Silent Hunter Online Game Manual
Like the real U-boat war, our game is also a complex business that will give you plenty of scope to make your own decisions. So, if in doubt, please feel free to consult our manual.
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Strategic map
Here you will make your strategic decisions and have a permanent overview of the current course of the war.
Elements of the strategic map
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1. Entrance to the base
This is a quick link to your base. If you click the image that represents your base (here, 'Wilhelmshaven'), you can manage and enlarge your fleet and your supplies in the bunker and depot.
2. Time Compression bar
Here you can see how many Time Compression points you still have available. These points will help you cover long distances quickly. They are also automatically restored over time.
3. U-boat menu
In the fleet tab you will see a status overview of all the U-boats in your fleet (on patrol, in the bunker, in combat, course is set, etc.) and are able take command of them.
What can I do here?
Click on a U-boat icon to jump aboard the relevant U-boat.
4. Wolfpack menu
If you are participating in a multiplayer mission with other players, click the wolfpack tab to view the members of your wolfpack.
What can I do here?
Left-click one of your U-boats to jump to the selected U-boat. You can only jump aboard U-boats that belong to your own fleet.
5. Campaign overview
Here you can see all the campaigns in the game, who dominates which campaign, and which campaigns are already unlocked. The communal progress of all players determines when new campaigns will be unlocked. Click a campaign to focus the strategic map directly on the relevant war zone.
Only one campaign at a time can be displayed on the map.
Above the campaign overview, you can see the map controls. You can use the map controls to enlarge or reduce the view, and center the map on your currently selected U-boat.
6. Naval ports and bases
You can travel to bases (big blue icons) marked in blue to move your U-boats into the bunker so that they can gain access to the depot, where you can equip them with additional items. Red ports (small icons) are always enemy ports, while blue ports (small icons) belong to your allies.
7. Campaign tree and secondary objectives
Here you can view the campaign you have currently selected and all the associated missions. Bear in mind that only one campaign and its secondary objectives will be visible. Additional campaigns and secondary objectives will be unlocked over time. You will find more information below on the structure of the campaign system and on how to unlock new missions.
What can I do here?
If you hold the mouse pointer briefly over a mission icon, you can view information on the mission: the type of mission (search and destroy, special target, etc.), a description of the objectives you must achieve, and the reward for their successful completion. You can start an available mission with single U-boats, or invite other players on a mission (see Multiplayer). See below for detailed instructions on starting a mission and information on the available mission types.
8. U-boat icons on the strategic map
The U-boat icons indicate the position of your U-boats on the map (U-boats in the bunker are not shown). If you hold the mouse pointer briefly over a U-boat icon, the most important data on the U-boat will be displayed: torpedoes, crew and the amount of diesel on board, the battery status and the remaining travel time if the U-boat is set on a course.
What can I do here?
Here you can set the course of your U-boat and move it over the map. You will find more information below.
9. Chat
You can chat to other players here. There is a global channel, a whispering channel and a channel that is solely for the members of your wolfpack.
10. Avatar
This is the portrait of your avatar, including information on your current level. The Experience points required for the next level-up will be displayed in a tool tip when you hold the mouse pointer over the portrait. Around the portrait you will find options to log out, add friends, access your mailbox, and also find help and the global settings.
11. Time compression icon
When none of your U-boats are actively engaging an enemy in a mission, the game will be sped up by a factor of 16x and this icon will be displayed. A clock with two crossed swords, however, indicates that one of your boats is fighting the enemy and that there is no time compression.
12. Shop
You can buy equipment in the shop, which will cost either credits or Prestige points. Click here for more information on the shop.
Essential steps
In Silent Hunter Online, you are the Commander of your own U-Boat combat group. Along with many other players, you can change the course of the war in the Atlantic. In the following section you will find all the important information an aspiring commander should know about the planning and execution of a mission.
"Course laid in, Captain!" - Navigate on the strategic map
To set the course for your U-boat, click the U-boat icon on the map and select the “Set course” option. Select the target point, and the course and the travel time will automatically be calculated and shown on the strategic map. You can then choose if you want to travel to the target in real time, or use Time Compression points to jump straight to the target coordinates. The corresponding costs for fuel and Time Compression points, where appropriate, will be automatically calculated and listed before you make your decision.
If you travel to the target in the normal way, you will only have to consider fuel consumption under “Diesel”.
