688 ATTACK SUB

Table of Contents:
  
1.	Welcome aboard
	1.1	About the Game
	1.2	Using this Manual
2.	Quick Start Guide to TORPEX 89
3.	Missions
4.	Game Controls
	4.1	Configuring 688
5.	Submarine Controls
	5.1	Reading your displays
	5.2	Radio Room
	5.3	Navigation Room
	5.4	Ships Control Panel
	5.5	Sonar Room
	5.6	Periscope
	5.7	Weapons Control Panel
	5.8	Status Panel
6.	Submarine Warfare
7.	Technical Reference
	7.1	Submarines
	7.2	Weapons
	7.3	Ships
	7.4	Aircraft
	7.5	Glossary
8.	The Security Access Codes
9.	Keyboard Commands

1. WELCOME ABOARD

There are only two kinds of ships: Submarines and targets...

You are hereby given command of a nuclear powered attack submarine, the worlds most powerful and versatile ocean-going defence weapon, You are now a hunter/killer, a predator of the deep. You play a silent, sometimes lethal game of hide and seek. Every minute you make countless decisions that may have grave consequences for you, your crew... even your country.
  
1.1 ABOUT THE GAME
  
You command either an American Los Angeles or Soviet Alfa class submarine. You prowl through a dark, undersea world, carrying out dangerous missions that require predatory cunning and bold action. In peacetime, you track and hunt potential enemies. In war, you ambush enemy convoys and defend your warships; stalk ballistic missile submarines and duel other hunter/killers strike at inland targets from enemy waters and live to tell about it. All the major systems of a modern attack submarine - sonar, weapons, navigation, helm, radio and periscope - are at your disposal. Over 40 separate controls let you feel what its like to operate the worlds most sophisticated - and deadly - defence technology. At the same time, crew transmissions and pictures remind you that as captain you manage men as well as machines.

688 Attack Sub turns the most up-to-date technical information available concerning subs into one of the hottest games on the market. Youll get hours of pleasure from 688 Attack Subs exciting graphics, fast pace, attention to detail and variety of player options.
  
1.2 USING THIS MANUAL:

This manual was written for the Commodore Amiga computer. If youre using another type of computer, some commands and features described in this manual may be different or unavailable on your computer system. If youre using any computer other than an Amiga, please read the Command summary Card included in the package for information specific to your computer.

The manual is both an introduction to the 688 Attack Sub simulation and a reference manual. Its divided into two parts so you dont have to read it all the way through in order to start playing.
  
Chapters 1 and 2: Introduction to 688

These first two chapters are designed to get you into the game quickly and painlessly. By no means do you have to read both chapters - if youre the type of player who doesnt like to read manuals, follow the step-by-step instructions in chapter 1 and youll be ready to choose a mission and begin play. However, the fastest way to get your finger on the launch button is to let the Quick Start Guide in Chapter 2 lead you through the first mission, TORPEX 89. By showing you how to set up an attack on several decommissioned warships, the Quick Start Guide will introduce you to the subs controls and basic game concepts.
  
Chapters 3-7: Captains Reference

Refer to these chapters only when you need to know about something specific - missions, controls, tactics, or ship and weapon specifications.

Commanding 688 Attack Sub:

The 688 Attack Sub simulation is divided into levels. At the top level is the CONN (Conning Tower), the games main menu. From the CONN you can go to different stations. Each station is identified by its own icon which appears as your cursor passes over the area.

At each of the stations are controls for different parts of the sub. Some of the controls are clustered into control groups; for instance, the controls for the sound filter, active sonar and towed array make up the Sonar Control group.

The stations and their controls are hot spots, areas that perform functions. You give commands by moving the cursor to a hot spot and pressing ENTER or clicking a mouse button. There are two ways to move the cursor:

Using a mouse: A mouse is by far the easiest way to play the game. Your cursor will change colour and/or shape when its over a hot spot. Click any button on your mouse to select that function.

Using the keyboard: Move the cursor using the TAB key and the arrow keys. Use TAB to scroll through the different control groups; then use the right and left arrow keys to move the cursor between positions within a control group. The up and down arrow keys will move the cursor through all the controls regardless of their grouping (up moves the cursor to the left; down moves the cursor to the right).

688 Attack Sub also has quick keys that instantly move your cursor to a station or a function. On every screen, each control group has been assigned a number - the number keys will move your cursor to the control groups you see on-screen. The function keys (F2-F9) take your cursor to the submarines stations. Within each station, different controls have been assigned letter keys.

For the games keyboard interface, see the table on the back inside cover of this manual.

In the rest of the manual, select means moving your cursor to a station or control and activating it by pressing <enter> or clicking the mouse button.
  
Choose a Mission, (missions descriptions begins in chapter 3). Once you select a mission, the CONFIGURATION PANEL comes up. Set the sound, and play level. Select BEGIN GAME to start your mission.

If you plan on using the Quick Start Guide to TORPEX 89 in the next chapter:

On the MISSION SELECTION screen, select 688 from the column next to TORPEX 89. Once youve selected the TORPEX 89 mission, the CONFIGURATION PANEL will come up. Make sure to set the CONFIGURATION PANEL as follows:
  
1. Set the play level BEGINNER.
   
2. Select BEGIN GAME to start playing. You start in the subs CONN. Before you do anything else, you must enter a Security Access Keycode.0
   
Enter the Security Access Keycode:
   
Youre in the subs CONN. You can take your time: the game always pauses when youre in the CONN. Select the Radio Room by moving your cursor with the mouse or the TAB key until it changes into the Radio Room icon.

Enter the Radio Room by pressing ENTER or any button on your mouse while the Radio Room icon appears (you could also have pressed R or F2 to go to the Radio Room). Youre given the name of a Los Angeles submarine and the beginning of a sentence. Starting in chapter 8, youll find the names of Los Angeles class submarines. Find the name of the sub - theyre in alphabetical order -. Find the sentence fragment you see on-screen, then enter the first three letters of the missing word.

Use the arrow keys below the boxes to enter the letters. When you have the letters in the right sequence, select SEND CODE. If youve transmitted the correct security code, you will receive your mission orders. 688 Attack Sub will tell you if youve sent an invalid code and will put you back in the CONN. If this happens, go to the Radio Room to try again. You have as many tries as you want.
  
QUITTING THE GAME:

To quit the game, select EXIT from the CONN. Youll be given a choice of playing another mission, continuing your last mission, or exiting to Workbench. Select EXIT TO WORKBENCH.

2. QUICK START GUIDE TO TROPEX 89

As a quick start to 688 Attack Sub, well run through the first mission, TROPEX 89. Playing the mission should acquaint you with most of the game controls and a few of the strategies. In TROPEX 89, youre the captain of the Los Angeles (SSN 688) on a torpedo exercise in the Faeroe Island Chain.

Your mission is to sink three decommissioned warships without being detected. During the exercise youll give commands by moving the cursor to the subs controls and clicking your mouse button or pressing ENTER.

If the telephone rings or some other crisis comes up, you can put the game on pause by going to the CONN. When youre reading what to do next in the exercise, go to the CONN so you wont lose valuable game time.

1. Exit the Radio Room:

If you followed the instructions under Getting Started in chapter 1, youve already:

a. selected TORPEX 89 from the MISSION SELECTION screen

b. configured 688 to your computer on the CONFIGURATION PANEL

c. entered in the Security Access Code and received your mission orders. You should now be in the Radio Room of the Los Angeles. Go to the CONN by selecting EXIT in the top left-hand corner of the screen.

2. Tour in the CONN:

You are now in the submarines CONN. This is the main menu of the game - from here you can go to any of the submarines control stations. Explore for yourself, when youre done with the tour, select the Periscope icon.

3. Go to the Periscope:

You are now at the Periscope station. Look at the map. You probably see a number of Xs. These are sonar contacts that your sonar operator is picking up. At this point, he dosnt know what the contacts are or their, depth or speed. In this mission, you wont have to worry about unidentified contacts until your sonar operator can identify them. Youll be receiving sonar contacts and they can be anything from enemy subs to schools of fish. The oceans filled with sounds - the only reliable sounds are the ones your sonar operator can positively identify. (In combat, however, you might make more guesses.)

Sonar is not the only way to get positive identification of a target - if its a surface ship, you can view it with your periscope. Right now youre at periscope depth (20ft), so go to the PERISCOPE button and select it.

Rotate the periscope until you see the destroyers. Select TARGET. A crosshair cursor will appear in the viewing window. Place the cursor on the closest ship and press ENTER or click the mouse button. Notice the target information that fills the bar at the top of the screen. Now take a look at the top-down map by selecting T on the 9-button map display control in the lower left corner of the screen. At least one of the Xs should have turned into a letter. This means that you have a firm fix on the targets location.

If you cant see the letter, the target may be outside the map area. Select O on the map display control until you get a bigger view of the map. While your periscope is still up, return to the CONN by selecting EXIT.

4. Set a Viewpoint:

While your periscope is giving you a firm fix on your targets, go to the Navigation Board so you can set the auto-pilot to steer your sub toward your targets. Select SET from the WAYPOINT CONTROL. A crosshair-cursor will appear on the map. Using the mouse or the cursor keys, move the crosshair to a point near your target. Press ENTER or the button on your mouse to select that point. A number will appear marking the waypoint.

Now that you know the general direction you should be going, return to the Periscope station and lower the periscope to avoid being detected by surface radar. You may immediately lose the target information at the top of the screen. Dont worry about it. After your sonar man has listened for a few minutes, hell get another fix on the target with his passive sonar.

5. Set the throttle and depth:

Even when the ships auto-pilot is on, youre still in control of the speed and depth of your sub. Go to the Ships Control Panel by pressing F4. Set the THROTTLE on 2/3. Select 150 FT under AUTO FUNCTION. The crew will bring the sub to that depth. You could also have done this manually using the DIVE PLANE CONTROL.

6. Load torpedos:

Torpedoes are never stored armed and ready in a subs torpedo tubes.

Consequently, you must give an order to ready them. Go to the weapon Control Panel by pressing F7. Torpedo tube 1 should already be selected (the box around the number will be highlighted). Press R or 4 to move the cursor to the box and press ENTER or click a mouse button to arm and load the torpedo. Place your cursor on the next tube and press ENTER once to select the tube, then once more to arm the torpedo. Do this for all four torpedo tubes. The two auxiliary tubes hold noisemakers - dont bother loading them, you wont need them in this mission. The weapons officer will inform you when each of the torpedoes is armed. The torpedo icons will also turn a darker colour, indicating that theyre ready to fire.

7. Deploy Towed Array:

Now press F8 to go to the Sonar Room. Select TOWED ARRAY. A towed array is a long cable with a series of microphones along its length. The towed array will improve your sonar operators listening capabilities but will limit the subs top speed.

