Play Silent Service Online

Summary

Silent Service drops you into the tense world of World War II submarine warfare in the South Pacific. From the moment you slip beneath the waves, the mantra “find ’em, chase ’em, sink ’em” drives every decision, whether you’re stalking a convoy with a daylight periscope or slipping in on the surface at night guided only by radar bearings.

The game forces you to juggle the three core battle stations – engine room, conning tower and bridge – while plotting attacks on a detailed map of the Southwest Pacific. You can fire up to four torpedoes at once, making each shot count against lone destroyers or heavily escorted convoys, and you can dial the “reality level” to match your skill, with time scaling that keeps the tension high.

Silent Service offers a spectrum of missions: quick torpedo‑gun practice, historically‑based convoy actions, and longer war patrols that let you chart your own route across real‑world charts. Adjustable difficulty and a sophisticated plotting system keep both newcomers and veteran sub captains engaged.

Critics praised the title for its realistic interface and depth, earning it the 1985 Charles S. Roberts Award and multiple “Best Simulation” honors across the US, UK, Germany and France. Its influence still echoes in modern submarine games.

Storyline

0400 hours, Tuesday, August 12, 1942… BATTLE STATIONS! BATTLE STATIONS! Enemy convoy identified on radar! The mission unfolds in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, where you command a United States submarine on a series of war patrols. Your objective is to hunt Japanese merchant and naval vessels, echoing the real‑life “Silent Service” nickname given to the U.S. Navy’s submarine force. Each patrol tests your tactical skill as you stalk convoys, launch torpedoes, and evade counter‑attacks, immersing you in the tense cat‑and‑mouse games of underwater warfare.