attacks the surface ships. Conductthe initial attack round up through [14.11] thru [14.14]then skip to the Counterattack Round [14.2]. If thesubmarine is not sunk or forced to RTB, it may thenattack normally as per [14.15]. Then skip thecounterattack [14.2] since it was already conducted.

8 CounterattackEscorts detect the submarine making its approach andhold it down. Resolve as per Combat Event #7 exceptthe submarine cannot make an attack. If this eventoccurs to a wolfpack, and one or more of thesubmarines in that wolfpack have no escorts in thesame or an adjacent column, those submarines may goon to attack the surface ships.

9 Combat - CombatThe submarine eludes all escorts and attacks thesurface ships. There is no Counterattack. After the firstround the Japanese force is still revealed in accordancewith [14.4].

[20.0] SPECIAL MISSION ZONES (SMZs)COMMENTARYOften, submarines were co-opted by higher levels of commandfor special missions. In these cases, they were not available fornormal combat operations. Fortunately, special missions tendedto be of short duration and the co-opted subs were quicklyreturned to regular duty.

Special Mission Zones (SMZs) are the circular areas on the mapwithout Area Activity Charts in them. These areas are wheresubmarines carried out special missions such as coveringinvasions, inserting supplies and guerillas, supporting major

surface battles such as searching for downed airmen, or barringenemy ship movement through a particular geographic location.These SMZs see intensive activity by enemy surface forces thusincreasing both the chance to contact and engage targets, as wellas increasing the danger of detection and ASW attack.

[20.1] SMZs may not be entered unless they have beenactivated on the War Event Table. Individual SMZs are activatedby a die roll on the Table during the Strategic Segment, and areactivated for only a single turn. SMZs are linked by a light bluearrowhead to one or more OpAreas. SMZs may only be enteredvia a linked OpArea.

[20.2] When assigned to an active SMZ, allocated submarinesare exempt from Congregating Risk (see 22.0) in that OpArea.

[20.3] Immediately after arriving in an OpArea, a submarine maybe repositioned to an active SMZ that is connected by a light bluearrowhead to that OpArea. If a player moves a submarine to oneof the SMZs belonging to that OpArea, a Transit Event checkmust be performed with a die roll modifier of +2, using the AreaActivity Chart of the OpArea from which the submarine enteredthe SMZ.

[20.4] When in a SMZ, the submarine conducts the missiongiven by the War Event. If it is a Search and Contact mission, usethe Area Activity Chart belonging to the OpArea from which itentered into the SMZ. All die roll results on this Area Activity Chartare increased by one Activity Level. Thus, Sparse becomes Low,Low becomes Moderate, Moderate becomes High. High remainsHigh and No Contact remains No Contact. Other results mayapply as directed by the War Events Table.

[20.5] Submarines in an SMZ skip the Endurance check. Unlessnoted below, these submarines are marked RTB and placed inthe DONE section of the OpArea from which they entered theSMZ.

[20.51] Submarines conducting the following War Events mustenter RTB status and conduct transit movement in the currentturn:

• Fall of Luzon• Run to Corregidor• Fall of the Dutch East Indies

[21.0] BASESBases are where submarines start and end missions (unless theyare sunk during the mission). There are five major Bases in thegame, PEARL HARBOR, FREMANTLE, BRISBANE,MANILA/SUBIC BAY, and DUTCH HARBOR. Major bases arerepresented by Base Displays on the Map. Of the major bases,only Pearl Harbor is continuously active throughout the war. Theothers become active and/or inactive due to a War Event asfollows:

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.

14



[21.1] Forward BasesThe remaining bases are Forward Bases that are represented onthe 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 thetarget of a Special Mission unless inactivated by a War Event.Submarines moving to a Forward Base do not add +2 to theirTransit Event roll as per [19.1].

[21.2] Submarine TendersSubmarine Tenders are specialized ships that supportsubmarines in forward areas, providing fuel, torpedoes, food, andother supplies. They lacked the capabilities of a full base, butcould conduct minor repairs and provided valuable service inextending the time a submarine could operate far from its homeport.