8. Compress Time:

If your sonar man doesnt have a fix on the destroyers, youll have to wait. This can take a few minutes. If youre impatient, go to the Navigation Board and select TIME under WAYPOINT CONTROLS. This speeds up the time. Keep your hand over the ENTER button. When your sonar man has a fix on one of the targets, deactivate the time compression by pressing ENTER.

9. Target and Launch:
 
Go to the weapon Control Panel. If the ships are no longer targeted, select TARGET again and move the cursor on the map to the ship you want to attack.

If the range is under 10 miles (the maximum range of a 688 Attack Sub torpedo), you can go ahead and fire a torpedo. Check that the box around torpedo tube 1 is highlighted. If it isnt highlighted, selected it once.

Now select LAUNCH. It will take more than one torpedo to sink a destroyer, so wait about 10 seconds, then select LAUNCH again. If youre still out of range (10 miles or more), youll have to move in on the targets. This may require setting your engine on a higher speed.

The sonar man will confirm if and when the torpedoes have reached their target. If you think its worth the risk of detection (and in beginner mode, it probably is), you can go to periscope depth and raise your periscope to confirm a hit (the blood and guts brand of captain does this just to watch the flames rise). Fire torpedoes until the ship sinks (the letter will disappear from the map).

10. Set up your attacks on the next ship:

If youre lucky, youre already in range to strike your next target. If youre unlucky, youll have to set up to nine different waypoints to attack the other two ships. Remember that you can set up to nine different waypoints and your sub will go to each of them in numerical order.

11. End of exercise:

The exercise ends when you sink all three ships or after 15 minutes have gone by. This is when you receive warm praise or a sound verbal lashing from your superiors. Dont worry if you didnt do too well this first time around. Run through the exercise again - the controls will begin to become second nature and your performance will improve immediately.

Youve been introduced to most of the submarines controls. There are only a few more that you havent actually used.

3. MISSIONS:

688s perilous missions try the true mettle of a submarine captain. There are 10 different missions set in the geographical powder kegs of the worlds oceans. The missions progress chronologically from a cold war state of mutual distrust to total war.

The challenge of the earlier missions is one faced daily by submarine commanders; determining if a situation is threatening while trying to avoid ambiguous gestures that could lead to a shooting match with foreign submarines. (Of course, in 688 youre free to resolve conflicts in any way you like.) The later missions put the commanders abilities as a hunter/killer to the test.

In general, the missions become more and more difficult - as the war heats up, each side becomes more and more merciless in their hunting.

In each mission, the action unfolds within only a small portion of the full mission map. This playfield is usually an area of tactical interest to one or both sides. If a player wanders too far away from where the action is, the game will come to an end and a message from your CinC (Commander-In- Chief) will inform you that you missed the boat. The idea is to keep players from going off on wild goose chases where nothing will challenge them.

The following brief mission descriptions give you the necessary background information that you wont get from your on-screen mission orders. You can choose to command an American 688 or a Soviet Alfa. Both subs have their advantages and disadvantages, but neither subs abilities outweigh the value of a cunning commander.

TORPEX 89:

688:

Your superiors are going to look over your shoulder a few more times before they let you sail off with a billion dollar sub. In this training exercise, you only have 15 minutes to sink three decommissioned Forrest Sherman class destroyers and prove that youre commander material. Your attack must come swiftly and silently. Navy helicopters will be attempting to locate your sub, so dont advertise your position with a lot of active sonar or by leaving your periscope out of the water for too long.

Torpedoes:   22 Mark 48 ADCAP Torpedoes
Missiles:     2 Submarine-Launched Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles
Noisemakers:  6

700:

You command the Dallas (SSN 700) in a joint training exercise with a Los Angeles. In this mission, you earn your commanders respect by beating your colleague to the draw. Sink three of the five decommissioned warships to win the competition. Both subs are equipped with the above weapons.

Shake Em:

688:

American and Soviet naval forces sometimes practice ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) techniques on each other, rehearsing, as it were, for the real thing. The experience the crews gain and the information gathered on enemy tactics apparently make these high-tech games of superpower hide-and-seek worth the risk. In this mission, a Soviet sub is tracking you. The navy brass sees their own pride and budgets on the line, so the pressures on you to shake this Russian sub. You must lose the Soviet sub for a period of at least 3 minutes in order to be declared successful - this means that the Alfa cant detect you as an X. The mission will end once youve successfully evaded your opponent for the 3 minutes or after the 20 minutes time limit is up.

Torpedoes:   8 Mark 48 ADCAP Torpedoes
Missiles:    4 Submarine-Launched Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles
Noisemakers: 6

ALFA:

As in every Navy, the only way up the ladder is by making your superiors notice you. Prove that American high-tech equipment is no match for soviet training and youll make a big impression on the fleet admiral. Since youre practicing for real war, you must track the 688 in such a way that youd be able to destroy him if this were a combat situation. This means you may not lose contact with the 688 for any period longer than 3 minutes (to keep contact on the 688, it must appear as an X or a letter on your map display). Dont lose contact on the 688 at the last minute or you lose.

You must be close enough to the 688 that you could fire on him and easily hit him. Try and stay in the baffles of the 688 to stay undetected as long as possible.

Torpedoes:   8 Type 53 Torpedoes
Noisemakers: 4

Sub Ops:

ALFA:

After a week-long operational test in the Barents Sea, youre ordered to execute routine ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) manoeuvres before returning to your home port of Severemorsk. Since imperialist submarines sometimes try to follow outbound Soviet subs as they leave home waters, you are given the job of securing the port - i.e. chasing off any intruders.

If you use active sonar (pinging), enemy subs will know youre there and youll scare them off. Be careful, though - spying subs may interpret pings from a long-distance as a prelude to a torpedo attack... at which point they may decide to actively defend themselves. Your best bet is to get as close as you can (under one mile) before you actively ping them. At very close range, the risk of being damaged by their own torpedoes is too great - theyll be forced to simply run away.

Torpedoes: 18 Type 53 Torpedoes
Noisemakers: 4

Mumar Cadaver:

688:

The White House is blaming the Libyans for recent acts of terrorism. To punish these international criminals, a 688 is ordered to sink four Libyan oil tankers as they exit the Strait of Gibraltar. The tankers are under the protection of Libyan warships. Remember that the Strait is filled with traffic, so dont put the U.S in a bad light by sinking non-Libyan ships.

Torpedoes: 20 Mark 48 ADCAP Torpedoes
Missiles: 4 Submarine-Launched Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles
Noisemakers: 6

Escape:

688:

Your crew is fatigued from month-long operations in the Mediterranean, so youre less than happy when your commander reports that there are Soviet submarines waiting to accompany you out of the Strait of Gibraltar. The Navy wants you to make a lasting impression on the Russians - you must pass through the western edge of the Strait undetected by Soviet subs. (The Soviets shouldnt have contact on you when you reach the Atlantic.)

Torpedoes: 20 Mark 48 ADCAP Torpedoes
Missiles: 4 Submarine-Launched Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles
Noisemakers: 6

ALFA:

While returning home from tour duty, your sub is suddenly ordered back to the Strait of Gibraltar where youll wait to intercept an American attack sub. Intelligence sources observed a 688 in an Italian port and expect it to exit the Mediterranean soon. You keep contact on the 688 as it enters the Atlantic. Also, you must be at a range at which you could easily destroy the 688 if you had to. Try to be sly about this... active sonar will not only make your presence known, it could be regarded as hostile action.

Torpedoes: 18 Type 53 Torpedoes
Noisemakers: 4

Goulash:

688:

Under new leadership, Yugoslavia attempts to reform their economy and widen their autonomy. To do so, they have chosen a capitalist model and have asked for NATOs support. Perceiving a Yugoslavian alliance with NATO as a threat to themselves and the other Warsaw Pact nations, the Soviet invade Yugoslavia and attempt to set up a naval blockade. The US and Italy agree to provide Yugoslavia with covert military aid. A Los Angeles class submarine is assigned as escort to provide with a maximum protection with a minimum of exposure.

Your job is to get six cargo ships north to Trivat before the rebellion is completely crushed. The Soviet warships have orders to sink first, ask questions later - if they get close enough, your cargo ships are history. You can try to lead the warships away, or you can make the seas safe for free trade by destroying the warships before theyre in range of the cargo ships. The bottom line is; the cargo ships must get northeast safely.

Torpedoes: 20 Mark 48 Torpedoes
Missiles: 4 Submarine-Launched Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles
Noisemakers: 6

Cat Walk:

688:

Sparked by the Yugoslavian conflict, a limited war in Europe begins and quickly escalates into World War 3. Your 688 has been assigned to patrol an area north of Japan - an important sea lane through which a number of Soviet SSBNs (nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines) travel. A Soviet SSBN has reportedly left Vladivostok the day before and is entering your patrol sector. It may be under the protection of a Soviet attack submarine (SSN).

Your main objective is to destroy the SSBN - think of any SSNs you encounter as dessert. Since slow-moving SSBNs can be extremely difficult to detect, a Seahawk helicopter will try to aid you in locating it. If the helicopter finds the boomer, itll drop a marker buoy in its vicinity. The marker buoy floats on the ocean surface and transmits a sonar ping, informing you that its over the general location of the SSBN. Your sonar officer will inform you when he detects a marker buoy. When you get the message, you should go to a depth of 150 ft or less so that you can target the marker buoy. Note the bearing and distance of your buoy: if youre too far away to launch torpedoes, make a course for the buoy; if the SSBN is close enough, launch torpedoes and direct them to the buoys location, then set the torpedoes on a search program.

Torpedoes: 20 Mark 48 Torpedoes
Missiles: 4 Submarine-Launched Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles
Noisemakers: 6

ALFA:

Virtually all Soviet ships entering or leaving the main port of Vladivostok must traverse the Kunashir passage. This strategically critical choke point connecting the Sea of Japan with the Pacific is a likely place for an American attack on the outbound SSBN youve been ordered to protect. If it comes down to combat, dont confuse the SSBN with the 688. Make sure you know what youre firing on, because your torpedoes wont! The sonar analyser will help you distinguish contacts and keep you from firing on friendlies.

Torpedoes: 18 Type 53 Torpedoes
Noisemakers: 4
  
Surprise Party:

688:

The war is heating up. NATO is sending a large battle group to the Norwegian Sea from the south in support of their current forces. The Norwegian Sea is of vital significance to both sides - it represent the only access the Soviet Northern Fleet has to the Atlantic Ocean. If NATO can keep the Soviet Northern Fleet bottled up in its home ports, American and European shipping can continue delivering precious needed arms and supplies with minimum harassment. Your orders are to escort the reinforcements to the north and protect them from Soviet attack.

Torpedoes: 20 Mark 48 Torpedoes
Missiles: 4 Submarine-Launched Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles
Noisemakers: 6

ALFA:

Your orders are to patrol your sector and proceed to attack any enemy vessels you encounter. You stumble onto a large battle group and most single-handedly engage the American ships. Good luck.

