TASK FORCE 1942
SURFACE NAVAL ACTION IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
CONTROL SUMMARY CARD
General Controls
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ARROW, MOUSE or JOYSTICK ......... Move Cursor
CTRL/ARROW in desired direction .. Move to Nearest Hot Spot
ENTER, LEFT MOUSE BUTTON, ........ Make Selection
JOYSTICK BUTTON #1
ESC, RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON, ......... Close Menu
JOYSTICK BUTTON #2
SHIFT ARROW ...................... Scroll/Slide Screen
+ (=) key ........................ Increase Time Rate by one
- (_) key ........................ Decrease Time Rate by one
SHIFT + .......................... Increase Time to Max (8x)
SHIFT - .......................... Decrease Time to Norm (1x)
ALT P ............................ Pause (any key returns
ALT Q ............................ Quit to DOS
ALT S ............................ Sound On/Off
ALT J ............................ Joystick Adjustment
F8 ............................... Save Game
F9 ............................... Restore Game
F10 .............................. Options Menu
Changing Stations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
F1 ............................... Go to Bridge
or if no menus open, ESC, RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON,
JOYSTICK BUTTON #2
F2 ............................... Charts
F3 ............................... Gun Director
F4 ............................... Observer View
F5 ............................... Torpedo Director
F6 ............................... Damage Control
F7 ............................... Binoculars
0, SHIFT ARROW ................... Shift to Other Torpedo
Mount
SHIFT ARROW ...................... Shift to Other Bridge
Station
3 ................................ Shift Gun Director:
Wide/Close Up View
Ship Controls
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
< ................................ Turn Port, Gradually
SHIFT < .......................... Turn Port, one point
(22 degrees)
> ................................ Turn Starboard, Gradually
SHIFT > .......................... Turn Starboard, one point
(22 degrees)
1 ................................ Increase Speed Gradually
SHIFT 1 .......................... Increase Speed to 1/2 Max
(Press again to increase to max)
2 ................................ Decrease Speed Gradually
SHIFT 2 .......................... Decrease Speed to 1/2 Max
(Press again to decrease to full stop)
Targeting and Viewing Controls
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Z ................................ Magnify (Zoom)
X ................................ Decrease Magnification
LEFT ARROW ....................... Traverse View Left
RIGHT ARROW ...................... Traverse View Right
CTRL LEFT or RIGHT ARROW ......... Traverse View, Fine Tune
SHIFT ARROW ...................... Traverse View to next
Cardinal Direction
(North, South, East, West)
UP ARROW ......................... Adjust Range Longer
DOWN ARROW ....................... Adjust Range Shorter
CTRL UP/DOWN ..................... Adjust Range, Fine Tune
SPACE BAR ........................ Director Targeting On/Off
ENTER, LEFT MOUSE BUTTON, ........ Fire Weapon
JOYSTICK BUTTON #1
8 (*) ............................ Starshells Load/Unload
9 ................................ Searchlight On/Off
0, SHIFT ARROW ................... Shift to Other Torpedo
Mount
3 ................................ Shift Gun Director:
Wide/Close Up View
ALT K ............................ Charts Scale Panel On/Off
SURFACE NAVAL ACTION IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
QUICK START
The Materials
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This Manual provides a tutorial, detailed instructions on
how to play the game, and historical background that sets
the context for the simulation. It applies to all computer
systems.
The ID Book is designed in the format of a World War II
U.S. Navy identification manual. The U.S.N. side describes
the warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy; the I.J.N. side
describes the U.S.N. Each contains accounts of the eight
historical engagements included in the game, as seen from
their side.
The Technical Supplement gives specific instructions for
your computer system.
The Controls Summary Card lists all keyboard, mouse, and
joystick commands, as appropriate for your computer system.
The Map of the Solomon Islands is based on a genuine U.S.
Government map of the archipelago. The data in the game
follows the islands' real coastlines, so this map can be a
valuable navigation aid.
Installation
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Technical Supplement has complete information about
installing Task Force 1942 as appropriate for your computer
system.
Learning Task Force 1942
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are three basic approaches to learning how to play
this game. Pick the method that suits you best:
1. Play and Skim: You can dive in and try the game,
pausing when necessary and referring to the Controls Summary
Card or this manual. Leave all the Reality Options on their
easy ("unrealistic") settings and select one of the simpler
historical engagements, such as the American side of the
Battle of Kula Gulf or the Japanese side of the Battle of
Tassafaronga. Start out just controlling the lead ship, then
work your way up to giving orders to the whole task group.
2. Follow the Tutorial: This will walk you through the
basics of ship and task group command in a logical, step by
step fashion.
3. Study: Real naval officers have to learn to do
everything "by the book" before they ever see any action.
Read through this manual and the ID Book, paying special
attention to Commanding a Ship, Commanding a Task Force, and
Game Options. Then select an interesting Historical
Engagement (or even the full Guadalcanal Campaign) and go to
it!
SURFACE NAVAL ACTION IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
TUTORIAL
The purpose of this tutorial is to acquaint you with the
basics of commanding a ship and a task group. We have
selected a relatively easy scenario, but don't be
disappointed if you don't win immediate triumphs. Just take
it easy, follow the instructions and watch what happens.
Remember to stop the game whenever you feel like to study the
tutorial and think about what to do next.
Initial Options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After passing through the title sequence and credits you
will be presented with a series of menus that enable you to
select your game and set up its conditions of play. For this
tutorial, make the following selections:
Select Game Type: Choose Historical Engagement.
Select Engagement: Choose Kula Gulf.
Select Navy: Choose United States Navy.
Reality Options: Select OK without changing any of the
options (their defaults are the "easy" settings).
Name Entry: Type in whatever name you choose and press
"Enter."
Ship Identification: Here you are shown the silhouette of
a Japanese warship and must select the matching name from a
list. Flip through your ID Book until you find the
silhouette that matches the one shown, then choose its ship
class name from the list. (Note: The crack bypasses this user
requirement to guess correctly.)
Briefing Screen: Admiral Halsey briefs you on the
situation and shows you a map of the area. From here you go
right into the game.
Bridge
~~~~~~
The first screen that appears is the center bridge station
of the USS Honolulu, the light cruiser that is the flagship
of U.S. Navy Task Group 36.1. It's night time in The Slot;
you can dimly see on of your van destroyers out the front
window of the bridge.
* Move your cursor around. Notice that when it passes over
certain "hot spots" on the screen their names appear: Engine
Telegraph, Ship's Wheel, Damage Control, Charts. If you
click on a hot spot, you activate its information or
controls.
* Move your cursor to the right edge of the screen. The
scene shifts to the starboard bridge. Find the hot spots
here, as well: Binoculars, Gun Director, Damage Control.
* Move your cursor to the left edge of the screen. Now
you're back on the center bridge.
* Move your cursor to the left edge of the screen. The
scene shifts to the port bridge: Observer View, Charts. If
the Honolulu had torpedoes, the ladder down on the left would
be a hot spot for the Torpedo Director.
* Click on the Charts hot spot. This sends you to the
charts battle station.
Charts
~~~~~~
You'll see a map with a couple of green islands at the
bottom and two lines of black dots in the blue ocean. At the
lower left is a panel displaying a clock, the time rate, zoom
scale, and chart scale.