[21.21] When a Forward Base is made active by the War EventTable, the player randomly selects a submarine tender andplaces it in the SMZ in the War Progress Phase of the turn unlessotherwise noted. A tender may not be added to the draw pile untilits deployment date, which is printed on both the counter and thesubmarine tender display.

[21.22] A submarine tender’s support capacity is listed on theSubmarine Tender card and on the Tender counter. This is themaximum number of submarines that can be in the tender’sBroom, Shipside, and Ready for Sea Boxes at any one time. Ifthe tender is at maximum capacity, no additional submarines mayRTB to that tender.

[21.23] A damaged submarine may RTB to a Forward Base in anattempt to make minor repairs. Roll immediately on theSubmarine 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 mayonly RTB to a major base.

[21.24] A submarine tender that is at a base which falls isremoved from play but remains eligible to be used for a newbase.

[22.0] CONGREGATING RISKCOMMENTARYOne of the greatest risks for submarines not operating as awolfpack or assigned to special missions was congregating agreat number of them in an operating area. First, the radio trafficoften alerted the Japanese to increased activity, and second, theactivities of one submarine might unexpectedly draw enoughattention to reveal another. Just such an effort in 1942 caused arapid rise in submarine losses prompting the shore-basedcommanders to stop “playing checkers” with the boats.

There is no limit on the number of submarines that may be in anOpArea. However, as the number of submarines increases,liabilities of increased submarine activity take effect.

[22.1] For each multiple of four submarines beyond the first fourin an OpArea with RED or BLUE boxes in its Area Activity Chartfor the current War Period, implement the following modifiers forall submarines:

A. Add one (+1) to any Transit Event die roll if the sub ispassing through, arriving or departing.

B. Subtract one (-1) when searching for ships on the AreaActivity Chart.

[22.2] The above modifiers are cumulative for additionalmultiples of four (i.e. -2 search penalty and +2 to transit roll if ninesubmarines in an OpArea, etc.).

[22.3] Wolfpacks and Congregating RiskEvery two (fractions rounded up) submarines in a wolfpack [24.0]count as one submarine for purposes of Congregating Risk.

[23.0] SPOTTED EFFECTSA spotted submarine has greater difficulty locating the enemy (asthe enemy is avoiding the area the reported submarine is in.) aswell as experiencing an increased risk of encountering Japaneseescort forces. When spotted during War Periods 1 and 2, subtractone (-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 theCounterattack table per [14.2].

[23.1] Additional Spotted markers have no effect. If a submarinethat is already Spotted receives a Spotted result, no action istaken.

[24.0] WOLFPACKSCOMMENTARYDespite the successful use of co-mutually operated submarinesby the Germans (called wolfpacks, a term not universally adoptedby U.S. submarine forces) the United States was loath at first toemulate this tactic. Various reasons are given ranging fromtactical ones to psychological ones. (The United States had, afterall, been brandishing the sword of indignant rage at the Germansfor 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 skillnecessary but by mid-1944, American wolfpacks wereaccomplishing what the Germans could only dream of.

PROCEDUREA Wolfpack may be only formed at a major sub Base (not aForward Base). All units that participate in a wolfpack must startout from their Base at the same time and must arrive in thewolfpack’s OpArea at the same time. All wolfpack submarines areplaced under a Wolfpack marker. Submarines may leave awolfpack at any time but once a submarine has left a wolfpack, itmay not re-join it at sea later. The minimum number ofsubmarines a wolfpack may have is three (3).

[24.1] Wolfpack FormationStarting in October 1943, wolfpacks may be formed. Thesubmarines chosen must all be in the Ready for Sea Box.

15



[24.11] Prior to the Wolfpack Experience marker reaching nine(9) (See Wolfpack Experience [24.7]), the following restrictionsare 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 reachesnine (9), the following restrictions are in effect:

A. A player may deploy up to three wolfpacks at a time.B. Wolfpacks may not exceed four (4) submarines.

[24.13] The turn after the Wolfpack Experience marker reachesfifteen (15), the following restrictions are in effect:

A. A player may deploy up to five wolfpacks at a time.B. Wolfpacks may not exceed six (6) submarines.

[24.14] DisbandingA wolfpack which falls below three submarines ceases to exist atthe end of the Combat Phase in which the pack fell below three.The other two (or one) submarines may continue to attacktogether for the current phase only. If the wolfpack falls belowthree members due to a Transit Event or a member failing itsEndurance check, the pack is disbanded immediately.