Torpedoes: 18 Type 53 Torpedoes
Noisemakers: 4

Homecoming:

688:

In order to keep the war effort rolling, America must keep the sea lanes to western Europe open. As in two previous world wars, American shipping forms convoys protected by warships. Your 688 is assigned to counter any naval assault an a convoy destined for France. In the event of an attack, youll have to quickly perceive what the biggest threats to the convoy are and deal with them first.

Torpedoes: 16 Mark 48 Torpedoes
Missiles: 8 Sea Lance Missiles
Noisemakers: 6
  
ALFA:

The Soviet Stavka realizes that it only has to cut off the American supplies to Europe and the war will come to an effective halt, perhaps resulting in total victory for the Soviets. The massive Soviet submarine force is sent to sea to cripple the US Navy. This time, your Alfa and an Oscar class SSGN (nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine) wait in ambush for a NATO convoy.

Torpedoes: 18 Type 53 Torpedoes
Noisemakers: 6
  
Hit and Run:

688:

As the war between East and West escalates, the Navy decides that forward defence is the only way to force the Soviet to back off . Forward defence attempts to cripple or intimidate the enemy by attacking long-range targets behind enemy lines. The next step is to destroy inland targets - in this mission, youve been sent to the Baltic Sea to deliver a load of Tomahawk cruise missiles that will take out a Soviet nuclear weapons facilities.

When the scenario begins, youre just off the coast of East Germany. One of the first things you should do is raise your periscope to confirm your location. Switch to top-down map by selecting T on the map display control.

Zoom out by selecting O until you see a letter on the top-down map. The letter is a pre-set waypoint for your Tomahawk missiles: this is the target youll be firing your missiles at. (Cruise missiles such as the Tomahawk get their bearings by comparing computerized maps with the local terrain - what youre doing is providing the missile with its first landmark, which the missile will use as a reference point to guide itself to the target.)

With your periscope still raised, select TARGET. You have only 5 minutes to fire ALL four missiles. Dont get too far away from the or youll lose the targeted waypoint for the missiles. After you fire the missiles, you must rely on your own cunning to escape through the narrow, heavily patrolled passage out of the Baltic Sea.

Torpedoes: 20 Mark 48 Torpedoes
Missiles: 4 Submarine-Launched Tomahawk Cruise Missiles Noisemakers: 6

4. GAME CONTROLS:

4.1 Configuring 688 to Your Computer:

Once youve selected a mission, you can adjust the following on the Configuration Panel:

Play Level: 688 Attack Sub comes with two play levels - BEGINNER and STANDARD. You can choose play levels only when youre playing against the computer.

BEGINNER - Gives you certain advantages: youre quieter; your sonar is more powerful than your opponents; your sub can take more damage; and your raised periscope isnt as noticeable by surface radar.

STANDARD - You and your opponent have normal capabilities.

EXIT: There are three ways to exit the Configuration Panel:

BEGIN GAME - Begins the mission you selected on the Mission Selection screen.

MISSION SELECTION - Returns you to the Mission Selection screen.

EXIT TO WORKBENCH - Quits 688 Attack Sub altogether and returns you to WORKBENCH.
  
Other Game Controls:

Russian Script On/Off:

The Alfas controls are in a pseudo-Cyrillic script to remind you that youre a Soviet officer fighting for world socialism. However, we realise that this attempt to add flavour may be distracting to some players, so we made it an optimal feature. To turn the pseudo-Cyrillic script off, go to the CONN and press CTRL-R. To turn it back on, return to the CONN and press CTRL-R again.

5. SUBMARINE CONTROLS:

Most of the submarine controls are the same for both American and Soviet subs - they look different, and may be on different areas of the screen, but they do the same things. The older Soviet Alfa class sub is missing some high-tech equipment, such as the contour imaging display; any exceptions pertaining to the Alfa are noted in the descriptions.

5.1 Reading Your Displays:

As an attack boat, your primary role is to stalk enemy vessels. To successfully do this, you must constantly be aware of your position and course relative to those of your target(s). Since in a submarine you cant actually see anything around you, you can orient yourself with the aid of top-down maps and the contour imaging display.

Top-down maps are available at all stations except in the Radio Room - where only your location and target information are at hand - and at the Status Panel. Contour imaging is available at all stations except the Radio Room, Status Panel and Periscope. At the Periscope, the map window becomes your periscope view when you raise the periscope. (Note: the Alfa isnt equipped with contour imaging.)

Top-down Map:

The top-down map gives you aerial perspectives of the area your submarine is traversing and displays information collected by your sonar and periscope. The area can be viewed from ten different ranges using the zoom feature. On the 688, select I and O from the Map Display Controls to zoom in and out. To zoom in and out on the map aboard the Alfa, select DN and UP. Selecting the zoom buttons repeatedly moves you quickly through the magnifications. Your submarine is the fixed point in the centre of the screen (except at some of the highest zoom levels). Other information on your map include:
  
Ocean Depths:

Different shades on your map designate different depths. The darker the shade, the deeper the water. Depth can vary from 0 to greater than 2000 ft (since very few submarines can actually dive below 2000 ft, the exact depth of really deep ocean doesnt matter). Always stay aware of the average depth of the water youre sailing through (see Heads-Up-Display below). Its possible to run aground - somewhat embarrassing for a submarine commander. To cross the most shallow waters (the lightest colour on your top-down map), youll have to surface.
  
Sonar Contacts (letters):

When you first receive a sonar contact, the ships computer displays the contact as an X. An X means that you only know what direction the sound came from. The targets range, speed and depth are still a mystery. An X always appears halfway between you and the edge of the display regardless of the zoom level. When your sonar operator gets a fix on a target, its assigned a letter so you can keep track of it.

Letters always mark the exact location of a target. The sonar operator still may not know exactly what the target is. If he doesnt, UNKNOWN SURFACE CONTACT or UNKNOWN SUBMERGED CONTACT will be displayed in the target information bar and the targets letter will appear dark. When the sonar operator positively identifies the target, the letter will turn a lighter shade. If a contact is lost and regained, it may be assigned a new letter.

Waypoints (numbers):

Waypoints (destinations) that youve set are displayed on the map as numbers

Contour Imaging Display:

In 688 Attack Sub, the Los Angeles is equipped with a device called a side scanning sonar that produces a contour image of the ocean floor. This is useful when travelling near the ocean floor. A sophisticated, high-frequency sonar beam scans the ocean terrain around the bow, port and starboard of the submarine. The beams high-frequency and short range make it virtually undetectable by other ships arrays - there are no penalties for using the contour imaging system. With the sonar information, a computer generates an image of the ocean terrain around the sub. Oval shapes designate sonar contacts. The larger the oval, the closer it is to your sub. The ovals are assigned letters, too, which always correspond with the letter displayed on the top-down map.

To turn on the contour imaging display, select C from the map display control on the left side of the screen. Use P, F and S to look to port, forward and to starboard. (Note: the Alfa isnt equipped with contour imaging.)

Head-Up-Display (HUD):

The HUD is an overlay on the map that lets you quickly refer to your subs course and depth. A compass is displayed along the top of your view screen. The white triangle in the middle of the line is your subs current course.

The vertical gauge along the right side of the view screen shows your depth relative to the ocean floor. The top marker on the left side of the gauge is your subs current depth. The bottom marker is the depth of the ocean directly below you. Thermal layers are marked by longer lines on the right side of the depth gauge.

Always stay aware of how close you are to the ocean floor - keep a safe distance between you and the bottom marker or you may end up with a ruptured hull. In the top left hand corner, the HUD will also tell you what direction your periscope is currently pointing.

When you first boot the game, the HUD will be activated, If its in the way of a target youre viewing, you can turn the HUD on and off by selecting H from the 9 button map display control of the 688. On the Alfa, select HUD to turn the display on and off.

Map Display Control:

The 688 has contour imaging, and the Alfa doesnt. Consequently, the 688 has more map controls then the Alfa.

688 Map Display Control:

Port - lock to port contour imaging or periscope view.
Forward - Look forward in contour imaging or periscope view.
Starboard - Look to starboard in contour imaging or periscope view.

In - Zoom in on top-down map.
Heads-up-display - HUD on/off.
Out - Zoom out from top-down map.
Contour imaging display - Turn contour imaging on.
Bottom - Bottom contours on/off (top-down map only).
Top-down map - Turn top-down map on.

Alfa Map Display Control:

UP - Zoom out on top-down map.
DN - Zoom in on top-down map.
CONTOUR - Bottom contours on/off.
HUD - Heads-Up Display on/off.

Target Information:

In the box at the top of the screen is the target information:

In a typical combat situation, your map will be showing several sonar contacts. Some may have been identified; others may still be undetermined.

Choose the TARGET command to find out what your sonar operator has determined about the various objects in the water. The things the sonar operator is trying to determine are:

TARGET: What the target is. If the sonar operator doesnt know yet, UNKNOWN CONTACT will appear here. Sometimes the sonar operator will know whether the contact is on the surface or submerged - in this case, UNKNOWN SURFACE CONTACT or UNKNOWN SUBMERGED CONTACT will appear here.

BEARING: Where the target is in relation to your submarine. It is important to understand the difference between bearing and course. In determining a ships course, the northern point of the compass is the reference point (000o is North; 180o is south; etc.). In determining your targets bearing, your submarine is the reference point. Your bow (the tip of your ship) is 000o; the location of all other vessels in the water are reckoned from this point. Moving clockwise, 090o is to your right (starboard); 180o is behind you (stern); and 270o is to your left (port).

RANGE: How far away the target is from your ship. This is measured in nautical miles (nm).
COURSE: What direction on the compass the target is headed. When reckoning course, North is 000o.
SPEED: How fast the target is going. This is measured in knots.
DEPTH: How deep the target is. This is measured in feet.

Information Bar:

The crew reports to you from time to time to tell you when something has happened. Crew reports and messages run from right to left along the information bar directly below the stations controls. If for some reason a message has to be repeated, the message will not scroll from right to left - instead, an audible click will tell you that the message currently in the information bar is being repeated. Long strings of messages may interrupt your game. You can make messages go by faster by pressing SPACE.

Location and Time:

On the information bar at the base of the screen are your subs current map coordinates. To the right of these is the number of minutes that have elapsed during your current mission. Mission time runs twice as fast as real time when time compression is activated (this is a rough approximation: the exact ratio depends on the speed of your computer).

5.2 Radio Room:

All missions begin and end in the Radio Room where you receive your CinCs warm praise or cold shoulder. However, this isnt the only function of the Radio Room...

EXIT - Returns you to the CONN.

PERISCOPE - Raise or lowers your periscope. You must be at periscope depth (20 ft) to raise your periscope.

ANTENNA - Raise or lowers your antenna. You must be at periscope depth (20 ft) to raise your antenna.