However, if you want to invest Time Compression points to jump straight to the target, you must take account of the other costs rather than diesel consumption alone: “Diesel” indicates how much fuel you will need for a Time Compression jump. “TCP” however, indicates the “Time Compression points” that will be deducted for the jump. Time Compression points will also be automatically restored over time.
"Let the hunt commence!" - Select and start a mission
You will find missions on the strategic map.
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There are three different mission types, each with different victory conditions:
- Search and destroy: you must sink a certain number of enemy ships (freighters and/or warships).
- Special target: you must identify and destroy a particular ship.
- Reconnaissance: you must identify an enemy convoy without being detected, and then send a report to HQ.
To start a regular mission, you must travel to it with one or several of your U-boats. To do this, click your U-boat and set a course on the mission icon on the map. Further navigation is carried out in broadly the same way as the general navigation on the strategic map. You can move your U-boat to the target in real time or use Time Compression points to cover long distances instantly.
With standard navigation, the only exception when traveling to a mission applies to the indicated routes: unlike fixed targets, as mission targets move on the map, two routes will appear when you set the course on the map: the blue course is the interception course to the target, if you decide to travel to it in real time. The course marked by dashes is the distance you would immediately cover in a jump using Time Compression.
However, please note that there are also hidden missions in the game which will appear if you navigate closed to them on the strategic map. This feature is currently implemented in an early iteration, but we will expand on the concept of hidden missions in the future.
You can also attempt the mission with friends.
Dynamic campaigns: structure and progress of the campaign
In dynamic campaigns you will experience the ups and downs of the war in the Atlantic. All the players will play their part to achieve a common objective: military control of the Atlantic. Your global achievements on the server will also have a real impact on your individual progress.
Each campaign consists of several secondary objectives that also contain missions. Every successful mission will earn you Victory points that you can use individually to unlock more secondary objectives. To achieve a secondary objective, you must complete several missions that fall within that objective. The missions in the relevant secondary objective will be shown by icons that are linked by connecting lines to the main campaign objective.
To enter a new campaign, you must fight your way sector by sector to the key targets. Many campaigns will consist of several objectives, but bear in mind that every main objective only leads to a new campaign, so choose your path carefully.
The points of all players on the server will be added globally to the Victory points you yourself have earned individually, and this total will reflect the extent of the German U-boat fleet’s dominance. When the players have accumulated enough Victory points, new campaign phases will be unlocked for all players. However, the enemy may regain supremacy in the previously played campaign phases, which will have game consequences for the missions in this and subsequent campaigns. So you must always take part in missions in campaigns you have already played. If you don’t do this, the enemy may be able to reinforce his presence in the relevant maritime areas, and all the subsequent campaigns will be much more difficult to fight!
Moreover, you should always bear in mind that your individual progress is subordinate to global progress. You may be a decisive success factor in the war, but you are not waging this war single-handed. Even though you personally may have fulfilled all the conditions to unlock a campaign, it could be that the added global progress of the other players on the server does not yet match your personal progress, in which case you will be denied access to these campaigns. This is why you must take part in campaigns you have previously played to increase your joint dominance in these zones.
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On board your U-boat
On board your U-boat, you have numerous actions available for navigation, reconnaissance and of course for hunting enemy units. Remember that this screen may look slightly different depending on the U-boat type you have selected.
Your instruments
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1. Officers
Officers use their skills and abilities to serve you, and can execute tasks for you when you issue the relevant order. Every officer will gain experience over time, and will act more effectively. Click the officer’s portrait to select an order. Bear in mind that for many orders, certain conditions must be satisfied before they can be carried out. Some orders for example will only be available when the U-boat is submerged. If you are unsure of what conditions apply and the precise effects an order will have, briefly move your mouse pointer over the relevant option to view a short description of the relevant information. A response to your order will be shown under the officer’s portrait.
What can I do here?
Here you can issue orders to your officers; each officer type has its own area of activity and relevant skills.
The weapons officer can identify the type of target you have selected and calculate the distance to the target, its speed, and the relative steering angle of the torpedo. Once all these steps have been carried out, he can use the torpedo data computer (TDC) to fire a programmed torpedo, if you have activated a torpedo tube beforehand.
The role of the watch officer is to track the target, and he can also inform you about the home port, the ship’s name and the year of construction. This may prove to be vital information during missions that have specific targets!
The chief engineer can, at your request, issue the order to crash dive to escape from enemy attacks. He can also charge the U-boat’s batteries or switch to silent running mode. He will also send a repair team to contain any urgent damage if the U-boat takes a hit.