COMMENTARYA wolfpack is more than the sum of its parts. Although a pair ofsubmarines operating together benefits statistically, it is notsufficient to qualify as a wolfpack for rules purposes.

[24.2] Wolfpacks and Movement Wolfpacks follow the rules of movement except that all membersof a wolfpack move together as if it were a single unit. Wolfpackscannot transfer from Base to Base, but they may ‘bounce’ to anew base after spending at least one turn in ‘patrol’ mode.

[24.3] Wolfpack TypesCOMMENTARYAmerican wolfpacks had the boats operate in close proximity toeach other. While they covered less area, they were able toquickly deliver a coordinated attack. German wolfpacks tendedto operate in a barrier fashion, often stretching in a line hundredsof miles long. This allowed the Germans to have a higherprobability of detecting a convoy, but often resulted in the furtherboats 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 priorto the Search and Contact Phase [13.0].

[24.31] Group Pack: If deployed in a Group, the pack makes asingle 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 asingle die roll on the Area Activity Chart [13.2.A] with a +2modifier. If contact is made, one randomly chosen submarinefrom the wolfpack is assumed to have made the contact. Aseparate die roll is then made for each additional submarine inthe pack to determine if it is able to intercept as well. On a roll of0-5 the submarine is able to intercept. On a roll of 6-9 thesubmarine is unable to intercept and is set aside (but is still in thewolfpack). At the conclusion of the turn, all surviving wolfpacksubmarines (including those that did not intercept) that do nothave to RTB are placed in the “Done” section of the OpArea.

[24.4] Wolfpacks and Transit EventsEach 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 theTransit Event die roll.

Should a wolfpack member encounter a Transit Event, theremaining die rolls to resolve that Transit Event are normal,unmodified rolls.

[24.41] A member of a wolfpack sustaining a RTB/DAMAGEresult must drop out from the wolfpack and return to Base. Thismay force a wolfpack to disband. A member of a wolfpack that issunk is removed from play.

[24.5] Wolfpacks and Combat Wolfpacks conduct combat with all the wolfpack members on theCombat Display. The player may freely assign submarines to thecolumns, with no more than two subs per column.

[24.51] If a Diligent Escort counter is drawn, its attack is made ona randomly chosen submarine prior to placing it in its propercolumn.

[24.52] Combat Events [19.2] only apply to the submarine thatreveals 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 LevelEach submarine will have its own Revealed Escort level, whichapplies to the attack and the counterattack.

a. If a submarine has an escort in its column, the escort’sASW factor is applied to that submarine.

b. If a submarine has an escort in an adjacent column, andno submarine is in that column, the escort’s ASW factoris applied to that submarine.

c. The ASW level of an aircraft is applied to all submarinesregardless of column.

Note: this can result in the ASW factor of an escort vessel beingapplied to up to four submarines.

[24.55] Re-AttackWolfpacks may Re-Attack once but never twice (coordinationbreaks down too much). Each member of the wolfpack mustsuccessfully roll for Re-Attack. Failure of this roll results in thesubmarine withdrawing [14.3] from the current combat phase, butthe submarine is still a member of the wolfpack.

To determine if a wolfpack can conduct a Re-Attack, roll a die foreach member submarine. If the die roll is less than or equal to thetactical rating of the submarine plus any Super Skipper value, itmay participate in a Re-Attack. Damaged submarines add two(+2) to this die roll.

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[24.6] Wolfpacks and SPOTTED Results.Any SPOTTED result obtained by a member of a wolfpack resultsin all members of that wolfpack being spotted. In the ConcludeTurn Phase, one die roll is made for the entire pack. If the resultis removal of the spotted marker, markers are removed from allsubmarines in the pack. Otherwise, the entire pack remainsspotted.

[24.7] Wolfpack ExperienceWhen two or more subs in a wolfpack sink an enemy ship in anyone Combat Phase [14.0], the wolfpack gains a WolfpackExperience Point. The Wolfpack Experience marker is increasedby one on the tonnage track. A wolfpack may only gain oneexperience point per patrol.