Message Review:

If messages from the crew are rolling by too quickly and you think you missed something critical, you can review the messages in the radio room.

Select PREV to review the previous recorded message. It will appear in the message bar, only darker than the current messages coming from your crew. NEXT will scroll you forward through the recorded messages until you come to the latest message.

Transmit:

If you forgot your mission objectives, you can review your mission orders during the mission by selecting TRANSMIT and typing MISSION. You must be at periscope depth and your antenna must be up.

5.3 Navigation Board:

EXIT - Returns you too the CONN.

Plotting:

ALL TRACKS - Select this to view the tracks of all targets displayed on the screen. The tracks appear as small dots. The closer the dots are to each other, the slower the target is moving. All tracks will be black except the track of the current target, which will appear as a lighter colour.

TARGET TRACK - Display the targets targets only.

PLOT PROJECTION - Select this to see where you and a target will be in a given amount of time assuming you both maintain your present course and speed. You have to use this in conjunction with the TIME PROJECTION feature.

Enter the number of minutes you want to project into the TIME PROJECTION slots. Now select PLOT PROJECTION. A lighter marker will show you what your position will be in the selected amount of time if you maintain your present speed and course. A dark marker will show the currently selected targets projected position. You can now direct torpedoes to go to the projected point.

TIME PROJECTION - See PLOT PROJECTION above.

Waypoint Control:

A waypoint is a destination for your sub. Selecting waypoints activates the auto-pilot, which will steer your sub to each of the waypoint in the order you selected them. The auto-pilot wont set your speed for you, it will adjust the speed down to make turns efficiently and quietly. After making the turn, the auto-pilot will return to the previously set speed. (Note: the auto-pilot is programmed not to return to FLANK speed - if you were at FLANK speed and you make a turn, the auto-pilot will only return you to FULL). The auto-pilot wont control your depth, either, so make sure youre not too close to the ocean floor. A waypoint is cleared only when youve reached it or when youve selected CLEAR.

SET - You can only set waypoints while viewing the top-down map. When you select this command, a crosshair-cursor will appear in the viewing window.

Move the cursor to where you want your sub to go and press ENTER or any mouse button. A number will appear on your map marking the waypoint. You may select up to nine waypoints. The ships auto-pilot will guide the sub to each waypoint in numerical order.

CLEAR - Erases the last waypoint you set.

TIME - Turns on the time compression feature, making game time go by twice as fast (this is rough approximation: the exact ratio depends on the speed of your computer). Use this to speed up the game during longer transits. Press ENTER to return to normal time.

AUTO-PILOT - Turns the auto-pilot on or off. The auto-pilot will only function if you have set at least one waypoint. Changing the rudder will automatically turn off the auto-pilot, Changing your depth ar speed wont effect the auto-pilot. (Note: that the auto-pilot is oblivious to the ocean depth. It wont take you to a higher depth if youre about to smash into the bottom of the ocean.) If something comes up and you have to change your course manually using the rudder (thus turning your auto-pilot off), you can always head back to a waypoint as long as its still set. Simply turn the auto-pilot back on.

TARGET - When you select this, a crosshair-cursor will appear on the viewing window. Move the crosshair-cursor with the TAB key or mouse to the target (typing the letter of a target will also move the crosshair cursor). As you move the cursor to each of the targets on the screen, all available information on the target appears in the TARGET INFORMATION box at the top of the screen. Select a target by pressing <enter> or clicking a mouse button. Launched torpedoes will head for whichever target is currently selected. Once the torpedoes are launched, however, you are free to target any other contacts in the water.

5.4 Ships Control Panel:

EXIT - Returns you to the CONN.

Cavitation Level Gauge:

This gauge monitors the noise produced by cavitation. Cavitation results from partial vacuums that form around the propeller blades when the propeller is moving faster than the water around it can follow. Since the bubbles produced by cavitation are very noisy, you want to avoid it as if it were death itself. Two factors are involved here: acceleration and depth. Quick acceleration causes your propeller to spin faster than normal, which spells more noise. Depth effects the cavitation level, too. Since water pressure increases with depth, partial vacuums dont form as readily around your propellers the farther down you go. You can avoid high cavitation levels by not setting your speed at FLANK or REVERSE.

Dive Plane Control:

Controls the rate at which you dive and surface. Lowering the handle releases air from the ballast tanks, filling the tanks with sea-water and causing the sub to dive.Raising the handle releases compressed air into the ballast tanks which blows out the water and causes the sub to rise. How far you lower or raise the handle determines how fast you dive or rise - for instance, raising the handle a few degrees will cause the sub to rise very gradually, while raising the handle all the way will cause the sub to rise quickly.

Auto functions:

Use the auto functions so you can order the crew to change your depth without having to monitor the dive plane. 150 FT - Brings you to a depth of 150 ft.

PERISCOPE DEPTH - Brings you to periscope depth (20 ft).

EMERGENCY SURFACE - Brings you to the surface at maximum rate. This can be quite noisy. Do as it says and only use this in emergencies.

AUTO-PILOT - See AUTO-PILOT, above

ENGINE CONTROL - Set your speed with the engine control or throttle. The numbers represent fractions or percentages of your total power output. You cant go to STD (standard), FULL or FLANK at depths of 100 ft or less because youd be making far too much noise for your own good. Use FLANK speed to accelerate quickly, but remember that higher speeds have their penalties - not only do you become more audible to enemy sonar at high speeds, you cant hear as much over your own engines and the water flowing over your hydrophones. Part of the real art of submarining is knowing when you should use high speeds and when you should cut your engines completely. REV (reverse) will slow you down quickly but is extremely noisy (the subs propeller is spinning opposite its normal direction, which produces a lot of cavitation, especially between 0 and 100 ft.

RUDDER - The rudder changes the ships course provided youre moving forward. The control is incremented so you can control the rate at which you change course. The farther you move the handle to the left or right, the harder (i.e., more severe) the turn. Remember that activating the rudder will turn off the auto-pilot.

5.5 Sonar Room:

EXIT - Returns you to the CONN.

Sonar Computer:

ANALYSE - All ships, submarines, torpedoes and marine life make distinctive sounds. Each of these sounds has a sound signature or frequency pattern that distinguishes it from other sounds. Use the frequency analyser to display the sound signature of your current target. The horizontal line of the gauge represents the audible frequency spectrum (left being the low frequency end and right being the high frequency end). The vertical line represents the degree of sound received in that part of the frequency spectrum. Different objects will peak in different parts of the spectrum.

As you can see, ships tend to make more noise in the low end of the frequent spectrum; torpedoes in the higher end. Keep in mind that the above diagram is only a rough approximation - there are exceptions. To get positive identification, you must be able to recognize the individual sound signature of an object. This takes experience. Remember, it can be well worth your while to know the signatures of torpedoes and enemy subs when youre surrounded by unknown contacts and you need to act fast!

Sonar Controls:

FILTER - Sound waves travel at many frequencies in the ocean. Generally youll want to have the filter set on BAND PASS so you can monitor all of them. However, in critical situations, you may have to set this on HIGH PASS to filter out everything except high frequency noise. Torpedo engines make noise in the high frequency range, and torpedo sonar arrays usually emit high frequency pings when actively searching for a target. Set the filtering device on HIGH PASS when you want to see just torpedoes on your map display.

TARGETING PULSE - The targeting pulse is your active sonar. Selecting this directs your sonar officer to send a sonar ping which temporarily informs you of everything thats ahead of you. The problem is, it also alerts just about everything to your presence.

TOWED ARRAY - The towed array is a long cable with a series of microphones along its length that heighten the subs listening capabilities.

The disadvantage of dragging towed arrays is that they oscillate at high speeds (creating a good deal of noise) and produce drag. For these reasons, towed arrays limit the subs speed: 2/3 in the 688; 50% in the Alfa.

Towed arrays can be over 2000 ft long. Consequently, the towed array must be reeled out. As you can expect, this takes a matter of minutes.

Select TOWED ARRAY once to deploy the towed array. Select it again to retrieve it. Situations may arise in which you absolutely must accelerate quickly despite the fact that your towed array is deployed. In these situations, you will be given the choice of cutting the arrays cable or not. Once youve cut your towed array, its gone for the rest of the mission.

TARGET - Targets a vessel. (see TARGET, above).

5.6 Periscope:

(Note: There is no contour imaging at the Periscope station. C on the map controls only returns you to periscope view. P, F and S have no functions at this station.)

EXIT - Returns you to the CONN.

ESM Level:

ESM stands for Electronic Sensing Measures. This gauges how strong your opponents search radar is at your location. Enemy radar can detect not only your raised periscope, but the wake it leaves in the water. This is true for a raised antenna as well. The stronger the ESM signal, the faster youll be detected. Always lower your periscope or antenna as soon as you can.

PERISCOPE - Raises and lowers your periscope. You must be at periscope depth (20 ft) in order to do this. Watch the ESM level to keep your chance of detection low. When you raise your periscope, the map display window will turn into your periscope view. You can switch back and forth between your map display and your periscope view: select T from the map controls to switch to the top-down map, then select C to return to periscope view.

PERISCOPE ROTATION - Use the arrows to rotate the periscope. The direction of the periscope is relative to the bow of your submarine (the bow is 000o).

ANTENNA - Use this to raise or lower your antenna so you can communicate with satellites to receive mission orders and transmit messages. You must be at periscope depth (20 ft) in order to do this. While your antenna is up, watch the ESM level to keep your chances of detection low.

TARGET - Targets a vessel (see TARGET, above).

LAUNCH - Launches a torpedo, noisemaker or missile (whichever is currently selected at the Weapons Control Panel).

5.7 Weapons Control Panel:

EXIT - Returns you to the CONN.

Torpedo Tubes and Auxiliary Tubes:

The 688 is outfitted with four main torpedo tubes (at the bow) and two auxiliary tubes (amid ship) for noisemakers. The Alfa has six torpedo tubes at the bow only, but the sixth tube launches noisemakers (until you run out, at which point it launches torpedoes). Armed weapons arent stored in the torpedo tubes, so you have to order your crew to load torpedoes. First select the torpedo tube you want to arm by moving the cursor to that tube.

You must arm each tube individually. Press the activate button to highlight the tubes number. Press the activate button again to start the arming cycle (an icon of the type of torpedo in the tube will appear). When the weapon is ready to fire, the weapon icon will change colours. The weapons officer will also inform you that the torpedo is ready to launch.

Missile Selection:

Though the more recent ships of the 688 class are equipped with vertical launch tubes for missiles, the Los Angeles itself fires its missiles from its torpedo tubes. Since room aboard a submarine is limited, only a small number of missiles may be carried. The number and type of missiles are pre-selected for each mission and are listed in Chapter 3, Missions.