* Click on the top of the panel and drag it to the top of
the screen. This gets it out of the way of the action. Use
the same method to relocate menus if they happen to block a
part of the charts you want to see.
* Move your cursor over the southern group of dots. An
info box appears that tells you that they are "unidentified
ships." These are the enemy.
* Move your cursor over the northern group of dots. This
is TG36.1: your task group. The info box tells you the
group's heading (293 degrees), speed (25 knots), and ship
make up: 4 DDs (destroyers) and 3 CLs (light cruisers).
* Click on your task group. A task group command menu
appears.
* Select "Set Speed." The command menu is replaced by a
speed submenu with a slider bar. The submenu shows your
group's current speed: 25 knots. Drag the slider bar to the
right as far as it will go (34 knots), then click on the box
at the upper left corner of the title line. The command menu
will reappear. You have just ordered your task group to
speed up to 34 knots, the maximum speed of your slowest ship.
* Select "Set Heading: Column Turn." The command menu
disappears and a compass appears on the charts, centered on
your group's lead ship. Move the cursor around and you will
see the compass needle rotate to follow the cursor. Rotate
the needle until the digits in the compass say that it is
pointing to course 215, then click. The command menu will
reappear. You have just ordered your task group to make a
column turn to course 215 degrees. They will gradually turn
south, the lead ship first, followed by the others in order.
* Press the "Increase Time Rate" key until the Rate digit
in the panel read "8." It will take a few minutes for your
ships to close to combat range with the enemy. By increasing
the time rate to its maximum of 8 times normal, your ships
will quickly close the gap.
While you're waiting, take a few moments to slide the
charts around a bit. Move your cursor to an edge, then back
again; the chart will slide one notch in the direction
indicated. Try another edge. But keep an eye on your task
group. When white splashes start to appear near the black
dots of your ships, the enemy is firing on you and it's time
to take your next action.
* Press the "Decrease Time Rate" key until the Rate digit
in the panel read "1." You don't want to let time run out of
control when you have orders to give.
* Click on your task group and select "Take Command."
* Select "Fire at Will." You have just ordered your ships
to shoot back as soon as they get good target solutions on
the enemy. (1942 targeting computers need time to analyze
distance, speed, and heading data.)
* Select "Set Heading: Column Turn" to course 180. This
will enable you to continue to close the range to the enemy,
but at an angle, so that the guns on all your ships will be
able to bear on their targets.
* Press the "Zoom" key. A "zoom" window appears on the
chart. Center it between your ships and the enemy's and
click. The chart zooms to level 3 (as indicated on the
panel) and you can see the situation in closer detail.
* Click on your task group's lead ship. The entire task
group highlights and the task group command menu appears.
Click again on the same ship and only the lead destroyer
division highlights, and the task group command menu is
replaced by the "DesDiv" (destroyer division) command menu.
Click one last time and only the lead ship, the Uss Nicholas,
is highlighted; the DesDiv command menu is replaced by the
USS Nicholas command menu.
* Select "Fire Starshells." The command menu disappears;
you must now use your cursor to select where you want the
starshells to go. Click on the closest enemy ship, the
leader of the group of three. (Notice that it is identified
as an "Akizuki Class Destroyer" rather than an unidentified
ship; you are close enough that your lookouts can recognize
its silhouette.)
You have just ordered your lead destroyer to fire aerial
flares ("starshells") over the lead enemy ship. This will
illuminate the enemy and make your ships' targeting easier.
Now it's time for a firsthand look at the action.
* Press the "Bridge" key. This keyboard shortcut enables
you to go directly to the center bridge. Notice that the
destroyers out in front of you are illuminated; the enemy is
using starshells, too!
* Move the cursor to the right, to the starboard bridge,
then click on the Binoculars.
Binoculars
~~~~~~~~~~
When you arrive at this station the binoculars are
automatically pointed at the nearest target. You'll probably
see starshells floating down, guns winking on the enemy
ships, and shells arcing up into the air.
* Press the "Zoom" key to maximum zoom. Now you can see
the enemy ships much more clearly.
* Rotate View left and right. Scan around and try to get
an idea of the situation. You may find it difficult to tell
which way you're looking. There are two indicators below the
viewport that can help. On the right is a sort of compass
called the "view gauge." The ship image on the view gauge
shows which way your ship is heading; the needle pointed from
the center of the ship shows which way you are looking (the
"bearing"). On the left a digital display shows the exact
bearing you are looking along.
(Note: if the "frame rate" in the view port - the
frequency at which the graphics are updated - is slow and
chunky, you might want to press the Land Detail Adjust key to
simplify the background landforms. This should speed up the
frame rate.)
Let's try laying our guns on one of those targets out
there. Note the bearing of the closest illuminated target.
* Press the "Return to Bridge/Back Out One Level" key.
This takes you directly back to the starboard bridge.
* Click on the ladder that leads to the Gun Director.
Gun Director
~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you arrive in the gun director it is usually pointed
at the nearest target. At nights it's all too easy to
become confused and fire at a friendly ship, so let's check
first to make sure.
* Press the "ID Book" key. This brings up the ID Book,
which identifies the target you are currently pointed at
(unless it is too distant for your lookouts to see it
clearly). You should be pointed at a Japanese destroyer.
Let's get a closer look so we can target our guns on it.
* Click on the view port to go to close up view.
* Click on the targeting levers at the bottom of the
screen. Your cursor disappears: you are now in targeting
mode.
* Press the "Zoom" key to maximum zoom.
There are two sliding pointers on the view port, one at
the bottom of the port (the "traverse pointer") and one at
the right side of the port (the "ranger pointer"). You want
to get them both roughly centered on your target.
* Rotate left or right until the traverse pointer is
centered. The traverse pointer follows the ship you are
targeting. When the pointer is centered, the ship is in the
middle of the view port.
* Adjust the range pointer up or down until it is
centered. If range starts out considerably off, it may take
several seconds for the range pointer to move to the center
of its area.
Now that you have the target roughly centered, it's time
to turn on your targeting computer so it can use this data to
lock on the target and develop a "firing solution."
* Press the "Director Targeting Mode On" key. The
solution gauge under the view port will light up, indicating
the targeting computer is on the job. As long as you keep
the target roughly centered, the needle that indicates the
accuracy of the firing solution should increase toward "100"
at the right side of the gauge.
* Center the target and press the "Fire Weapons" key.
Every gun that bears on (can aim at) the target will fire
simultaneously. As they fire, the green battery readiness
lights at the lower right of the gun directory will turn
yellow, indicating that the guns are now unable to fire. It
takes several seconds to reload them; when the lights turn
green again, you can fire when ready.
It takes several seconds for your shells to travel to your
target which is probably about 5 miles (10,000) yards away.
When they arrive, you will see them come down as brilliant
orange tracers. Your first few salvos are almost certain to
miss - see the splashes near the target? - but keep at it.
The longer you keep the target centered, and the more you
fire, the better the targeting solution. Soon your shells
will be falling right around the target, and some of them
will be scoring hits.
Trade salvos with the enemy for a while until you get the
hang of it. You can see they're shooting back, and you may
notice the occasional nearby splash from one of their near
misses, or worse, feel the impact of an enemy shell on your
own ship. They have developed a good solution on your ship,
too - which means it's time to change course to throw their
targeting off.
* Press the Charts key.