• When the Wolfpack Experience marker reaches nine(9), the player’s ability to deploy and assign submarinesto wolfpacks is improved.

• When the Wolfpack Experience marker reaches fifteen(15), the player’s ability to deploy and assignsubmarines to wolfpacks reaches its maximum.

[25.0] SUPER SKIPPERSCOMMENTARYIn any military endeavor, there are gifted individuals who riseabove their peers to achieve greatness.. The Submarine Warwas no exception. Legendary skippers such as Morton, O’Kane,and Klakring forever established a tradition of excellence forthose who would wear silver or gold dolphins in the U.S. Navy.SILENT WAR provides twenty-four named skippers, two of whichare Allied skippers, who accomplished great feats of daring.However, behind every great skipper is a skilled, dedicated crewthat allows the submarine to perform as a superb engine of war.

[25.1] Super Skipper Determination [also 14.5]If the submarine has sunk three (3) or more ships totaling 16,000or 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 andassigned to that submarine with the +1 side of themarker.

• If the submarine already has a +1 Super Skipper, theSkipper is flipped to the +2 side.

If the submarine already has a +2 Super Skipper there is noadditional benefit.

[25.2] The Super Skipper normally remains with one submarineand is lost if the submarine is lost.

[25.3] The only time a Super Skipper may be reassigned is if thesubmarine is withdrawn from service (removed as per War Eventresult or declared a constructive total loss (see [18.1] and [18.4]damage)). In such an event, roll a die for the Skipper. If the resultis 0 thru 4, the Skipper is removed from play (re-assigned totraining command, a surface warship, or transferred to the WarDepartment). If the result is 5 thru 9, he may be assigned at the+1 level to any submarine currently in a Repair Box, or anysubmarine next in line to be received as a reinforcement orreturning from an overhaul.

Example: In December 1943, S-42 with +2 Whitaker is withdrawnfrom active service. The player rolls a die and gets an 8. Theplayer may reassign +1 Whitaker to any sub that is in a RepairBox, or to Redfin, Angler, Flasher, Robalo, Tang, Jack, or Tamborwhich will be received in January of 1944.

[26.0] TWO PLAYER VARIANTCOMMENTARYAlthough there was one Commander of Submarines Pacific,there was, in all reality, two fully functional commands operatingsubmarines against the Japanese; Pacific Command at PearlHarbor, and SouthWest Pacific Command at the two AustralianBases at Fremantle and Brisbane.

It is possible to play Silent War with two players playingsimultaneously, each taking one of the commands. This is not acompetitive game between players- it is a cooperative one. Thedistribution of submarines and the variance of the Area ActivityCharts coupled with the distance between the commands and theoperational areas make it very hard to artificially balance thegame such that two players can “compete” for tonnage. All gamerules are followed normally. Both players play each turn using thesubmarines at their disposal. Transfers of submarines are byplayer agreement when not specified in the rules. A suggestionfor cooperation might be: Anytime the number of submarinesoperating from Australia falls below thirty six, the SouthWestPacific Commander may demand six of the newest class ofsubmarines available to the Pearl Harbor Command. Playersshould 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 OpAreabut Congregating Risk rules [22.0] apply.

[27.0] QUICK RESOLUTIONThe quick resolution process is intended to resolve combats in anexpedited manner. Players should be fully familiar with thenormal combat process before using the quick resolutionprocess. This process is valid if used on occasion, however it isnot intended, nor recommended, for extensive use over acampaign as the results this table generates are approximate andover the course of a war can vary greatly from the historicalresults.

PROCEDUREProceed 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 Subcombat [14.6] and do not continue this sequence.

2) Calculate the submarine’s attack value by adding itsattack factor, any super skipper value, and the currentMk-XIV torpedo value. Subtract one (-1) if thesubmarine is damaged, one (-1) if it is spotted (for amaximum possible subtraction of two (-2).

3) Determine the number of colored (non-white) boxes inthe applicable war period line of the OpArea chart, andcross-index the two numbers on the Quick ResolutionTable.

4) Roll one die subtracting one (-1) if this is an ULTRAarea, one (-1) if the submarine has radar (1943-45), and

17



one (-1) if the submarine is a member of a wolfpack (fora maximum possible subtraction of three (-3).