Missiles are loaded and launched the same way torpedoes are. Select the missile box, then select it again to initiate the arming cycle. The missile icon will appear as long as you still have missiles on board. When the icon turns a darker colour, its ready to fire. Select LAUNCH to fire the missile. Missile specifications begin in chapter 7.2.

TARGET - Targets a vessel (see TARGET, above).

LAUNCH - Launches a torpedo, noisemaker or missile (whichever is currently selected).

Torpedo Control:

The Torpedo Control functions let you guide torpedoes to a target or location or set them on an active search program. This is useful if your torpedo seems to have lost its target or in those situations where you dont have a firm fix on an enemy vessel that you want to try and take out.

A launched torpedo has a guidance-wire connecting it to your sub. The Guidance-wire is 7.5 nm long: once its cut, you can no longer control the weapon. The weapons officer will inform you when a torpedo has gone off course. The torpedo marker on the map will change to a darker colour. A torpedo with a cut guidance-wire will seek a target until it detonates or runs out of fuel.

SELECT - If youve launched a torpedo and you want to control it, you must first press SELECT. A crosshair cursor will appear in the viewing window.

Use the Tab key or mouse to select the torpedo you want to control, then press ENTER or click a mouse button. Now select one of the following:

SEARCH - Sets the torpedo on active search. The torpedo will run a search pattern and begin emitting sonar pings to help it find a target.

DIRECT - Select this and a crosshair-cursor will appear on the map. Move the cursor to where you expect your target to be if it maintains its course and press ENTER or click a mouse button. Directing a torpedo will only send the torpedo to a specific location - that in itself isnt enough. When the torpedos near its destination, you have to set it on SEARCH so it will look for a target. If you dont initiate a search pattern, your torpedo will drift until it runs out of fuel.

DETONATE - Your own torpedo may lose its original target and end up locking on you or a friendly ship. In a situation like this you may decide its safer to just blow it up. Make sure the torpedo is at a safe range - it doesnt have to actually hit something to do damage.

Status Panel:

EXIT - Returns you to the CONN.
  
SELECT - Your crew will tell you when a severe hit or scraping the bottom has damaged one of the ships systems. If you need to review the damage your sub has taken, press SELECT repeatedly to scroll through the status of each of the ships systems. All systems will read OK unless youve sustained damage. If the system has been damaged, the status bar will tell you its operational condition in percentages. For example, a hard hit to the stern could damage the ships engines. The status might read: Engines 75% operational. This would mean you couldnt go faster than 3/4 of your top speed. The diagram shows the subs major systems - any major systems that have been damaged will be highlighted. (Note: No diagram is available on the Alfa). Remember that a damaged system is damaged for the duration of the mission.

In combat, your crew is too busy running the sub to repair anything. At any given moment, you have to make do with what you have.

6. SUBMARINE WARFARE:
  
A submarine isnt much more than an air-bubble enclosed by one or more metal shells (hulls) and designed to move underwater at great depths. All submarines must do certain things: submerge, move forward, navigate and monitor their surroundings. Therefore, they share certain design features.

Propulsion - Submarines need power sources to propel them forward and to provide energy for subsidiary systems such as life support, lighting, navigation, weapons control, the periscope, etc. internal combustion engines, like automobile engines, require air to burn fuel and are therefore unsuitable for use while underwater. two sources of power have proven themselves effective for submarine propulsion, and both have their advantages and disadvantages. Conventional submarines use electric batteries while underwater, but these run down with use and must be recharged by diesel engines. To do this, the submarine has to return to the surface, at which point it becomes fair game for anybody who wants to shoot at it (its diesel engines make it pretty audible to enemy sonar, too). Despite this disadvantage, conventional submarines remain popular among a majority of the worlds navies - theyre cheap, simple to operate, and virtually silent when running on battery power.

Nuclear-powered submarines use a nuclear reactor to heat water, which in turn drives a steam generator. They dont need to recharge batteries, which nicely eliminates unsavoury things like range limitations and the need to surface. However, nuclear-powered submarines are costly and require greater expertise to operate. Only large navies with huge resources can maintain nuclear-powered submarines in their fleets.

Nuclear-powered submarines have one disadvantage: the pumps they need to cool their reactors make them noisier than conventional submarines. However, their ability to remain submerged for literally years makes this a suitable risk.

Submersion - Submarines submerge by flooding ballast tanks with sea-water, which causes the submarine to lose buoyancy and sink. To surface, compresses air is blown into the ballast tanks, forcing the sea-water back out again. Ballast tanks can be located within the pressure hull or between the pressure hull and the outer hull. Some submarines have saddle tanks: streamlined tanks fitted to the outside of the hull.

Diving planes (fin-like appendages located on the sides near the bow or on the sail) control the of the dive.

Sensors - A submarines most important sensors are its sonar and periscope.

Since the periscope can only be used near the surface, the modern submarine must rely almost totally on sonar for its sensing. Sonar stands for Sound Navigation Ranging and works on the principle that all objects in the water produce sound waves or reflect them and are thereby subject to detection.

Active sonar devices actively emit sound waves (the legendary sonar ping), which are reflected back by objects in the water. Sensitive receivers on board the sub pick up the reflected waves, which are then interpreted by sonar operators using processing devices. Active sonar devices are usually bow-mounted, though some submarines (such as the 688) also have conformal arrays that run along the sides of the sub, giving greater all-round sensing. Active sonar, though limited by the characteristic features and noises of the ocean, can give you a lot of critical information about the objects directly before you. the major drawback of active sonar is that it alerts just about everything in the vicinity of your presence.

Passive sonar uses sensitive listening devices called hydrophones to pick up sound waves that are already moving through the water. Passive sonar has the advantage of not alerting everyone to your presence.

Unfortunately, its something more of an art than a science, requiring sophisticated spectrum analysers, powerful microprocessors, intuition, and, most importantly, time. Passive sonar capabilities can be greatly increased with the use of a towed array, a long, tapered cable with many hydrophones on it. While a towed array is helpful, it limits a submarines speed and manoeuvrability. Towed arrays are not effective in hard turns, and the fact that they oscillate at high speeds (and create noise) limits the overall speed of the submarine.

Submarine Classifications:

The US Navy typically classifies submarines in two ways. The first is by the role the submarine is designed to fulfil. 

Traditionally, the submarines strategic purpose has been to hunt and attack enemy surface vessels, whether merchant or military. While this is still a primary function, technological innovations have given the submarine new roles. Refined sensors now allow submarines to hunt and attack enemy submarines. Finally, those submarines outfitted with long range cruise and ballistic missiles can strike at land-based targets, too.

The role a submarine performs determines what kinds of weapons it carries. Attack submarines such as the Los Angeles generally carry mines, cruise missiles of various sorts, and torpedoes. A few classes of submarines, such as the Charlie and Oscar classes of the Soviet Union, are primarily cruise missile platforms. Ballistic missile submarines typically carry long range ballistic missiles and a small number of torpedoes for defence. 

Another way to classify a submarine is by its means of propulsion. Submarines are typically conventional or nuclear-powered (see Propulsion above). Thus we have the following classifications:
  
SS   Conventional attack submarine
SSN  Nuclear-powered attack submarine
SSB  Conventional ballistic missile submarine
SSBN Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine
SSG  Conventional guided missile submarine
SSGN Nuclear-powered guided missile submarine

The Ocean Environment:

Since the ocean doesnt allow much light in, submarines are blind in the most literal sense. Consequently, submarines rely on sound to gain information about the things around them. Sound waves travel through water at speeds roughly four times greater than they do through air. Solid objects in the water reflect sound waves, and a sonar operator with a good listening device can listen to the sound waves and determine a number of important things about an object thats near him: what it is, its location and speed, etc.

Water Temperature - Cold water, of course, is denser than warm water.

Sound waves travelling from warm water into cold water will bend toward the bottom of the ocean (a negative gradient), while sound waves travelling from cold to warm will bend toward the surface (a positive gradient). The temperature of water decreases with depth, but not as gradually as you might expect. Instead, the ocean at any given time will be made up of several thermal layers. The water is normally warmest near the surface, forming a surface duct that can be tens to hundreds of feet deep depending on your location. Below the surface layer the temperature drops gradually with depth until it reaches another thermal layer (the thermocline). The temperature falls quite rapidly below the thermocline until it reaches a thin layer near the bottom (the permanent thermocline).

Water Pressure - The greater the pressure, the more dense the water. Water pressure increases the deeper you go, so sound waves bend up with depth.

Using the Ocean Environment to your Advantage - The complexity of the ocean environment and its effects on sonar can provide the submarine captain with numerous hiding places and the sonar operator with numerous headaches. Sound waves are typically trapped between thermal layers, forming long sound channels. A submarine trying to escape detection can often cross a thermal layer and stand a good chance of evading enemy sonar. Even within a sound channel, a submarine is not easily detected.

Part of the effect of bending sound waves is that they tend to fall into a more or less single, or convergent, path. Convergent paths produce extensive areas where no sonar waves penetrate. These areas, called shadow zones, can be exploited by submarine captains - a submarine lurking in a shadow zone will be virtually invisible to enemy sonar.

Theres no way to know whether youre precisely in a shadow zone or not, but your best bet is to hide just below the thermal layer. Tactically, this is a good place to be anyway: it allows you to quickly move between thermal layers and thus gives you an easy way of dodging the enemys sonar.

Evading Submarines:

Theres no foolproof way of evading a submarine thats pursuing you. If your submarine is faster, you can outrun the other sub over the long run - however, this tactic gives the other sub plenty of time to call in help or, in combat, to fire torpedoes and destroy you (the noise you create at the top speed also makes you a great target). Its better to try out-manoeuvre the other sub. The first step is to do something that will make the other sub temporarily lose contact on you. You can do this in a number of ways. As mentioned above, slipping across a thermal layer gives the other sub a weaker return signal (the sound waves bouncing off of you will tend to stay in the thermal layer youre in). if youre lucky, the other sub will lose contact with you altogether. Another tactic is to cut your engines and drift. Chances are, the enemy has been tracking you by listening to your engines turn. When you cut your engines, his sonar operator will have to listen for something else: the water rushing over the outer hull, your reactor pumps, etc. In any case, it will take a moment for him to re-establish contact on you.

Once you think the other sub has lost contact on you, change course. The more unexpected the new course will be, the better. You can turn to the side, turn 180o from the other subs course and duck under him, or attempt to circle around and start tracking him. Combining manoeuvres is effective, too. You can cut and drift, change course, drop below a thermal layer, then change course again and silently speed off. Then more imaginative and complex the move, the better your chances of survival.

Using Noisemakers:

Noisemakers are devices you fire from your torpedo tubes that simulate the noise produced by your submarine. Enemy sonar - whether submarine or torpedo - may be temporarily deceived into thinking that the noisemaker is actually your submarine.