Charts Again
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The enemy is much nearer now - and look at all those
splashes from the gunfire! Let's zoom up for a closer look.
* Press the "Zoom" key. Center the zoom window and
click. Now the ships appear as actual ship shapes, wakes and
all. Your task group has been on the same course and speed
for several minutes, which makes it vulnerable to torpedo
attack. Time to turn!
* Select "Set Heading: Column Turn" to course 275. This
will hopefully enable your ships to dodge any torpedoes that
are currently heading towards them, while putting them on a
course that will keep them in range of the enemy with all
guns bearing.
Now try a torpedo attack of your own.
* Click on the lead ship in your column until you get the
USS Nicholas command menu.
* Select "Set Heading." Turn the destroyer toward the
nearest enemy.
* Select "Set Speed." Increase speed to maximum.
* Select "Fire Starshells." Select the nearest enemy to
make sure its illuminated.
When your ship gets within about 2500 yards of your enemy
(use the scale on the panel to give you an idea), you'll want
to turn slightly to bring your torpedoes to bear - and to
avoid enemy torpedoes.
* Select "Set Heading." Turn at an angle to your target.
* Press the "Torpedo Director" key.
Torpedo Director
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The torpedo director will already be pointing at your
nearest target. Notice that there's no magnification at this
station: if you can't see your target, you're not really
close enough for torpedo combat.
* Center the target in the rectangular traverse pointer.
* Press the "Director Targeting Mode On" key. If the
target is close enough, you'll get the "Target Acquired"
message.
Now it's your job to keep the target centered on the
traverse pointer until the targeting solution reaches an
acceptable level, i.e. when the needle on the solution gauge
is in the red zone. When it reaches that point, launch a
"spread" on your target.
* Press the "Fire Weapons" key, traverse slightly, and
press again. Fire four or five torpedoes at slightly
different angles to get the best "spread" on your target.
You can either watch your target from here, go to the
binoculars for a close up view to see if it gets hit, or go
to the charts and watch your torpedoes' progress there.
That's the end of the formal tutorial. Take over from
here, try out some more options, and just play till you get
the hang of it. Rely on the Pause key, and remember that
this manual has an index at the back that can help you find
quick answers to your questions. Good luck, captain!
SURFACE NAVAL ACTION IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
COMMANDING A SHIP
Every ship has its own (computer) captain who gives orders
based on standard naval procedures even if you do nothing.
You can be along strictly for the ride, if you choose - or
you can personally command one of the ship's battle stations,
or all of them, one after another. You outrank everybody, so
wherever you choose to give your orders, your commands
override those of the ship's officers.
THE BRIDGE
~~~~~~~~~~
The bridge is your ship's command center: from here you
control its course and speed, from here you step into battle
stations to get information or take personal control of your
ship's weapons.
The bridge is actually three views: the center bridge,
where you con the ship, check the charts, or view damage
control reports; the starboard bridge, which contains the
binoculars and the ladder to the gun director; and the port
bridge, which leads to the torpedo director and the observer
view.
When you move the cursor over an active object (one which
you can click on to activate), its name will appear on
screen. Clicking there will activate a control or send you
to a battle station.
Changing Course
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To change course, click on the ship's wheel. Position the
cursor on the left side of the wheel and hold the button down
to turn to port; position the cursor on the right side while
holding down the button to turn to starboard.
You can also order a turn using keyboard commands that
function no matter where your cursor is on the bridge. (See
your Controls Summary Card - TF1942SC.DOC.) Pressing the
appropriate key will turn the ship gradually to port or
starboard. Pressing a turn key while SHIFT is held down will
automatically start your ship on a turn one point (that is,
22.5 degrees) to port or starboard. Pressing repeatedly will
turn it two or more points.
Changing Speed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To change speed, click on the engine telegraph. When the
graphic appears, use the slider to decrease or increase
speed.
You can also use the keyboard to change speed regardless
of cursor location. Pressing the increase speed key will
cause your ship's speed to increase gradually. Pressing it
while SHIFT is held down will cause speed to increase to one
half maximum (if below this level), or to maximum (if one
half or above).
Pressing the decrease speed key similarly causes a gradual
decrease in your ship's speed. Pressing it with SHIFT causes
speed to decrease to one half maximum (if above that level)
or to full stop (if at one half maximum or less).
Going To Charts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To go to the charts battle station, click on the chart
table (at the left side of the center bridge, or at the right
side of the port bridge).
Going To Damage Control
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To call up the damage control report, click on the damage
display lights (at the right side of the center bridge, or at
the left side of the starboard bridge).
Going To Binoculars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To view the battle situation more clearly, click on the
binoculars in the middle of the starboard bridge.
Going To The Gun Director
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The ladder up at the right of the starboard bridge leads
to the gun director, click on it to go there.
Going To The Torpedo Director
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If your ship has a torpedo mount, click on the down ladder
at the left of the port bridge to go to the torpedo director.
Going To The Observer View
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To view the situation as if you were in a reconnaissance
plane outside your ship, click on the sky area out the
windows of the port bridge.
Keyboard Commands
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are also keyboard command shortcuts for moving around
the bridge and going to the other battle stations. See your
Controls Summary Card.
THE CHARTS
~~~~~~~~~~
The charts display the current battle situation in a top
down map view, using information compiled from visual
observation, radio reports, and radar (if available). The
icons displayed on the charts fall into the following
categories:
Ships: These are clear depictions of ships for which the
type, location, speed, and heading are known or clearly
observed. Friendly vessels and nearby enemies typically
appears as ships.
Shapes: These represent vessels for which only partial
information is available. A shape shows the approximate
size, direction, and location of the target.
Blips: These represent targets which are unidentified,
unknown, or intermittently seen. Only approximate location
is shown.
Splashes: These white dots, which grow and fade, depict
columns of water where shells are falling into the sea.
Information Boxes and Command Menus: These provide
information and command options for your ships. See the
COMMANDING A TASK FORCE section of this manual for details on
their meaning and use.
In addition to the command menus, there are several
controls that enable you to reconfigure the charts.
Change Scale (Zoom/Unzoom)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are five levels of scale (or "zoom") on the charts.
Level 1 shows the widest possible area with the least detail,
while level 5 shows the smallest area in the greatest detail.
When you first consult the charts, you are at level 2. At
this level, all ships (even "shapes" and "blips") are
represented as dots.
Press the zoom key and the scale window appears. Move it
to the area you want magnified and click to zoom to level 3.
This gives a closer view of the situation. Note that all
ships still appear as dots.
Zoom again to change to level 4. On levels 4 and 5 ships
appear as ships, shapes, or blips, with visible wakes (if
speed and direction are known). For greater detail, press
zoom one more time for level 5.
To scale back out to higher levels, press the unzoom key.
Slide The Charts (Scroll Around)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To slide the charts (in essence, scrolling the maps and
moving your viewpoint around the charts of the Solomons),
move the cursor to the edge of the map in the direction you
want to slide. There are also keyboard commands for sliding
the charts: see your Controls Summary Card.
Time Rate
~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes you may wish to increase the rate at which time
passes i.e., for example if you wanted your ships to close range
with the enemy by several thousand yards before opening fire.