5) Subtract this number from the number previously foundon the Quick Resolution Table. This result is the numberof ships sunk.(If the table value was 3 and the die roll was 2, then oneship 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 fifthfrom Cup A, and etc. Remember which cup was the lastone drawn from, and in the next combat sequence beginwith the Cup following the last one.

7) All ships drawn are sunk except for Diligent Escorts.

8) If a Combat Event marker is drawn, immediately resolveit before making further draws. Disregard all eventsexcept “Circular running torpedo”, “Betty Bomber spotssubmarine”, 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 “EventAircraft” 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 findthe colored box in the appropriate war period line of the OpAreaActivity 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 thedie roll.

[28.0] RULES FROM THE IJN EXPANSION KIT.

Steel Wolves, Vol 1: The German Submarine Campaignagainst Britain and its Allies 1939-1943, the follow-on title toSilent War, introduced several new concepts to the Silent Warsystem. Those rules were incorporated into SILENT WAR:Imperial Japanese Navy, Expansion Pack 1, and are addedhere for completeness. The numbering convention from IJN hasbeen retained here for easy crossreferencing to IJN.

[IJN 4.0] LONERSUnlike the Atlantic campaign where there were a significantnumber of ships sailing outside of convoys (loners), the vastmajority of Japanese shipping was organized into task force styleconvoys. However, loners did occur, especially lone warships.This rule introduces the concept of loners from Steel Wolves intoSilent War apropos to the Japanese experience.

[4.1] Determining Loner Contacts

When rolling for contacts on an Area Activity Chart (AAC) WarPeriod row in which there are red boxes and the die roll result isa white box, there is a chance of encountering a loner. On a whitebox result, roll again. If the second die roll result is a red box onthat AAC's War Period line, a loner has been encountered.

[4.11] If the initial roll is a zero, the second roll is also used todetermine if there is a Sub vs. Sub contact [SW14.6].

[4.2] Setting Up Loner Combat

Use the following procedure to set-up and conduct loner combat.

The TargetIf a loner has been encountered, a single ship is drawn from oneof the cups depending upon the current War Period inaccordance with the following:

• WP1: draw from cup A• WP2: draw from cup B• WP3: draw from cup C• WP4: draw from cup D

Place this ship in the column that is associated with the cup fromwhich the counter was drawn (this is for the purpose ofremembering which cup the playing piece came from).

18



Quick Resolution Table [27.0]

332222111

433222222

543322222

643332222

744333222

854433322

954433333

1055443333

111111111

222211111

76543210

Attack factor, + Super Skipper, + Torpedo Value, -1 if Damaged, -1 if Spotted= Sub Attack Value

Number of non-white boxes on Area Activity Chart

The SubmarineRoll one die, subtracting any Super Skipper value from the resultand compare it to the submarine's tactical rating. If the (modified)die roll is equal to or less than the submarine's tactical rating,place the submarine in the same column as the target; otherwiseplace it in an adjacent column.

[4.3] Resolving Loner Combat

The player reveals the target unit.

• If the revealed unit is a Combat Event, roll the die as per[SW19.2], but only apply the event if the result is 3 or 4,treating 0, 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 as "no-event."

• If the revealed unit is an aircraft (not an Aircraft CapableShip as per [IJN 3.2]), the aircraft receives a singlecounterattack round after which combat ends.

• If the unit is an:A) Merchant (green bar on yellow) counter, proceed

to the Combat Procedure below,B) Japanese Warship (grey bar on white) counter or

non warship Auxiliary (grey bar on yellow) counterfollow the normal IJN Set rules above [3.1] andproceed to the Combat Procedure below.

Combat ProcedureResolve combat normally with the exception that the player mayvoluntarily invoke Combat Event #1 (Surface Gunnery Combat)unless the loner is a naval unit (that is, the loner is a JapaneseWarship, however non warship Auxiliaries may be attacked bysurface gunnery). Re-attack rounds may be used and a SuperSkipper may get an additional re-attack as per [SW14.41]. Theplayer subtracts one (-1) on the combat Endurance Check at theend of the combat.