The navigator will help you plan your route. He will automatically set the course for you to your home base, resume the course should the original course be interrupted, or guide your U-boat to pursue the selected target at a safe distance. Apart from setting courses, he will also inform you of the current route and your U-boat’s navigational capabilities.
The sonar operator sometimes provides you with information on the position and route of enemy ships that will determine your combat strategy. He can use either the sonar or the hydrophone report to do this. You can use the information gleaned from this to assess the distances of enemy ships more effectively when you are submerged.
The radio operator can send a weather report or enemy contact report to HQ. He can use the on-board radar system, if one is installed, to locate enemy units.
2. Periscope
The periscope is at the core of the U-boat view. You can use this vital tool to observe the environment and to fix potential targets. You can adjust the periscope view angle with the mouse wheel. Click the left mouse button to change the view direction in the periscope view and hold the mouse button down to drag the view in the direction required.
What can I do here?
There are various periscope setting options available:
- On the top left you can use two rocker switches to retract and extend the periscope, and change to attack mode if required.
- Under the periscope view window you can adjust the zoom levels or use the switch next to the periscope to extend or retract it again.
- The Papenberg instrument is to the right of it and you can use the green tube to gauge the U-boat’s position relative to the surface of the water.
This is helpful if you want to check how far your periscope can extend at your current submerged depth.
Various torpedo setting options are available in the periscope view window:
- You can use the () button directly above the view window to fix the ship you are targeting.
- Use the buttons above it to turn the salvo mode and the magnetic detonator for your torpedoes on and off.
Before you can fire, you must activate one or several torpedo tubes for the torpedo solution. Torpedoes that are marked red are ready to fire, and you will see the firing button immediately to the right of them.
You will also see a button under it to set the torpedo speed and depth.
3. U-boat Management
The U-boat management contains most of the information that you can also view in the bunker screen. So, if you require a status overview, you can obtain all the relevant information on the U-boat you have selected by simply clicking the image of the U-boat. On the top right you will also see the weather and time of day displayed. This information is very useful for ascertaining your U-boat’s visibility.
Immediately below you can check the visibility of your U-boat; here, red indicates that the enemy can detect your U-boat more easily!
You can also view your current fuel and diesel reserves.
What can I do here?
Here, as with the bunker, you can transfer torpedoes between the individual tubes, and carry out repairs. When you are at sea however, you cannot transfer resources or items of equipment between the depot and the U-boat.
4. Navigation tools
On the bottom right you will see three instruments for navigation at sea: the depth gauge, the propulsion indicator and the compass. You can use these to regulate the dive depth, speed and the course of your U-boat. Above them you will see a switch that will take you up to the bridge, but this is of course only possible when you are surfaced!
What can I do here?
Click the instrument to set the value required; the current value (e.g. depth in meters) will be shown under the relevant instrument. You can fine-tune your settings using the buttons on the left and right. The compass and the depth gauge have a separate display for the rudder direction or a larger depth range. Next to the depth gauge you will see three more buttons that you can use to initiate a crash dive, surface or go to periscope height.
5. Tactical map
Here you can view your immediate surroundings, including any important additional information that will be crucial for stalking and attacking enemy units. Many factors determine what information is available to you.
Information on your allied and enemy ships and your torpedoes is also marked on the map, as well as the position and direction of your U-boat.
You can also follow your periscope view angle using a lighter colored angle that emanates from your U-boat, so you can therefore scope your current field of vision in your periscope more effectively.
Fixed targets are clearly marked but, unlike other enemy ships, they appear in white and not red on the map.
Once you have fixed an enemy ship in your sights and have selected a torpedo tube that is ready to fire, the torpedo’s gyro angle from your U-boat will be displayed. This represents the current torpedo solution.
Circles around enemy ships indicate their visibility radius; the further away you are from the perimeter of this radius, the less likely they will detect you.
While you are surfaced, for example, or when you no longer have the exact position of enemy ships once sight contact has been made, you will have to rely on the information from your hydrophone under the water. The hydrophone lines indicate the approximate position of enemy ships, but not their precise location.
What can I do here?
In addition to the information already supplied and described above, you can also enter your own markers and information on the map. For this, you have a ruler, a marker, a pair of compasses and a protractor. You can add radii, distances and angles, and can then incorporate this data into your planning and calculations.