The game proceeds at a normal rate of time unless you choose
to increase the time rate by pressing the increase time rate
key. Each time you press the key you increase time rate by a
factor of 1, i.e., 2 times, 3 times, 4 times, etc., up to a
maximum of 8 times normal time rate. Pressing SHIFT with the
increase time rate key jumps it to maximum time rate.
Conversely, pressing the decrease time rate key slows time
rate back toward normal by a factor of one per key press;
pressing SHIFT with decrease time rate jumps it to normal
time.
Time rate temporarily reverts to normal whenever you open
a command menu.
DAMAGE CONTROL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The damage control screen performs two functions. First,
it list the statistics of the ship; speed, armament, etc.
Second, it displays the current condition of the ship,
reporting current maximum speed possible, hull integrity
(ranging from unscathed to critical and sinking), and status
of major ship's systems. Each system (e.g., turret #1,
turret #2, engines, fuel bunkers, fire control) is
accompanied by a colored light, which glows green for active,
yellow for damaged, and red for destroyed. Damage control
also reports if the ship is on fire, flooding, or has a
jammed rudder.
Damage Effects
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The usual effects of damage to the various ship's systems
are as follows:
Turret or Mount: Weapons out of action.
Engines: Loss of speed.
Fuel Bunkers: Fire.
Damage Control: Repair rate decreased.
Generators: Radar off, fire control impaired, steering may
be impaired.
Rudder: Turn rate decreased, or rudder stuck at one
setting.
Magazine: Fires and explosions.
AA Battery: Antiaircraft defenses damaged or destroyed.
Fire Control: Directors cannot lock onto targets.
Secondaries: Secondary weapons out of action.
Torpedoes: Torpedo mount destroyed.
Aircraft: Aircraft destroyed, possible fire.
Repairs
~~~~~~~
Every ship has damage control parties that are responsible
for controlling and repairing damage. Areas critically hit
are controlled or repaired in approximately the following
order: flooding; fires; generators; fire control; main guns;
rudder; engines and boilers; secondary and antiaircraft guns.
Control and repair rates are variable depending on the
amount of damage the system has taken, and the size and
health of the damage control parties. A ship that takes a
hit in the damage control station will find it difficult to
repair damage.
THE BINOCULARS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you want to view the situation personally, the
binoculars are your best bet for either a quick scan or a
detailed look. They can traverse more rapidly than the gun
or torpedo directors, and their maximum magnification
("zoom") is better than either the gun director or the
observer view.
Magnification (Zoom/Unzoom)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pressing the zoom key increases magnification. Each press
doubles the magnification, to 2 times, 4 times, 8 times, and
16 times normal (maximum), or press the SHIFT key with zoom
to automatically increase the binoculars to 16 times
magnification.
Press the unzoom key to decrease magnification, backing
out one level per press, or press SHIFT and unzoom (to
instantly return to minimum magnification.)
Traverse View
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To scan left or right, use the mouse, joystick, or
left/right key to rotate your view in the desired direction.
The longer you hold the input device right or left, the
faster the view rotates. Let up and rotation will stop;
press again and it will restart at the slow rate.
A keyboard shortcut (see the Control Summary Card) enables
you to jump instantly to the next cardinal direction (north,
south, east, or west) in the direction you indicate. Thus,
if you are viewing along bearing 60 degrees, and you jump
view to the right, you will be looking along bearing 90
degrees (due east).
Bearing And Range
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are rolling digital displays. Bearing indicates
along what compass angle you are looking. For this purpose,
the compass is divided into 360 degrees. 0 degrees is due
north, 90 degrees is east, 180 degrees is south, and 270
degrees is west.
When a ship approaches the center of the binoculars view a
range to the ship in yards is display below.
The View Gauge
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a compass that tells you both which way your ship
is going (heading) and which way you are looking (bearing).
The rotating dial has a ship shape painted on it; the
direction it is pointing is the compass direction of the
ship's current heading. The rotating needle indicates which
compass direction (bearing) the binoculars are looking. This
helps to clarify the relationship between your view direction
and your ship's movement direction.
Ship Controls
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The keyboard controls that enable you to steer the ship
and change its speed ar all active at this battle station.
THE GUN DIRECTOR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The gun director is a rotating turret-like station located
in the superstructure of your ship. Except in extraordinary
situations, the gun turrets follow the targeting directions
and fire commands of the gunnery officer commanding the gun
director.
The gun director view integrates information from optical
range finders and fire control radar (if available) to
determine a targets's range, heading, and speed. A
mechanical ballistics computer then calculates a "solution"
for the target; where to aim the ship's guns so that the
falling shells will intersect with the enemy vessel. When
the gunnery officer believes that the solution for a target
is good enough, he presses the fire button and all the ship's
guns (that are loaded and bear on the target) fire at once.
Wide View And Close-up View
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you first arrive in the gun director, it is in the
wide view mode. In this mode you are back from the view port
and can consult the ID book (see below). Move your cursor to
the view port and click on it to switch to close-up mode.
This expands the view port for improved targeting.
The ID Book
~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have a reasonably good view of your locked-on
target, the ID book will turn to the page that describes its
ship class. To open the ID book, click on the book at the
bottom of the screen (wide view only), or press the ID book
key. Click or press again to close the book.
If your target is too distant or too obscured (by night or
smoke) to see clearly, the ID book is no help in identifying
the target type, and closes automatically.
Magnification (Zoom/Unzoom)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click on the magnification knob or press the zoom key to
increase the magnification in the view port. Each press
doubles magnification, to 2 times, 4 times, 8 times normal
(maximum). Pressing the SHIFT key with zoom automatically
increases the view to 8 times magnification.
Press the unzoom key to decrease magnification, one level
per press. To instantly return to minimum magnification,
press SHIFT and unzoom.
Targeting Mode
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You cannot lock onto a target unless you are in "targeting
mode." To activate targeting mode, go to the close-up view
and click on the targeting levers at the bottom of the
screen (or press the Director Targeting Mode On key). The
cursor disappears, and the input devices that usually move
your cursor now enable you to traverse the view and adjust
range.
Traverse View
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To scan left or right in targeting mode, use the mouse,
joystick, or left/right key to rotate your view in the
desired direction. In most cases, the longer you hold the
input device right or left, the faster the view rotates.
(See your Technical Supplement for details.) Let up and
rotation will stop; press again and it will restart at the
slow rate.
"Locking On" And The Solution Gauge
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Traverse the view until a vessel nears the center of the
view port. The traverse pointer at the bottom of the view
port will "pick up" the vessel and follow it. You can
attempt to lock onto any ship the traverse pointer is
following by pressing the Director Targeting Mode On key.
Below the view port is the solution gauge. When you lock
onto a target, your ship's observation stations begin sending
range, speed, and heading data to the targeting computer.
The solution gauge lights up and the needle starts indicating
the quality of the targeting computer's solution. The closer
the needle moves to 100 (the right side of the gauge), the
better the solution and the more accurate your gunfire will
be.
The better your spotters can see a target, the better the
solution (close range and illumination by starshell or fire
are among the things that improve visibility). Also, the
longer you remained locked onto a target, the better the
solution. The solution also improves once you fire a few
shots and the spotters can see where they fall.
The solution degrades if the target changes speed or
heading, or somehow becomes harder to see (starshells go out,
the target starts making smoke, etc.). You will also get
poor solutions if you constantly switch from target to
target.
Sometimes when you attempt to lock onto a distant or
obscured target, the solution gauge will fail to come on.