[IJN 5.0] CRASH DIVE!Steel Wolves introduces crash dive rules and ratings into theSilent War game system. With this IJN expansion pack, theseratings and rules are formally added into Silent War.

The Crash Dive Rating is a rating that gives a submarine a"second chance" against sudden attacks such as from patrolaircraft, diligent escorts, and malfunctioning torpedoes.

[5.1] Crash Dive Procedure

During combat resolution, if a Diligent Escort is drawn, or theCombat Events "Circular Running Torpedo" or "Betty BomberSpots Submarine" is rolled, the submarine may attempt to evadeusing its Crash Dive Rating. Before resolving the escort, aircraft,or circular torpedo, the player rolls one die, subtracting any SuperSkipper rating from the result and comparing the final result to theSubmarine's Crash Dive Rating.

• If the result is less than or equal to the Crash DiveRating, the crash dive is successful. Roll on the DiligentEscort or Event Aircraft Table (as applicable), butchange any result except "No Effect" to "Spotted."Circular running torpedoes automatically miss asubmarine that has successfully crash dived, continuewith combat as normal. If diving to avoid a Bettybomber, proceed to the Endurance Check (as directed

by that Combat Event).• If the submarine fails the roll, the occurrence (escort or

event) is resolved normally, and combat continuesnormally.

[5.2] Crash Dive Ratings

The following table provides the Crash Dive Ratings for the Alliedsubmarines appearing in Silent War.

X Indicates that this submarine can not utilize "Crash Dive"whereas zero "0" means that there is a 10% base chance tosuccessfully crash dive.

[IJN 6.0] TARGETING AN ESCORTMost successful attacks on escorts occurred when the escort wasunaware of the submarine's presence until the torpedo hit (or untilthe torpedo track was sighted with little opportunity to react). Inother words, active ASW was not occurring during the attack. Theescort generally was steaming at slow speed with the convoy ortask force, and perhaps changing station with eyes moreinterested in keeping out of the way of the bigger ships. Thisoption allows a 10% or 20% improved chance of hitting oneescort in line with historical occurrences. Nonetheless, theescort's high defense value must still be overcome and thesubmarine will still need a good TDC solution.

This rule applies only to the first attack round (but not the re-attack). A submarine can target one (1) escort and that escort'sASW value is not counted as part of the defense of that unit. TheASW values of any other revealed escorts ARE counted. Theoption may be utilized if the player fires at an unrevealed targetbut which later turns out to be an escort, so long as only one

19



SubmarineClass

Crash DiveRating

S1 0

S2 0

S3 0

Leviathan X

B 0

Argonaut X

Narwhal X

Dolphin 0

Cachalot 0

P1 0

P2 0

P3 0

New S1 1

New S2 1

SubmarineClass

Crash DiveRating

T 0

Gato 0

Balao 0

Tench 0

Scheme 17 0

K-VIII 0

K-XI 0

K-XIV 0

O-16 0

O-19 0

O-21 1

British S2 1

British T2 2

escort in total has its ASW value ignored. If the escort is damagedor sunk, its ASW value is not used in the counterattack round.

[6.1] Restrictions:

This option cannot be utilized if any of the following conditionsexist:

a. The submarine is SPOTTED.b. A Diligent Escort has been revealed.c. An aircraft has been revealed.d. The following Combat Events occur:

• Betty Bomber Spots Submarine.• Counterattack (escorts spot submarine and hold it

down).• Counterattack - combat (escorts attack before sub

can).e. A member of a wolfpack has already attacked, alerting

the escorts. Only the first member of a pack can takeadvantage of this benefit.

[IJN 7.0] EARLY ADVANCEMENT TO WARPERIOD 4The American submarine campaign was the primary contributorto the degraded ability of the Imperial forces to resist Alliedadvances. By 1945 imports of bauxite (for aluminum) fell by 88%,iron ore was down by 95%, wood pulp dropped 90%, cotton andwool was down by 91%, oil dropped by 92%, soda and cementfell by 96%, lumber was down 98%, and rubber by an astonishing99%. The impacts to Japans ability to conduct the war weredramatic:

• Aircraft engine testing fell from 8 hours and five flightsper engine to 2 hours of ground testing on only 10% ofall engines resulting in an increased failure rate ofengines in flight and combat.