The following diagram shows the effective use of noisemakers (the example demonstrates one sub evading another, but the principal is the same for evading a torpedo). Sub A is being pursued by sub B. At 1, sub A cuts his engines and drifts. Sub B immediately loses contact with A.  At 2, Sub A releases a noisemaker to distract his pursuer. At the same time, A makes a hard turn to either the right or the left (in this case, the right). Sub A can now use other manoeuvres: he can dive below a thermal layer, or, while hes still drifting, he can circle around and attempt to hide in sub Bs baffles.

  +---------------------+ 
  |   |                 | 
  | - O -  ....... ---> | 
  |   |   . 2     (A)  | 
  |      .              | 
  |      .              | 
  |      ^              | 
  |      |(A)           | 
  |      |              | 
  |                     | 
  |        1           | 
  |      ^              | 
  |      |(B)           | 
  |      |              |
  |                     |
  +---------------------+
           Fig 1

In combat, against torpedoes or submarines, noisemakers can only help you survive. However, in peacetime, it may not be such a good idea to release noisemakers in order to evade another submarine. Since noisemakers are released by compressed air through torpedo or auxiliary tubes, the other sub has no way of knowing whether youre launching a noisemaker to evade him or a torpedo to kill him! He might answer your call by launching several torpedoes in your direction.

Evading Torpedoes:

Torpedo Limitations - There are no foolproof ways of evading torpedoes. Modern torpedoes are intelligent and capable of recognizing decoys and executing search programs. However, all torpedoes have limitations which a knowledgeable submarine captain can exploit.

Like a submarine, a torpedo relies on sonar to pin-point its target: however, the torpedos relatively small size limits the area it can sense. Its cone of vision - the area it actually sees or senses - is small (perhaps only 20o wide directly in front of it) compared to a submarines. If a submarine captain can quickly manoeuvre his ship out of the torpedos narrow cone of vision, the torpedo will have to initiate a search program in order to try and find him. Torpedoes are fairly stupid in the sense that their reactions to a lost target are very mechanical. A torpedo doesnt have the facility to guess where the target went when it escaped the torpedos sight. The torpedo can only initiate a pre-programmed search pattern, which might very well take it in the wrong direction, giving the submarine a chance to slip away.

Torpedoes are also limited by the amount of fuel they can carry. This gives them a maximum range - a point at which they run out of fuel and sink to the bottom, where they self-destruct. In reality, torpedo ranges vary from type to type. However, in 688 Attack Sub, all torpedoes have a range of 10 nm. This will make it possible to outrun torpedoes in certain circumstances.

Like submarines and ships, torpedoes also have a maximum Rate-of-Heading-Change (RHC). the RHC is nothing more than how tightly the torpedo can make a turn. A torpedos RHC is pretty good in comparison to a ships, but a torpedo cant turn an a dime - after all, its swimming at speeds greater than 45 kts! A submarine captain can manoeuvre such that the torpedo is forced to turn in order to keep the target in view. If the torpedos RHC cant compensate for the change in the targets course, the torpedo may overshoot, losing the target altogether.

Responses to a Torpedo Attack - Figure 6.3 (not included) shows three evasive measure zones (A, B and C), each demanding a different response on the part of the submarine captain. The numbers represent the approximate ranges of the torpedoes - notice that the range at which an evasive measure should be taken depends largely upon the torpedos bearing. For example, if the torpedos bearing is 000o, youd have to take action sooner than if the torpedo were coming from behind. Why? Because at 000o, you and the torpedo are headed for each other - the gap between you and the torpedo is closing fast.

A. At long range, you should turn and out-run the torpedo. All torpedoes in the game have a range of 10 nm. You only need to stay ahead of the torpedo for a few miles and it will run out of fuel.

B. At medium range, turn so your sub is heading 90o away from the torpedos course (choose the shortest path to get there). If youre real lucky, youll escape the torpedos narrow cone of vision, which will force it to initiate a search program to look for you.

C. At short range, the best you can do is turn your so your sub is heading 150o or 210o away from the torpedos course (choose the shortest path to get there). Hopefully youll escape the torpedos cone of vision or turn so fast that the torpedo will overshoot, giving you time to make a clean get away.

The Baffles:

Both the wake a submarine leaves as it moves through the water and the rotation of the screw (propeller) disrupt the transmission of sound directly behind the sub. The baffles are, in effect, the submarines blind spot. Even a towed array, though diminishing the size of the baffles, does not completely eliminate the problem. The experienced captain stays aware of the fact that he senses virtually nothing to a narrow area astern.

+-----------+-----------+
|     B a f f l e s     |
|           |           |
|     ^     |     ^     |
|     |     |     |     |
|           |           |
|     ^     |     ^     |
|    90o    |    45o    |
|           |           |
|  Without  |    With   |
|Towed Array|Towed Array|
+-----------+-----------+
           Fig 2

7. TECHNICAL REFERENCE:

7.1 Submarines:

Although you can only play a Los Angeles or Alfa, other submarine classes make their appearances in one or more of the missions. The following specifications will help you know what youre up against should you encounter one of these submarines. For the sake of convenience, weve chosen to call the Soviet subs by their USN designations, even when youre commanding the Alfa. Since very few players speak Russian, this probably wont be missed much.

Note that some of the specifications have been altered to balance game play, particularly the maximum depth of certain Soviet submarines.

Akula (USSR)
	Type: SSN
	Displacement: 8,000 tons submerged
	Length: 351 ft (107 m)
	Beam: 42.6 ft (13 m)
	Draught: 24.6 ft (7.5 m)
	Maximum speed: 45 kt
	Maximum depth: 1800 ft
	Noise level: Above average
	Weapons: Type 53 and Type 65 torpedoes; SS-N-16 cruise 	missiles

Alfa (USSR)
	Type: SSN
	Displacement: 2,900 tons surfaced; 3,680 tons submerged
	Length: 267 ft (81.4 m)
	Beam: 31 ft (9.5 m)
	Draught: 23 ft (7 m)
	Maximum speed: 42 kt
	Maximum depth: 1800 ft
	Noise level: Above average
	Weapons: Type 53 torpedoes

Charlie II (USSR)
	Type: SSGN
	Displacement: 4,500 tons surfaced; 5,500 tons submerged
	Length: 335 ft (102 m)
	Beam: 33 ft (10 m)
	Draught: 26 ft (8 m)
	Maximum speed: 24 kt
	Maximum depth: 1800 ft
	Noise level: Average
	Weapons: Type 53 torpedoes; SS-N-9 cruise missiles

Foxtrot (USSR/Other)
	Type: SS
	Displacement: 1,950 tons surfaced; 2,500 tons submerged
	Length: 300.1 ft (95.5 m)
	Beam: 26.2 ft (8 m)
	Draught: 20 ft (6.1 m)
	Maximum speed: 16 kt
	Maximum depth: 800 ft
	Noise level: Low
	Weapons: Type 40 and Type 53 torpedoes

Kilo (USSR)
	Type: SS
	Displacement: 2,500 tons surfaced; 3,000 tons submerged
	Length: 230 ft (70 m)
	Beam: 32 ft (9.9 m)
	Draught: 21 ft (6.5 m)
	Maximum speed: 16 kt
	Maximum depth: 1200 ft
	Noise level: Very low
	Weapons: Type 53 torpedoes

Los Angeles (US)
	Type: SSN
	Displacement: 6,080 tons surfaced; 6,927 tons submerged
	Length: 360 ft (109.8 m)
	Beam: 33 ft (10.1 m)
	Draught: 32 ft 4 in (9.8 m)
	Maximum speed: 37 kt
	Maximum depth: 1500 ft
	Noise level: Low
	Weapons: Mk 48 ADCAP torpedoes; Harpoon and/or Tomahawk 	cruise missiles; Sea Lance A/S missiles

Oscar (USSR)
	Type: SSGN
	Displacement: 11000 tons surfaced; 13500 tons submerged
	Length: 470 ft (143 m)
	Beam: 60 ft (18 m)
	Draught: 36 ft (11 m)
	Maximum speed: 35 kt
	Maximum depth: 1800 ft
	Noise level: Average
	Weapons: Type 53 and Type 65 torpedoes; SS-N-16 and/or 	SS-N-19 cruise missiles

Trafalgar (UK)
	Type: SSN
	Displacement: 4,800 tons surfaced; 5,300 tons submerged
	Length: 280 ft (85.4 m)
	Beam: 33 ft (10.1 m)
	Draught: 27 ft (8.2 m)
	Maximum speed: 32 kt
	Maximum depth: 1500 ft
	Noise level: Low
	Weapons: Spearfish torpedoes; Harpoon missiles

Typhoon (USSR)
	Type: SSBN
	Displacement: 25-30,000 tons submerged
	Length: 558 ft (170 m)
	Beam: 75 ft (23 m)
	Draught: 37 ft (11.5 m)
	Maximum speed: 24 kt
	Maximum depth: 1800 ft
	Noise level: Above average
	Weapons: Type 53 and Type 65 torpedoes; SA-N-5 missiles; 	SS-N-16 A/S cruise missiles

Victor III (USSR)
	Type: SSN
	Displacement: 6,300 tons submerged
	Length: 348 ft (106 m)
	Beam: 33 ft (10 m)
	Draught: 23 ft (7 m)
	Maximum speed: 32 kt
	Maximum depth: 1800 ft
	Noise level: Below average
	Weapons: Type 53 and Type 65 torpedoes

7.2 Weapons:

The following weapons are used in the game by or against submarines. Those multitude of weapons used by ships against airplanes, missiles, land targets or other ships are not described here since they have little impact on the submarine commander. Weapons flagged with a star (*) are actually used in the game by the 688 or Alfa. All other weapons described here appear in the game but are used by ships or other subs.

Torpedoes:

688 Attack Sub was designed to be a hot game. demanding quick responses and daring moves on the part of players. Real submarine combat may be intense, but all truth told, theres a lot of waiting for things to happen - courses to be plotted, contacts to be identified, missiles to fly... A computer game cant reproduce this aspect of naval combat and still call itself a game: the excitement has to be of the grab-you-by-the-shirt-collar variety. with this in mind, the entire game was scaled down so that the ranges at which things happen were greatly reduces. The result was that all torpedoes (Soviet and American) were given an artificially short range of 10 nm.

Mk 32 Torpedo (US/Various)
Range: 10 nm
Maximum speed: 40 kt
Payload: 150 kg warhead
This obsolete acoustic anti-submarine torpedo still finds use in many of the worlds navies, primarily aboard escort ships.

Mk 46 Torpedo (US)
Range: 10 nm
Maximum speed: 40 kt
Payload: 44 kg warhead
The Mk 46 is a deep-diving, high-speed ASW torpedo capable of multiple search patterns and re-attack. It can be launched from surface ships and aircraft or carried by ASROC missiles.

