Realistically, what did rigging for silent running do?

[Erich dem Roten]

I mean realistically as in what did U-Boats do differently that meant they were rigged for silent running. I know they would stop any sort of work that made excess noise, like projects going on in a workshop for instance. But short of that, was there really anything else to it?

I ask because when I go silent in SH3 nothing seems to change other than the fact that pumps/repairs (i.e. banging hammers and wrenches), and torpedo loading are all put on hold.

[Drakken]

Basically, it ordered the mechanics to decrease the electric motors to less than 100 RPM, to hinder escorts hearing the sound of the motors, and get every man to maintain absolute silence. That is why every noisy activity is stopped.

If your speed is higher, you'll see that the speed automatically decrease to Ahead Slow when on silent running.

[Uncle Goose]

Rig for silent running not only meant that all loud noise had to stop but also that anything that could make noise is secured. Things like buckets, cutlery, tools and other things had to put away securely so they couldn't fall down or rattle and thus giving the position away. It also meant one could not use the heads.

[Jimbuna]

Anything that made a noise during it's normal use was shut down....often the electric motors would be shut down altogether.

[nirwana]

doh then the sound mod i use has to be modified......in spite silent running one is filling up his coffeemug another one is lighten up a smoke some others arguing about rescuing survivors or not.

[Drakken]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Anything that made a noise during it's normal use was shut down....often the electric motors would be shut down altogether.

But then, how could the boat equilibrate to maintain depth? Didn't uboats need some power to stop themselves from sinking?

[nirwana]

Think so thats why i have prob to maintenance the ordered depth in heavy sea with running silence.

[sunvalleyslim]

Originally Posted by Drakken

But then, how could the boat equilibrate to maintain depth? Didn't uboats need some power to stop themselves from sinking?

I don't think jimbuna meant the electric propulsion motors. He was referring to small electrical components that are non-essential, like Kapt Balz' electric blender that he makes those awful Hoochie Woochie Margaritas with.....................

[Brag]

Fans, pumps, were stopped plus the knowledge that the sub was on silent running wa passed to the crew so they would not make unnesessary noise. Thus in the game, repairs and loading of torpedoes is interrupted.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Drakken

[But then, how could the boat equilibrate to maintain depth? Didn't uboats need some power to stop themselves from sinking?

As above, the actual propulsion continued, but at absolutely the lowest possible speed. One of the fun things in Aces Of The Deep was if you maintained silent running for any length of time your boat would start to sink, and you'd get the message "Cannot maintain depth without running the pumps!"

One of the things I like about SH3 is that in all older games if you suddenly went to flank speed to avoid depth charges, silent running would be secured and you'd have to order it all over again. In SH3 the crew remains silent even during the bursts of speed. Of course if you surface but forget to secure they assume you mean it and stay that way...

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by sunvalleyslim

I don't think jimbuna meant the electric propulsion motors. He was referring to small electrical components that are non-essential, like Kapt Balz' electric blender that he makes those awful Hoochie Woochie Margaritas with.....................

Rgr that, small internal propulsion systems.

On occasion though, the electric motors were stopped and the boat would drift for short periods of absolute silence.

Keeping a boat trimmed under those circumstances must have been a nightmare.

[Letum]

Klau: Silent running! both motors 0 rpm

CE: Sir, We can't trim....bow is riseing....10 degrees...15 degrees

Klau: OK, everyone move very quitetly to the bow

CE: Bow is sinking now! 30 degrees...40 degrees

Klau: Everyone aft...silently!...no, bow...aft again....to the bow QUICK!

[PappyCain]

The speed of a wave is the rate at which vibrations propagate through the medium. Wavelength and frequency are related by:

l = c/f

where lambda = wavelength, c = speed of sound in the medium, and f = frequency. The speed of sound in water is approximately 1500 m/s while the speed of sound in air is approximately 340 m/s. Therefore, a 20 Hz sound in the water is 75 m long whereas a 20 Hz sound in air is 17 m long.

Or to put it simply, sound travels faster and is louder underwater and acoustic equipment can pick up u/w sound to include music, tapping, whirring, conversation, etc. Sound propagates well thru steel into the water column. As stated above, going silent meant shutting all down, using ballast tanks - but pumps had to be maintained. Eventually war ships pinged or sent out a sound wave that would bounce off an object and the direction, speed, location of a sub would be instantly calculated even if the sub went silent. The limits of a ping T/D (in WWII) are unknown to me but if a sub was beyond the ping propogation I imagine silent running was the best option. When you hear a sonar ping increasing rapidly the ship is getting a return signal bouncing off your sub and he is closing on you (obviously) and once detected you have a problem. Running silent will not help. When the drums are dropped better go flank to port or starboard 10 degrees. But then when they shot the charges out a distance to the sides it was hard to use that as a counter measure. I have pointed my bow to the oncoming vessel above and was able to go flank speed deep and away from his stern when he was above me and get distance. But not always. When they double team you it is all over. You have an appointment with the grim reaper. Other subs in a wolfpack might help by pulling their attention away.

S' PC

[Task Force]

Basicly it put bernard in a stright jacket, slowed down the engines and made everyone get realy quiet and batten down the hatches. The less noise the harder it is for a distroyer to find you.