• By the end of 1944, 80% of each aircraft was made fromsubstandard aluminum pilings, resulting in significantlyreduced quality and strength.

• Lack of aviation fuel resulted in a significant decrease ofpilot training.

• Japanese carrier pilots received inadequate training atsea in part because of the reluctance of carriers to leaveport to conduct training in ever more dangerous U.S.submarine infested waters.

• Inability of tankers to bring fuel to naval units resulted inthose units being stationed close to the fuel supplyrather than at distant sites where they could be moreeffective in countering Allied moves.

• In 1944, the lack of steel forced significant cutbacks inall naval and merchant construction programs andgreatly inhibited repairs on damaged units.

• Delivery of supplies to island garrisons fell from a 96%delivery rate in 1942 to 67% in 1944 and 51% by 1945.

This is an adjustment to Silent War rule [SW17.1], which allowsan early transition to War Period 4 in response to the playerachieving greater results in earlier periods than occurredhistorically, enabling a more rapid Allied advance, and hasteningthe demise of the Japanese merchant marine. During the WarProgress Phase, rather than use the numbers in the boxes on the

War Period Transition Table for War Period 4 (June 44 thru Jan45) use the following procedure:

ProcedureWhen both the Ships Sunk marker reaches or exceeds 860, andthe Tons Sunk marker reaches or exceeds 3,800 (3.8 million)tons, the current month becomes the new first month for thetransition to War Period 4 on the War Period Transition Table. Thecurrent month is now considered to have the number '9' in it (thesame as the printed June of 1944 turn on the War PeriodTransition Table) and subsequent months on the table have thecorresponding subsequent numbers in them. Once this occurs,rolling on the War Period Modification Table for War Period 4 isperformed as it would normally be done.

Example: In March of 1944 the player achieves 860 ships sunkfor 3,900t. The War Period 4 transition now advances into thecurrent month with the War Period transition number for Marchbeing '9', April is '8', May is now '7', and so on.

[29.0] RESERVED for future game expansion.

20© 2012 Compass Games, LLC


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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. Noattacks may be made. All submarines currently inport Manila regardless of readiness must conduct Base-to-Base movement to Surabaya and/or Fremantle. Any subs in Repair Boxes 2 or 3 or in the Hold Boxare scuttled but are not counted as sunk. Once this event occurs, Manila has fallen and no furtheroperations may be conducted from it. Fremantle Base immediately becomes operational. Immediatelyplace 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” (result 0) has not occurred, 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. Allsubmarines currently inport Surabaya regardless of readiness must conduct Base-to-Base movement toBrisbane and/or Fremantle. If the Dutch submarine base is active, any subs in Repair Boxes 2 or 3 or inthe Hold Box are scuttled but are not counted as sunk. Remove Holland from Surabaya. Brisbane Baseimmediately 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 carrierShokaku. Twelve submarines must deploy to the Coral Sea, Bismark Sea, and/or Caroline Islands. OnlyTF 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 Campaigns Opens.Eight submarines must deploy to the Aleutians. Dutch Harbor Sub Base becomes operational and theplayer must designate a minimum of eight submarines to base from and RTB to Dutch Harbor. Thesesubmarines may only operate in the Aleutians and Kuriles, and must be replaced if lost. This is a onetime only event, after that treat as No Event.



9 If “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 areimmediately placed in the Hawaiian Islands patrol side up. All submarines in the Pierside Box at DutchHarbor (if active) are immediately placed in the Aleutians patrol side up. Only TF results are used for thesubmarines in these OpAreas and at Midway. This is a one time only event, after that treat as No Event.

[5.0] War Event Tables


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

Die Roll Event



2 Relegation to Training Duty.Remove three submarines from play. These may be at sea or a Base and may be under repair. Theseboats are not counted as sunk. The first submarines removed must be Cachalot and Cuttlefish if still inplay. The player is not required to remove any submarine with an attack rating of ‘4’ or higher. If the ‘SubsLost’ marker is at twenty or higher, only two subs need be removed. If no eligible submarines remain inplay, treat as No Event.



5 Special Mission: Blockade of Truk.The player must deploy fifteen submarines to Truk. Only contacts with C2 and TF results are used.