This indicates that there is simply not enough data to lock
onto that target. (But you can still fire - see below).
Firing The Batteries
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To fire, press the mouse button, appropriate joystick
button, or the fire weapons key. All loaded guns that bear
on the target will fire.
The battery readiness lights indicate which gun mounts or
turrets are available to fire at the designated target. If a
light is off, the indicated turret is either reloading,
unable to bear (aim at) the target due to its position on the
ship, or is damaged or destroyed.
When you fire, all readiness lights will turn off while
the guns reload. (See the "Ordnance" sections of the ID Book
for information on the firing cycles of the various weapons.
The smaller the gun, the faster it reloads.)
Manual Target Adjustment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If your targeting computer cannot lock onto a certain
target, or if your ship's fire control is knocked out (range
finders and radar damaged or destroyed), you will find it
necessary to adjust your targeting manually. In this case,
the positions of your traverse pointer and ranger pointer
determine where your salvos will fall.
Even if the computer can't lock onto a target, the
traverse pointer will still pick up the nearest vessel to the
center of the view port. Traverse the view until your target
is at or near the center.
Next, adjust the range pointer by moving it forward or
back with your mouse, joystick, or arrow keys. Forward
(farther away) is up toward the top of the reticle; back
(closer) is down toward the bottom.
If your target is stationary, you will want to have the
traverse pointer and the range pointer both in the center of
their respective movement ranges. Fire a salvo and see where
it lands; if it misses, adjust your aim accordingly (e.g., if
the shells landed short, push the range pointer a little
farther out and fire again).
If your target is moving, you will want to "lead" it. For
example, if it's moving toward the right of your view port,
fire ahead of it to the right; if ti's moving away from you,
fire ahead and beyond it. You must apply more lead to fast,
distant targets than to slow, near ones.
You can manually adjust your targeting even when your
computer is locked onto a target. This is an especially
useful tactic if your solution value is low but you can tell
by how the shells are falling which way to adjust your aim.
Starshells
~~~~~~~~~~
Starshells are flares attached to parachutes fired so that
they open above a target and gradually drift down,
illuminating the vessel and making it easier to identify and
aim at. On a dark night, it's almost impossible to have
effective gunnery without them. If your ship has 4.7" or 5"
guns, you can elect to fire starshells at your target.
To switch from AP (armor-piercing) ammunition to
starshells, press the starshells key. The ammo switch will
be set to starshells, and after a short delay all 5" shells
fired will be starshells. For proper placement over a target
starshells require a high trajectory, and thus will take
longer to arrive than regular AP ammunition.
To switch back to AP ammo, press the starshells key again.
Range, Bearing, Speed, View Gauge
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bearing indicates along what compass angle you are
looking.
Range indicates the distance in yards to the current
target.
Speed is the estimated speed, in knots, of the target
vessel.
The view gauge is a compass that tells you both which way
your ship is going (heading) and which way you are looking
(bearing).
Ship Controls
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The keyboard controls that enable you to steer the ship
and change its speed are all active at this battle station.
THE TORPEDO DIRECTOR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Torpedo direction and targeting was handled differently by
the American and Japanese navies, and even varied quite a bit
within the navies from ship type to ship type. In Task Force
1942, torpedo targeting is handled right on the torpedo
mounts. The more modern ships used torpedo directors
mounted in the superstructure, but targeting from the mount
is more interesting visually.
There is no cursor on the torpedo director screen; moving
a mouse or joystick serves only to traverse the view. All
commands are keyboard controlled (except for those that are
also activated by mouse or joystick buttons). See your
Controls Summary Card.
Traverse View
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To scan left or right, use the mouse, joystick, or
left/right key to rotate your view in the desired direction.
The longer you hold the input device right or left, the
faster the view rotates. Let up and rotation will stop;
press again and it will restart at the slow rate.
Your torpedo mount is located right or left of the
centerline of the ship; thus, it can only rotate in the 180
degrees between the bow of the ship and the aft. (For
example, if you are on the port torpedo mount, it can only
point out to the port side). Press the Shift to Other
Torpedo Mount key to switch to the other side.
A keyboard shortcut (see the Controls Summary Card)
enables you to jump instantly to the next cardinal direction
(north, east, south, or west) the way you indicate. Thus, if
you are viewing along bearing 60 degrees, and you jump view
to the right, you will be looking along bearing 90 degrees
(due east). This can also be used to shift torpedo mounts.
Target Selection
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you arrive at the torpedo directory you will find it
is already pointing at your ship's most likely torpedo
target. There is no image magnification on the torpedo
director, so if you want to select a different target, or be
sure which target you are aiming at, you may want to take a
side trip to the binoculars battle station where you can scan
in detail. At the binoculars, note the bearing of the ship
you want to target, then return to the torpedo directory and
traverse the view until it centers on the same bearing.
There's your target.
Targeting
~~~~~~~~~
When you first arrive at the torpedo director it is in
manual mode: if you fire a torpedo it will launch straight
out along the bearing indicated. Unless you are very close
indeed, this is a poor way to try to hit your target. It is
much better to have the targeting computer find a solution
and set your torpedoes to the appropriate speed and course
before launching. To do this, you must put the director into
targeting mode.
To activate targeting mode, turn until a target ship is
centered on the traverse pointer and press the Director
Targeting Mode On key. The solution gauge lights up to
indicate that targeting mode is now active.
The needle on the solution gauge indicates how good a
solution the targeting computer has to the problem of how to
set a torpedo to hit your target. The closer the needle
approaches to 100% (at the right of the gauge), the better
the chance that a torpedo launched at that point will hit the
intended target - assuming the target doesn't change course
or speed.
The longer you keep the traverse pointer centered on the
target, the better the solution will be. The computer uses
range, bearing, and estimated speed information from two
points on your ship to solve the targeting problem, and the
more data you give it over a long period, the better. (also,
the closer you are to your target, the better, as closer
readings are more accurate.)
However, don't wait too long, because if your target
changes course or speed the solution will degrade. The trick
is to try to estimate when the solution is at its best
possible value, and fire then.
Note that you cannot launch torpedoes at targets that are
within 15 degrees of your bow or stern. (If the needle is
pointing into the red area on the view gauge, you cannot
fire.) You may have to use the ship controls to turn the
ship to port or starboard slightly to get a shot at your
target.
Target Range, Bearing, And Speed; View Gauge
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The range to the target, its bearing and estimated speed
are shown by the rolling digital displays.
The view gauge is a compass that tells you both which way
your ship is going (heading) and which way you are looking
(bearing). Note the red "no fire" zones on the torpedo
director view gauge.
Torpedo Speed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Torpedoes can be set to slow, medium, or fast speed; the
slower the speed, the longer the torpedo's range, but the
greater the chance the target will change course and speed
before the torpedo gets there. The torpedo speed indicator
shows what speed setting the computer has selected to set for
your torpedoes, given the current target. If you are in
manual mode, the speed is always set to "fast."
Firing Torpedoes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To fire a torpedo, press the Fire Weapon key.
A spread of torpedoes markedly increases your chance of
hitting. To fire a spread, press Fire Weapon, traverse
slightly, fire again, traverse slightly, and fire again,
continuing until you have fired enough or the mount is empty.