Locate Your Prey
The correct positioning of your own U-boat is one of the first steps in any attack, and may be key to success or failure; initiative is extremely important when dealing with protected convoys.
Once your U-boat has arrived in the mission zone, try to make the first contact. Here, it is vital to know the relative position of enemy ships and their approximate course on the strategic map.
To do this, it may be useful to dive at regular intervals to listen out for them with the hydrophone. For this, the U-boat must be submerged and the periscope retracted. Even in bad weather, this is often the best way of locating the prey, as the sound of the propeller under water can be heard over great distances.
Contacts are then shown as lines coming from your U-boat on your U-boat’s tactical map, and which point in the direction of the hydrophone contact, but without indicating a precise distance. Your sonar operator can use the action “Sonar report” to enable you to obtain more accurate information on a contact by carrying out the action in the Officer menu, and then clicking one of the hydrophone contact lines on the tactical map. The tactical map will then be displayed briefly at the position where your sonar officer believes the ship to be located, based on his experience with hydrophone contacts. You may well have to adjust the zoom level on the tactical map to see the contact; this is always along an extension of the hydrophone contact line.
Arrival at the Firing Position
As the U-boat can only achieve low speeds under water, and the battery charge only enables it to cover a very limited range, you should surface again after locating the position, and continue the deployment on the surface.
A good tactic is to navigate the U-boat ahead of the convoy, so you should plot a course parallel to the convoy, but in so doing move slightly towards it to reduce the distance over which to establish visual contact.
You needn’t be too worried if you are detected by a single ship without an escort. Unarmed single ships are generally easy prey which, after sighting your U-boat, can only respond with a zigzag course as a countermeasure. A torpedo hit will be slightly more difficult here, but you can usually travel close enough to your target to land a good shot.
If you are sighted by several ships with escorts, you should remain at maximum distance initially. Owing to their minimal silhouette, U-boats are hard to detect on the horizon at long range, so you can pursue the enemy ships along the horizon as you overtake the convoy on a parallel course and position your U-boat several thousand meters ahead of it.
Attack
Once you have overtaken the convoy, it is time to man the dive stations. Plot a course at right angles to the target’s course, and move at top speed to the interception point. The best firing position is an attack on the broadside of the target, i.e. at a 90° angle at a distance of under 1,000m. The weapons officer is very useful here, as he can calculate the range of the relevant target in the periscope for you.
To reduce the chances of being detected, you should then set your periscope height to just above the water line, but only if strictly necessary, to navigate and for the actual shot.
When the convoy then passes your position, it is time to strike. Flood your tube and select a target. If you don’t want to plan the target solution yourself, you can order your weapons officer to calculate it and fire the torpedo. The screenshot below shows a very good firing position.
If you have several targets to choose from, you will have to calculate a torpedo target solution for each ship individually and fire the torpedoes at each target. If you have enough expertise, you can of course estimate a “snapshot”, and fire manually, without using a firing solution. To help you, you can enter the angles, radii and ranges on the tactical map. Targets that are further away must be dealt with first, as the torpedo’s travel time will of course be longer. This way, you can time your shots as closely together as possible, allowing the convoy no time to react.
If the convoy is protected by warships, you should expect a counterattack, so return to the deep immediately after firing the torpedoes, and set a course that takes you well clear of the danger zone.
Wolfpack Tactics
A particular tactic that was used ever more frequently in the later stages of the war was the wolfpack. If a single U-boat spots enemy ships when it is out on patrol, it immediately alerts other U-boats nearby, and these then all set a course for the enemy convoy. Together they pursue the enemy convoy in quick sprints, taking turns to attack over a longer period or launching a powerful joint attack. This happened regularly, even when the U-boats were surfaced, as on the surface they were much faster and more maneuverable.
Wolfpack attacks can be carried out either by one player with several U-boats or by various players in a multiplayer mission.
You have a range of approaches available here; if the target is heavily protected in a convoy, a single U-boat could act as a decoy, which could scatter the protecting vessels or entice them to the bait. The unprotected convoy would then be an easy target for the remaining U-boats, that will strike quickly and then dive down to safety.
A joint strike against a convoy that is not well protected can have a devastating impact. The escorts cannot pursue all the U-boats under water simultaneously, which means that there will always be a few U-boats free to attack the merchants.
Some wolfpacks will carry out fairly aggressive attacks by moving along the surface into the middle of a convoy under cover of night, and use their torpedoes and deck guns to subject the merchants to heavy fire at close range.