6 Torpedo Shortage.Due to lagging production of the Mk-XIV torpedoes and delays in shipments, especially to Australia, foursubmarines are sent to dangerous inshore minelaying missions instead. These four submarines mustdeploy 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 askswhy 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, afterthat treat as No Event.

9 Special Mission: Solomons Campaign.The player must deploy twelve submarines to Guadalcanal. Only contacts with TF results are used.

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War Period 3If certain Events have not been rolled during the previous period, Midway Base becomes operational, and if still inservice, 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 (S1 and S3classes) are relegated to training duty (removed from play). If and damaged submarines are at Dutchharbor, they remain there until they are repaired normally. This is a one time only event, after that, treatas No Event.


2 Relegation to Training Duty.Remove three submarines from play. These may be at sea or a Base and may be under repair. Theseboats are not counted as sunk. The first submarines to be removed must be Argonaut, Narwhal, andNautilus if still in play (these large boats were used for special operations). The player is not required toremove 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 aSubmarine Tender on Majuro in the War Progress Phase. This is a one time only event, after that, treatas No Event.

5 Special Mission: Airstrike on Palau.Player must deploy twelve submarines to Palau. Only contacts with TF results are used.


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 aSubmarine Tender on Mios Woendi in the War Progress Phase. This is a one time only event, after that,treat as No Event.

9 If the 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 TFresults 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 TFresults 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.

25© 2012 Compass Games, LLC


War Period 4If certain Events have not been rolled during the previous period, Aleutians Campaign is ended and Dutch Harbor isclosed. Mios Woendi, Majuro, Saipan and Guam Bases become operational. If still in service, all S-Boats (S1 and S3classes) 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 Yamatoresponse force. Only contacts with TF results are used. This is a one time only event, after that, conductrelegation 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 this 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 resultsare used. Submarine Base Subic Bay becomes operational in the War Progress Phase. This is a one timeonly event, after that, treat as No Event.

2 Special Mission: Airstrike on Ryukyus.Player must deploy eight submarines to Okinawa. Only contacts with C2 and TF results are used.



5 Special Mission: Airstrike on Formosa.Player must deploy twelve 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. Theseboats are not counted as sunk. The player is not required to remove any submarines with an attack ratingof ‘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 Ise & Hyuga.Player must deploy ten submarines to Formosa to intercept the hybrid carrier force which is fleeing fromSingapore to Japan. Only contacts with TF results are used. This is a one time only event, after that,conduct “Support B-29 raids on Japan” (Event 7).

9 Special Mission: Invasion of Iwo Jima.Player must deploy five submarines to the Inland Sea. Only contacts with TF results are used for subs inthe Bonins and Inland Sea. If this Event is rolled again, place a second Submarine Tender in Guam. Ifthis Event is rolled yet again, treat as No Event.

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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 C2or TF results are used. If this Event is rolled again, roll on the 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 TFresults are used. If this Event is rolled again, roll on the 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 resultin 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 areused. If this Event is rolled again, roll on the ULTRA table using the WP3 line.

4 Roll on the ULTRA table this turn using the WP4 line.


6 Advance Base set up. Place submarine tender Holland at Wake Island. If this Event is rolled again,roll on the ULTRA table using the WP3 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 WP4 line.

If October or later:

Japanese Army forces break through and approach Manila, prompting withdrawal of submarines toMindanao. Place submarine tender Canopus at Davao along with all undamaged submarines currentlyinport Manila. All damaged submarines at Manila are scuttled regardless of damage level, but are notcounted towards Subs Lost. Any damaged submarines at sea must RTB to Pearl Harbor (or Surabaya ifactive).

If this Event is rolled again, roll on the ULTRA table using the WP3 line.

9 Dutch Intervention.Feeling that they will be next, the Dutch intervene and send a submarine division to assist. Placesubmarine tender Pelikaan on Surabaya to indicate that it is active. K-VIII, K-X, K-XI, and K-XII areimmediately available in the Broom Box at Surabaya. Dutch submarines use the same torpedo value asthe Americans.

If this Event is rolled again, roll on the ULTRA table using the WP4 line.

version 1.1 rulesplay a patrol scenario before proceeding to play a campaign game. players may find...

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