Torpedo Readiness
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The torpedo readiness lights indicate how many torpedoes
are currently available for launching from the torpedo mounts
on the side of the ship your mount is on. The Japanese
torpedo director only has a digital display indicating the
number of torpedo reloads available. If a Japanese ship with
torpedo reloads expends all the torpedoes in its mount, it
will take 15 minutes or more for the reloads to be put in
place. The readiness lights will then come back on.
Ship Controls
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The keyboard controls that enable you to steer the ship
and change its speed are all active at this battle station.
THE OBSERVER VIEW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The observer view enables you to survey the situation as
if you were in a reconnaissance plane circling your ship.
Magnification (Zoom/Unzoom)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Press the zoom key to increase the magnification. Each
press doubles magnification, to 2 times, 4 times, and 8 times
normal (maximum). Pressing the SHIFT key with zoom
automatically increases the binoculars to 8 times
magnification.
Press the unzoom key to decrease magnification, backing
out one level per press. To instantly return to minimum
magnification, press the SHIFT and unzoom.
Traverse View
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Use the mouse, joystick, or arrow keys to traverse the
view.
Moving left or right rotates the view around the ship;
your ship always remains in the foreground (unless it is
magnified out of view).
Pushing forward ("up") moves the viewpoint toward the
center of the ship. The viewpoint can move no farther than
directly "above" the ship. Pulling back ("down") moves the
viewpoint away from the ship. You can pull back a maximum of
800 yards from the center of the ship.
Time Rate
~~~~~~~~~
If time rate was increased, it always returns to normal
when you enter the observer view.
SURFACE NAVAL ACTION IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
COMMANDING A TASK FORCE
Every task group, division, and ship has its own
(computer) commander who is constantly giving reasonable
(but uninspired) orders to his command. If you give no
commands to your ships whatsoever, they will fight the
battle for you, following standard procedures. However, you
are certain to want to make your own choices, so Task Force
1942 lets you take over whatever decisions you think are
most crucial or most interesting. At will, you can take
command at any level and override your commanders' orders
through the command menus, as explained below.
The Tactical Chart
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When commanding a task force or task group, you are
attempting to coordinate the battle activities of a number
of ships, typically eight or more. To do this, you must
have a grasp of the entire tactical situation, which means
that you will spend a great deal of time plotting the action
on the charts. While you can see better from various battle
stations, the charts show you the relative positions of the
ships with the greatest clarity, so it is from the charts
that you will give your general orders to your task group.
Text Windows
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two types of text windows appear on the tactical charts:
information boxes and command menus.
Text Window Hierarchy: When you point the cursor at one
of the ships in a friendly task group, the entire task group
highlights and a TG (task group) information box appears.
If you click on a ship in the highlighted task group, the
task group command menu appears in addition to the info box.
If you click again on a ship in the task group, its
division highlight in one color, and the individual ship
highlights in a different color. In additions, the TG info
box and TG command menu are replaced by a ship info box and a
division command menu.
If you click on a highlighted ship in a highlighted
division, the division command menu is replaced by a ship
command menu. Move the cursor to other ships in the division
and the highlight ship and command menu will change.
Independent Action: Ships on independent action are
outside the text window hierarchy. Point the cursor at a
lone ship and you will get its info box; click on it and its
ship command menu appears.
Information Boxes: A task group (TG) info box displays the
following information:
TF or TG number.
Commanding Officer's name.
Location (latitude and longitude).
Heading.
Speed.
Composition (number of DDs, CLs, CAs, etc.).
A ship information box displays this information:
Ship name.
Commanding Officer's name.
Ship Class.
Heading.
Speed.
Damage (None, Light, Moderate, Heavy, Sinking).
Info boxes for enemy task groups or ships will probably
include only partial information. Certainly TG number, ship
name and commanding officer's name will remain unknown.
Command Menus: You can take command and override your
commander's orders at any time through the command menus. As
soon as you open a command menu, the appropriate commander
stops giving orders while he waits for your commands. (In
other words, your commander is inactive while the command
menu is open, so give your orders rapidly!)
If a command menu appears in an inconvenient spot, it can
be relocated elsewhere on the chart. Click on the title bar
at the top of the menu and, holding the button down, drag the
menu to a more favorable location.
To close a command menu, click on the box at the left side
of the title bar. To select an option on the menu, move the
cursor over the option so that it highlights, then click.
The actual command menu options are covered later in this
chapter, after a short discussion on formations and
visibility (to make clear what the commands pertain to).
Review: Changing Scale, Sliding, And Time Rate
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are five levels of scale (or "zoom") on the charts.
When you first consult the charts, you are at level 2, which
shows the widest possible area. Press the zoom key to change
scale to level 3. This gives a closer view of the situation.
Press the zoom key again twice to change to level 5. This
level provides the greatest detail, but in the smallest area.
To scale back out to levels 2 and 1, press the unzoom key.
To slide the charts (scrolling the maps(, move the cursor
to the edge of the map in the direction you want to slide.
To speed up the game press the increase time rate key.
Each press of the key increases time rate by a factor of 1;
i.e., 2 times, 3 times, 4 times, etc., up to a maximum of 8
times normal time rate. Pressing SHIFT with the increase
time rate key sends it right to maximum time rate.
Conversely, pressing the decrease time rate key slows time
rate back toward normal by a factor of one per key press;
pressing SHIFT with decrease time rate jumps it to normal
time.
Time rate automatically reverts to normal whenever you
open a command menu.
Moving In Formation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since ancient times, admirals have realized that the only
way to maintain tactical control over a group of ships during
the chaos of battle is to have them move in formation. The
captain of a ship in formation knows where his friends are,
and can support them (and receive support in return) if they
get into trouble.
Types and Functions Of Formations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There have been many theories on naval formations, but in
practice it has always been found that simple formations are
best. The more complex the formation, the more training
required to implement it, and the sooner it seems to fall
apart during combat. Changing formation once combat has
begun is so difficult and dangerous that is rarely
attempted; in Task Force 1942 this is not an option.
The following types of formations are available:
Column: In this formation the ships simply follow each
other in line, taking their cue from the "guide ship" or
"lead ship," the first vessel in line. This is the simplest
of all formations, and the most common. It is the easiest
formation to maintain, even while making sharp turns or
torpedo runs.
Line: In line formation, ships form a line perpendicular
to the line of motion, as if marching side by sid rather than
one behind the other. The advantage of this formation is
that the ships can sweep a wider area of sea, so it is
frequently used by divisions of light ships that are scouting
ahead of the main body. The guide ship in this formation can
be located at either the port or starboard end of the ship.
COLUMN LINE
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FORMATION FORMATION
Echelon: This is a diagonal formation that falls halfway
between column and line. It comes in two forms; echelon
left, in which ships follow the guide ship at an angle off to
port, or echelon right, in which the ships trail off to
starboard. To an extent, echelon formation combines the
advantages of column and line. It is often used by divisions
of light ships that are slightly in advance of the main body,
screening it from attack.
Antiaircraft Formation: This formation places the lighter
ships in a circular screen around the heaviest ships in the
group, which are the natural targets of air attack. Incoming
aircraft must penetrate the antiaircraft defenses of the
outer ring before attacking the center. This formation
doubles as an antisubmarine defense, with destroyers on the
outer ring where then can detect and attack lurking
submarines before the subs can ambush the heavy ships.]