*  Mk 48 ADCAP Torpedo (US)
Range: 10 nm
Maximum speed: 52.5 kt
Payload: 267 kg warhead
The Mk 48 ADCAP (advanced capabilities) program was initiated to counter the operational characteristics of newer Soviet subs as the Alfa. The result of the program was a faster and deeper-diving torpedo with better acoustics and electronics. The Mk 48 is launched primarily from submarines but can be refitted for delivery from surface ships as well.

Mk 50 ALW Torpedo (US)
Range: 10 nm
Maximum speed: 40 kt
Payload: 45 kg directed energy
The Mk 50 Advanced Lightweight Torpedo (ALWT) is the successor to the Mk 46 torpedo. The Mk 50 can be launched from ships, submarines and aircraft and is designed to meet the threat of faster and deeper-diving submarines. Most warheads have a large payload that blasts outward in all directions. The directed energy warhead uses a smaller, directed blast to punch a hole through the ships hull. This requires even more precise delivery systems so that the directed blast wont glance off but will actually penetrate the ships hull.

Spearfish Torpedo (UK)
Range: 10 nm
Maximum speed: 60 kt
Payload: directed energy warhead like the Mk 48 ADCAP, the Spearfish was developed in direct response to improve Soviet submarine technology (in particular the Alfa). This heavyweight torpedo is faster, more accurate and capable of greater depths than its predecessor. The Spearfish also utilizes a directed energy warhead (see Mk 50 above).

Type 40 406 mm Torpedo (USSR)
Range: 10 nm
Maximum speed:
Payload: 100 kg warhead
This relatively new, lightweight torpedo is currently in use with light destroyers and other sub killers but may also be found aboard certain Soviet nuclear submarines.

* Type 53 533 mm Torpedo (USSR)
Range: 10 nm
Maximum speed: 47.5 kt
Payload: 400 kg payload
533 mm has been the standard calibre used by the Soviet Navy and its allies for many years.

Type 65 660 mm Torpedo (USSR)
Range: 10 nm
Maximum speed: 47.5 kt
Payload: 900 kg warhead
This heavyweight torpedo was only recently developed and many ships are currently being refitted to accommodate its larger diameter.

Missiles:

ASROC Anti-Submarine System
Range: 2 - 10 km
Maximum speed: classified
Payload: Mk 46 Torpedo
The ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) is the principal ASW weapon of the US Navy and is popular with over ten other countries. Carried primarily by destroyers but also by cruisers and frigates, the ASROC consists of a ballistic rocket carrying an Mk 46 torpedo. The rocket drops the torpedo by parachute at a pre-determined point near the target. Once underwater, the torpedo homes in on the target. By quickly placing a torpedo in the vicinity of the target, the ASROC reduces the submarines reaction time to the attack, increasing the likelihood of scoring a hit.

* Harpoon Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile (US)
Range: 130 km (70 nm)
Maximum speed: 0.9 Mach
Payload: 570 lb HE warhead
Must be at periscope depth and have a t-fix to launch this weapon.

* Tomahawk Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile (US)
Range: 460 km (anti-ship); 2600 km (land mark)
Maximum speed: 475 kt
Payload: 1000 lb HE warhead
Must be at periscope depth and have a t-fix to launch this weapon.

SS-N-14 Anti-Submarine Weapon (USSR)
Range: 55 km
Maximum speed: Mach .94 at 750 m above sea level
Payload: Nuclear warhead or homing torpedo
The SS-N-14 (Silex) is a ship-launched A/S missile believed to carry a homing torpedo or low-level nuclear warhead to its target.

* Sea Lance ASW Stand-Off Weapon
Range: Classified
Maximum speed: Classified
Payload: Classified
The Sea Lance was designed to replace the aging SUBROC anti-submarine missile and give American attack submarines an edge over Soviet subs by extending their range of attack beyond normal torpedo range. The missile is launched from a submerged submarine. As it clears the surface, a rocket motor is ignited which carries the payload (a torpedo) to the target. As the missile re-enter the water, the homing device on the torpedo activates and begins searching for a target. Exact figures for the Sea Lance are currently not available. Testing has been scheduled for July 1989.

Ships:

As a submarine commander, you need to know as much about your targets as you do about your own submarine. A ships noise level will give you an idea of how easily it can be tracked, while its type, size and maximum speed will tell you how easily it can evade your attack. The kinds of weapons a ship carries are also important - they determine what the ship can do to your torpedoes and missiles as well as your submarine. Armed ships generally rely on a three-point system of defence against incoming missiles and torpedoes. Surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and anti-torpedo missiles are the first line of defence, typically being employed against long range targets.

If missile defence is unsuccessful, guns will be used. Phalanx and chaff make up the last line of defence. Ships will attempt to protect each other as well as themselves, firing at missiles and torpedoes destined for other ships. Keep this in mind when setting up attacks on convoys and battle groups - take out warships first.

Be wary around any ships carrying depth charges, depth bombs, and anti- submarine (A/S) torpedoes or missiles (ASROC and SS-N-14s). The latter are particularly dangerous because of their long-range.

Cargo Ships (Various)
Displacement: Varied
Length: Varied
Beam: Varied
Draught: Varied
Maximum speed: 20 kt
Noise level: Very high

Forrest Sherman Class
Type: DD
Displacement: 2,800-3,000 tons average
Length: 418 ft (127.4m)
Beam: 45 ft (13.7m)
Draught: 23 ft (7m)
Maximum speed: 20 kt
Noise level: High
Weapons: Not applicable in mission

Iowa Class
Type: BB
Displacement: 45,000 ton average
Length: 887.2 ft (270.4m)
Beam: 108.2 ft (33m)
Draught: 38 ft (11.6m)
Maximum speed: 35 kt
Noise level: High
Guns: Nine 16in/50 guns; twelve 5in/38 guns; four Mk15 20mm CIWS Phalanx
SLCMs: Tomahawk cruise missiles, eight quad launchers
SSMs: Harpoon missiles

Kara Class
Type: CG
Displacement: 9,700 tons
Length: 568 ft (173.2 m)
Beam: 61 ft (18.6)
Draught: 22 ft (6.7 m)
Maximum speed: 34 kt
Noise level: Above average
A/S Missiles: SS-N-14 missiles, two quad launchers
Depth Bombs: Anti-submarine/anti-torpedo depth bombs, two RBU 6000 12-barrelled trainable launchers
Guns: Four 76 mm/59 guns; four 30 mm Gatling guns
SAMs: SA-N-6 missiles, six launchers; SA-N-4 missiles, two twin launchers;
SA-N-3 missiles, one twin launcher

Kidd Class
Type: DDG
Displacement: 8,300 full load
Length: 563 ft (171.6 m)
Beam: 55 ft (16.8 m)
Draught: 30 ft (9.1 m)
Maximum speed: 33 kt
Noise level: Above average
A/S Missiles: ASROC missiles
Guns: Two MK 16 20 mm CIWS 6-barrelled Phalanx
SAMs: SM-1 ER missiles
SSMs: Harpoon missiles, two quad launchers

Kirov Class
Type: BC
Displacement: 22,000 tons average
Length: 813.6 ft (247.99 m)
Beam: 93.5 ft (28.5 m)
Draught: 29.5 ft (9.1 m)
Maximum speed: 33 kt
Noise level: High
Aircraft: Three Hormone helicopters
A/S Missiles: SS-N-14 missiles, one quad launcher
A/S Torpedoes: type 53 torpedoes, ten torpedo tubes
Depth Bombs: Anti-submarine/anti-torpedo depth bombs, one RBU 6000 12-barrelled trainable launcher, two RBU 1000 six-barrelled launchers
Guns: two 100mm guns; eight 30mm Gatling guns
SAMs: SA-N-6 missiles, twelve launchers; SA-N-4 missiles, two twin launchers
SSMs: SS-N-19 missiles

Koni Class
Type: FF
Displacement: 1,900 tons full load
Length: 311.6 ft (95 m)
Beam: 42 ft (12.8 m)
Draught: 13.7 ft (4.2 m)
Maximum speed: 29 kt
Noise level: Average
A/S Torpedoes: Type 40 torpedoes, four torpedo tubes
Depth Bombs: A/S depth bombs, two 12-barrelled RBU-6000 trainable launchers
Depth Charges: Depth charges, two DC racks
Guns: Four 76 mm twin guns; four 30 mm twin guns
SAMs: SA-N-4 missiles, one twin launcher
SSMs: SS-N-2C missiles

Krivak II Class
Type: FFG
Displacement: 3,900 tons full load
Length: 405.2 ft (123.5 m)
Beam: 45.9 ft (14 m)
Draught: 16.4 ft (5 m)
Maximum speed: 32 kt
Noise level: Above average
A/S Missiles: SS-N-14 Missiles, one quad launcher
A/S Torpedoes: Type 53 torpedoes, two quad launchers
Depth Bombs: Anti-submarine/anti-torpedo depth bombs, two RBU-6000 12-barrelled trainable launchers
Guns: Two 100 mm twin guns
Mines: Capacity for twenty
SAMs: SA-N-4 missiles, four twin launchers

Merchant Ships (Various)
Displacement: Varied
Length: Varied
Beam: Varied
Draught: Varied
Maximum speed: 20 kt
Noise level: High

Nimitz Class
Type: CVN
Displacement: 81,600 tons average
Length: 1,092 ft (332.9 m)
Beam: 134 ft (40.8 m)
Draught: 37 ft (11.3 m)
Maximum speed: 33 kt
Noise level: High
Aircraft: 85-90
Guns: four MK 16 20 mm CIWS six-barrelled Phalanx
SAMs: Sea Sparrow missiles

Oliver Hazard Perry Class
Type: FFG
Displacement: 3,585 tons
Length: 445 ft (135.6 m)
Beam: 45 ft (13.7 m)
Draught: 24.5 ft (7.5 m)
Maximum speed: 29 kt
Noise level: Above average
Aircraft: two LAMPS III helicopters
A/S Torpedoes: Mk 32 A/S torpedoes, two triple torpedo tubes
Guns: one 76 mm/62 Mk 75 gun; one 20 mm CIWS MK 17 six-barrelled Phalanx
SAMs: SM-1 ER Missiles, one MK 13 dual purpose launcher
SSMs: Harpoon missiles

Sacramento Class
Type: AOE
Displacement: 51,400 - 53,600 full load
Length: 793 ft (241.7 m)
Beam: 107 ft (32.6 m)
Draught: 39.3 ft (12 m)
Maximum speed: 26 kt
Noise level: High
Guns: Two MK 16 20 mm CIWS six-barrelled Phalanx
SAMs: Sea Sparrow missiles, one MK 29 system
Countermeasures: One MK 36 Super RBOC chaffroc

Slava Class
Type: CG
Displacement: 12,500 tons full load
Length: 613.4 ft (186.9 m)
Beam: 65.6 ft (19.99 m)
Draught: 
Maximum speed: 12 kt
Noise level: Above average
Aircraft: One Hormone helicopter
A/S Torpedoes: type 53 torpedoes, eight torpedo tubes
Depth Bombs: Anti-submarine/anti-torpedo depth bombs, two RBU-6000 12-barrelled trainable launchers
Depth Charges: depth charges, two racks
Guns: two 130 mm twin guns; 6 30 mm Gatling guns
SAMs: SA-N-6 missiles, eight launchers; SS-N-4 missiles, one twin launcher
SSMs: SS-N-12 missiles

Tankers (Various)
Displacement: Varied
Length: Varied
Beam: Varied
Draught: Varied
Maximum speed: 16 kt
Noise level: Very high
Weapons: None

7.4 Aircraft:

Lockhead P3C Orion Airplane
Maximum speed: 415 kt
Mission Endurance: 16 hr
This four-engined, land-based plane has served the U.S. Navy well as an ASW patrol aircraft. With its on-board radar, forward-looking infra-red, MAD equipment and sonar buoys, the PC3 Orion is used to detect, track and, if necessary, destroy enemy submarines.

Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk Helicopter
Maximum speed: 126 kt
Mission Endurance: 3 1/2 hr Carried by a variety of cruisers, destroyers, frigates and special helicopter- carriers, the Seahawk acts as the forward sensors of the ship-based LAMPS III ASW system. With its search radar, towed MAD system, sonar buoys and dipping sonar, the helicopter provides raw data, which is then processed on-board the parent-ship. The Seahawk also carries two Mk 46 lightweight torpedoes, making it a serious threat to enemy submarines.

7.5 GLOSSARY:

AOE          Fast combat support ship
A/S          Anti-submarine weapon
ASROC        Anti-submarine rocket
ASW          Anti-submarine Warfare
Baffles      Turbulent water caused by the wake of a submarine and the turning of its screw. Because turbulence negatively affects sonar transmissions, submarines are blind to a narrow area directly behind them.
BB           Battleship
BC           Battle Cruiser
Beam         The extreme width of a ships hull
Bearing      The direction of a target in relation to your sub (the nose of your sub = 000o)
BF           Baltijskij Flot (Russian for Baltic Fleet)
Boomer       Slang term for SSBNs
Bow          Forward end of the ship
Cavitation   Partial vacuums forming around the blades of the propeller due to fast acceleration and/or shallow waters. Cavitation is extremely noisy.
CG           Guided missile cruiser
Chaff        Strips of metal foil shot into the air to distract incoming missiles. Used by surface ships as a last ditch defence.
CHG          Light aircraft carrier
CINC         Commander-In-Chief
CMF          Chernoe Mokoj Flot (Russian for Black Sea Fleet)
CONN         Conning Tower; the elevated platform above the deck used on early submarines for attack direction and navigation. Today it refers to the control room where these functions are now performed.
Course       The direction youre pointing in relation to the compass (North = 000o)
CVN          Multi-purpose aircraft carrier (nuclear-powered)
DD           Destroyer
DDG          Guided missile destroyer
ESM          Electronic Sensing Measures
FF           Frigate
FFG          Guided missile frigate
Glavnyi      Short for Glavnokomanduyushchij (Russian for Commander-in-Chief)
HUD          Head-up-Display; a monitoring system that projects compass and depth readings onto the Map Display Window
Hydrophones  Microphones along the hull of a submarine that transmit sound waves to a sonar operator
LANTFLT      Atlantic Fleet
MAD          Magnetic Anomaly Detector
MEDFLT       Mediterranean Fleet
NATO         North Atlantic Treaty Organization
PACFLT       Pacific Fleet
PLA          Podvodnaya Lodka Atomnaya (Soviet designation for SSNs)
PLARB        Podvodnaya Lodka Atomnaya Raketnaya Krylataya (Soviet designation for SSBNs)
Port         Left
RBOC         Rapid Bloom Off-board Countermeasures; a countermeasure system for surface ships used against incoming missiles. The RBOC system consists of a number of mortars firing chaff cartridges.
SAM          Surface-to-Air Missile
Screw        Propeller
SF           Severnyj Flot (Russian for Northern fleet)
SLBM         Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile
SLCM         Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile
Sonar        Sound Navigation Ranging; a device that detects the presence and location of underwater objects by sending out sound waves
               and monitoring their echo.
SS           Conventional attack submarine
SSB          Conventional ballistic submarine
SSBN         Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine
SSG          Conventional guided missile submarine
SSGN         Nuclear-powered guided missile submarine
SSN          Nuclear-powered attack submarine
Starboard    Right
Stern        Back of the ship
TOF          Tikhij Okeanskij Flot (Russian for Pacific Fleet)
Towed Array  A long cable with microphones that enhances a surface ship or submarines passive sonar capabilities.
Waypoint     A destination for your sub that your auto-pilot will head for when active.

8. The Security Access Codes:

ALBANY: There are 10 different missions... The challenge of the earlier missions...
  
ALBUQUERQUE: You can choose to command... A note on playing by modem: You can choose to play by the mission objectives...

ASHEVILLE: Your superiors are going to look over your shoulder... Navy helicopters will be attempting to locate your sub...

ATLANTA: American and Soviet naval forces... the experience the crews gain...

AUGUSTA: Prove that American high-tech equipment... Try and stay in the baffles...

BALTIMORE: The White House is blaming the Libyans... The tankers are under the protection...

BATON ROUGE: Your crew is fatigued from month-long operations... The Navy wants you to make a lasting impression...

BIRMINGHAM: Under new leadership, Yugoslavia attempts to reform... Your job is to get six cargo ships...

BOSTON: A Soviet SSBN has reportedly left... Your main objectives is to destroy the SSBN...

BREMERTON: NATO is sending a large battle group to the Norwegian Sea... If NATO can keep the Soviet Northern fleet...

BUFFALO: As in two previous world wars, American shipping forms convoys... Your 688 is assigned to counter any naval assaults...

CHICAGO: The next step is to destroy inland targets... with your periscope still raised, select TARGET.

CINCINNATI: You can choose play levels only... Modem games are automatically set...

CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI: In both instances, one player will have to be designated... the originator sets up the game and initiates the call...

DALLAS: You have a choice of letting your computer answer... If youre going to let the computer answer...

GROTON: When youve played all the modem games... If you dont, the computer will still maintain contact...

HELENA: If it does, you may be getting phone calls... You can temporarily stop...

HONOLULU: With your computers off, connect the two computers... Turn on the computers, load the game...

HOUSTON: As an attack boat, your primary role... Since in a submarine you cant actually see anything around you...

HYMAN G. RICKOVER: The top-down map gives you aerial perspectives... Your submarine is the fixed point...

INDIANAPOLIS: The darker the shade... Always stay aware of the average depth...

JACKSONVILLE: This is useful when travelling.. The beams high frequency and short range...

KEY WEST: The white triangle in the middle of the line is your subs current course... The vertical gauge...

LA JOLLA: Some may have been identified... The things the sonar operator is trying to determine...

LOS ANGELES: It is important to understand... In determining a ships course, the northern point...

LOUISVILLE: On the information bar at the base... Mission time runs twice as fast...

MEMPHIS: If the messages from the crew are rolling by... It will appear in the message bar...

MIAMI: When you are playing by modem, you can use TRANSMIT.. For this you can be at any depth and you dont need to use your antenna...

MINNEAPOLIS SAINT PAUL: The closer the dots are to each other.. All tracks will be black...

NEW YORK CITY: Selecting waypoints activates the auto-pilot, which will steer your sub... It will adjust the speed down to make turns...

NEWPORT NEWS: The auto-pilot will only function if you have set at least one waypoint... Changing the rudder will automatically turn off the auto-pilot...

NORFOLK: Cavitation results from partial vacuums... Since the bubbles produced by cavitation are very noisy...

OKLAHOMA CITY: Lowering the handle releases air from the ballast tanks, filling the tanks... Raising the handles releases compressed air...

OLYMPIA: The numbers represent fractions or percentages of your total power output... Use FLANK speed to accelerate quickly, but remember that higher speeds have their penalties...

OMAHA: The control is incremented, which means you can control the rate at which you change course... Remember that activating the rudder..

PASADENA: Use the frequency analyzer to display the sound signature... Different objects will peak in different parts of the spectrum...

PHILADELPHIA: Selecting this directs your sonar officer... The problem is, it also alerts just about everything...

PHOENIX: Consequently, the towed array must be reeled out... Situations mat arise in which you absolutely must accelerate...

PITTSBURGH: This gauges how strong your opponents search radar... Enemy radar can detect not only your raised periscope but the wake...

PROVIDENCE: Since the room aboard a submarine... The number and type of missiles are pre-selected for each mission...

SAN FRANSISCO: The torpedo control function... This is useful if our torpedo seems to have lost its target...

SAN JUAN: A launched torpedo has a guidance-wire... A torpedo with a cut guidance-wire will seek a target until it detonates...

SALT LAKE CITY: If youve launched a torpedo and want to control it...

SCRANTON: Your own torpedo may lose its original target and end up locking on you...

TOPEKA: All systems will read OK unless youve sustained damage...

9. KEYBOARD COMMANDS:

Tab    Tab through control groups

Cursor Keys:

Left   Move left between positions within a control group
Right  Move right between positions within a control group
Up     Move left between controls regardless of groups
Down   Move right between controls regardless of groups

Quick Keys:

F2           Radio Room
F3           Status Panel
F4           Ships Control
F5           Periscope
F6           Navigation Board
F7           Weapon Control
F8           Sonar Room
F9           CONN
O or X       Exit
CTRL R       Pseudo-Cyrillic On/Off

Ships Control Panel          Navigation Board

R   Rudder control            G   Target
E   Engine control            W   Set Waypoint
D   Dive Plane Control        K   Clear Waypoint
.   Auto Pilot                .   Auto Pilot
5   Auto Function             Q   Time Compression
1   Display Controls          4   Plotting controls

Weapon Control Panel:         Periscope:

G   Target                    G   Target
R   Torpedo Tubes             U   Periscope Up/Down
A   Auxiliary missiles        N   Antenna Up/Down
M   Missile Tubes - 688       L   Launch
2   Torpedo Control           -   Periscope Left
3   Torpedo Control - Alfa    =   Periscope Right
1   Display Control           1   Display Control

Sonar Room:                   Radio Room:

G   Target                    A   Antenna Up/Down
3   Analyse                   P   Periscope Up/Down
2   Sonar Controls - 688      S   Send Code
3   Sonar Controls - Alfa     T   Transmit
1   Display Control           2   Message Review

Status Panel:

S   Status

Map Keys:  (Note:  * = Not available on Alfa)

C   Contour Imaging Display ON/OFF
B   Bottom contours ON/OFF
P   Look to port in contour mode *
F   Look forward in contour mode *
S   Look to starboard in contour mode *         
T   Top-down map ON/OFF
I   Zoom in on top-down map
O   Zoom out on top-down map
H   HUD ON/OFF