ECHELON LEFT ANTIAIRCRAFT
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FORMATION FORMATION
Effects Of Maneuvers On Formations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naval formations tend to come apart under the stress of
combat, and a lot of energy is spent on trying to maintain or
regain formation. Different maneuvers have different
effects, as explained below:
Column Turn: A column turn, in which ships turn one after
another, is usually a simple matter for ships in column
formation. It is more complicated for ships in echelon
formation, especially if the trailing ships must make a wide
outside turn (e.g., in a left echelon formation making a
starboard turn, the following ships must put on extra speed
to maintain position). At high speeds a column turn may
cause an echelon formation to come apart. A column turn is
not possible to ships in line formation; none follows the
other, so all turn simultaneously.
COLUMN TURN
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All Ships Turn (Simultaneous Turn): A group of ships in
column formation that performs a simultaneous turn will
suddenly appear to be in echelon or line formation. A turn
back to the original heading (or its diametric opposite) will
restore the ships to column formation, but anything else may
cause it to come apart. The same caveat applies to echelon
formation. Ships in line formation naturally turn
simultaneously, but they will appear to be in echelon or
column formation unless they return to their original heading
(or its reciprocal).
SIMULTANEOUS (ALL SHIPS) TURN
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Independent Action: A ship that is ordered to turn on its
own (if, for example, you give it steering commands from its
bridge) will leave whatever formation it is in and go on
independent action. Thereafter it will follow your orders,
if you give them, or its captain's own decisions about the
best course to follow.
Damage: A ship that suffers so much damage that is
unable to keep up with its formation will usually turn out of
the way of the others and go on independent action.
(Frequently this means leaving the battle area as fast as
possible.)
Collision Avoidance: Captains will do what they can to
avoid collisions with other ships, even if this means leaving
a formation. This way a severely damaged friendly ship
that comes to a sudden stop won't wreck a whole formation as
subsequent ships swerve to avoid it.
Captains will also attempt to avoid obvious land masses,
even if their orders indicate they should plow right into
them. However, if a ship is maneuvering close inshore there
is always the chance of running onto a reef, which plays
havoc with a formation as following ships try to avoid the
grounded vessel.
VISIBILITY
~~~~~~~~~~
How well a target can be identified on the charts, and how
well it can be targeted, depends upon its visibility to both
eyesight and radar. A ship's relative visibility determines
whether it will be displayed on the charts as a ship, a
shape, or a blip.
Ships: are clear depictions of ships for which the type,
location, speed, and heading are known or clearly observed.
Friendly vessels and nearby enemies typically appear as
ships.
Shapes: represent vessels about which only partial
information is available. A space shows the approximate
size, direction, and location of the target.
Blips: represent targets which are unidentified, unknown,
or intermittently seen. Only approximate location is shown.
Optical Visibility
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Under normal daylight conditions a warship can be seen at
ranges up to 20,000 to 30,000 yards (the bigger the ship, the
farther away it can be seen). However, a number of
conditions can modify sighting range. All of these effects
are cumulative.
Smoke and Splashes: It is difficult to pinpoint the exact
location of a ship obscured by a smoke screen. Likewise, a
ship surrounded by the splashes of falling shells can take
some consolation in the fact that all those splashes make it
harder to see and harder to target.
Night: Darkness is the most obvious bar to visibility. On
a moonlit night sighting range may be cut by as much as half,
while on a dark night it may fall to between a quarter and a
third of normal sighting range.
Starshells: The purpose of a starshell is to remove the
protective cloak of night. Ships under a falling starshell
are illuminated to a degree that varies depending on how
close they are to the flare. A ship right under a starshell
will be lit up more brightly than one that is off to the
side.
Searchlights: A searchlight is even more effective that
starshells at illuminating an enemy ship; its drawback is
that it also exactly pinpoints the location of the
searchlight user.
NOTE that searchlights and starshells are no help at all
in daylight.
Firing Guns: Other things being equal, a ship firing its
guns is much easier to see than one whose guns are silent.
On Fire: Any ship that catches fire will be easily seen at
night, while during the day the oily smoke rising from a
burning ship makes it a much easier target.
Japanese Optics: in 1942, the equipment and training of
I.J.N. lookouts is far superior to that of the U.S. Navy,
particularly the Japanese night optics. Carefully trained in
the use of especially powerful night binoculars and range
finders, Japanese observers frequently outperform American
radar at night.
Radar Visibility
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 1942 radar is a high technology secret largely unknown
to the Imperial Japanese Navy. It is so new that even in the
American navy, where it is being installed on every ship that
comes up for refitting, its capabilities are often
misunderstood and it is frequently underutilized. At this
time the U.S.N. has two main models of radar: the SC ("Sugar
Charlie") type and the brand new SG ("Sugar George")
unit.
SC Radar: The metric wave SC radar was designed primarily
for an air search function: it is elevated and not easily
focused, which makes it difficult to use for detection and
identification of surface targets. In addition, its
information is displayed on an oscilloscope style screen,
with targets making blips in a single line that is drawn
across the screen as the radar is rotated. It isn't easy to
interpret data displayed in this manner, especially when it's
mixed with confusing reflections from islands, rain squalls,
and even flocks of birds. SC radar is an aid to the
Americans at night, but is more than offset by the superb
Japanese night optics.
SG Radar: The newer centimetric wave SG radar was designed
specifically for surface search, and broadcasts a much
tighter, more focused beam than the SC model. It is also the
first radar to use the familiar flat display with the radar
line sweeping 360 degrees around the broadcaster at the
center. This provides the radar operator with a much clearer
picture of his surroundings, enabling a good one to tell
number, size, and heading of nearly all targets within 30,000
yards. SG radar greatly increases the "visibility" of
Japanese targets.
However, in late 1942 the SG radar is a top secret device
mounted in few American ships. Even fewer are the officers
who understand its value and significance.
FC Radar: Most American ships are also mounted with fire
control radar, which is no good for search purposes, but is
used to "lock on" to a target and provide accurate ranging
information to the targeting computer. The Japanese use
their excellent optics to perform the same function.
COMMANDING BY TASK GROUP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The key to commanding a task group of eight ships or more
is to remember that maneuvers take a long time to execute, so
try to plan them in advance. It will take quite a while for
all your ships to speed up, slow down, or go through a turn,
so you must try to anticipate where your enemy will be
several minutes in the future.
Offensively you want to try to maneuver your ships so that
as many guns as possible can be brought to bear on the enemy.
Thus, the worst possible situation is a column of ships
charging straight at your target: the forward guns of the
lead ship bear on the enemy, but all the rest are blocked
("masked") by the ships ahead of them. The best possible
situation is a line perpendicular to the enemy, so that all
your ships are broadside to their targets, and all their guns
and torpedoes can be used. This brings the maximum firepower
to bear on the target. If, in so doing, you "cross the T" of
an enemy column coming toward you, you will be in the ideal
situation in which all of your guns can bear, while only a
few of theirs can return fire.
Defensively your main worry is to avoid maintaining a
constant speed and course long enough for your enemies to
track and target on you. The longer your ships stay on a
steady course and speed the better their targeting solutions
will be - and the better the enemy's solutions will be, as
well. Worst of all, you must consider that at any given
moment there may be torpedoes in the water aimed at where
your ships will be if they maintain their course and speed.
You must vary your course and speed often enough that your
ships will not be sitting ducks, but not too often, or their
own targeting will be thrown off.
If you know there are torpedoes approaching your task
group, the best way to avoid being hit by them is turn toward
them, thereby presenting the smallest possible target. (This
is called "combing the wakes" of the torpedoes.) If the
torpedoes are very close, a simultaneous (all ships) turn is
advisable.
Task Group Command Options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The task group command menu offers a number of different
options, each of which is discussed below.
Set Speed: When you select this option, a slider bar
appears that enables you to set the task group's speed, from
0 knots (full stop) to the maximum speed of the slowest ship
in the group. Slide the bar to the speed desired and close
the box to send the order.
Set Heading: Column Turn: When you select this option, a
compass rose appears on the charts centered on the task
group's guide ship. Moving the cursor around the compass
rotates the needle; move the needle to the desired new course
and click to send the order.
In a column turn, the guide ships turns first, and each
subsequent ship turns when it reaches the point where the
guide ship turned, thus maintaining column and echelon
formations. A line formation will perform a column turn like
a simultaneous (all ships) turn.
Set Heading: All Ships Turn: This works the same as a
column turn, except that all ships turn simultaneously
instead of in column order.
Fire At Will: This orders your ships to open fire with
their guns as soon as they have reasonable solutions on the
nearest enemy targets. When you select this option, it
immediately changes to Cease Fire; selecting Cease Fire
orders your ships to silence their guns.
Fire Torpedoes: This orders all ships with torpedo mounts
to fire as soon as they have reasonable solutions on enemy
targets. When you select this option, it immediately changes
to Hold Torpedoes. Selecting Hold Torpedoes orders your
ships to launch no more torpedoes at the enemy.
(Commander's Name) Commands: When you select this option,
you will return command of your ships to the task group
commander. He will continue to give orders based on
standard naval procedure (and his own personality) until you
once again override him with a command menu.
Enter Flagship: This option sends you to the center
bridge of the task group flagship.
COMMANDING BY DIVISION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Commanding a division of a task group is much like
commanding the entire group, in that the situation still
evolves relatively slowly, and you must still think well in
advance both offensively and defensively. The advantage of
commanding by division is that usually all the ships in a
division have roughly the same capabilities, and can
therefore perform some functions better at the division
level than at the task group level. For example, a division
of speedy destroyers can be sent out in advance of the
heavier ships, as a screen or to perform a fast torpedo run.
Meanwhile, a cruiser or battleship division, with its
heavier guns, can be kept back out of effective range of the
smaller enemies but still well within its own longer reach.
Division Command Options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All of the command menu options available at the task
group level are available to the division commander, plus
the following additional choices:
Torpedo Run: When you select Torpedo Run, the command
menu disappears, which is your cue to move the cursor to an
enemy ship and click on it to select it as the target of the
torpedo run. When you have done this, the division command
menu returns.
A division ordered on a torpedo run increases to maximum
speed and turns to close with its designated target. The
division's torpedo directors will lock on the target, and as
they achieve reasonable solutions, one by one the ships will
launch their torpedoes and turn away.
(The reason they turn away after launch is that a torpedo
run usually entails getting closer to the enemy than is
comfortable, particularly for destroyers, who are the usual
recipients of Torpedo Run orders.)
Lay Smoke: When you select this option, every ship in the
division will begin making smoke from the smoke generators
on its fantail. This obscures the generating ships and
leaves a trail of smoke that blocks vision.
Independent Action: This orders a division commander to
leave the task group and start making his own tactical
decisions. Once a division goes independent, this option
changes to Rejoin Task Group.
Rejoin Task Group: This orders a division to "get back in
line" with the task group. Once it does so, it once again
follows the orders of the task group commander, and this
option reverts to Independent Action.
Note that in many cases a division ordered to Rejoin Task
Group will find the order difficult or impossible to comply
with, due to distance, damage, or other factors.
COMMANDING INDIVIDUAL SHIPS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Commanding individual ships gives you much greater
flexibility and precision, but you will be much busier if
you try to give individual course, speed, and combat orders
to every ship. You will probably want to keep most of your
ships in formation and give specific individual orders only
to certain key ships. Of course, if the stresses of combat
cause your formations to unravel, you will end up having to
give a lot of individual ship orders.
Ship Command Options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Set Speed, Fire at Will, Fire Torpedoes, Torpedo Run, Lay
Smoke, and (Commander's Name) Command: These all function
just as they do on the task group and division command
menus.
Set Heading: This is a single order, without the Column
Turn and All Ships Turn subsets; since setting a heading for
an individual ship takes it out of formation, they are
irrelevant.
Target Ship: This option enables you to pick a specific
target for your ship's gunfire. When you select it, the
command menu disappears, and you must then move the cursor
to the ship you want as a target and click on it. The ship
command menu then returns. (If you want to pick a specific
ship as a torpedo target, use Torpedo Run.)
Fire Starshells: When you select Fire Starshells, the
command menu disappears, and you must move the cursor to an
enemy ship or a map location and click on it to select it as
the target of the starshells. When you have done this, the
ship command menu returns.
(Note that if your ship lacks 4.7" or 5" guns, the Fire
Starshells option is not available.)
Searchlight On: Selecting this option enables you to pick
a target for your searchlights. When you select Searchlight
On, the command menu disappears, and you must move the
cursor to an enemy ship or map location and click on it.
(The range of a searchlight is 10,000 yards; if you select
a target or location beyond this range, you will target a
map location on that line at 10,000 yards from your ship.)
Once you have selected a target, the ship command menu
returns, with Searchlight On altered to Searchlight Off.
Select Searchlight Off to stop illuminating.
Note that turning on a searchlight may light up an enemy
ship, but it also clearly shows your own exact location.
Use searchlights with care!
Independent Action: This orders a ship commander to leave
the division and make his own tactical decisions. This
option then changes to Rejoin Div.
Rejoin Div: This orders a ship to return to its place
its division. As with the Rejoin Task Group command, this
order may be difficult or impossible to achieve.
SURFACE NAVAL ACTION IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
COMMANDING A CAMPAIGN
The Guadalcanal campaign is the heart of Task Force 1942.
In the campaign, your goal is to enable your side's troops
on Guadalcanal to conquer the entire island before the end
of the year. As naval commander: you must accomplish this
goal by naval means. With limited ships, supplies, and
troops, you must somehow keep your troops on Guadalcanal
supplied, reinforce them whenever you can, interdict the
enemy's supplies and reinforcements, and sink the enemy's
warships. If you do this more successfully than the enemy,
you will win.
Victory Conditions: Victory comes when one side's troops
occupy all three of the bases on Guadalcanal: Aola,
Henderson Field, and Tassafaronga. At the start of the
campaign the Japanese occupy Aola and Tassafaronga, and the
United States has just occupied Henderson Field. Troops
capture opponent's bases through ground battles, which occur
when one side achieves a numerical advantage over the other.
Your goal is to put enough well supplied troops on the
island to capture the enemy held bases, and to prevent the
enemy from doing the same to you.
THE STRATEGIC MAP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The strategic map shows the Southwest Pacific from New
Ireland to the New Hebrides, centering on the Solomon
Islands chain. The Japanese occupy New Britain, New
Ireland, and the Solomons as far south as Guadalcanal. The
Allies occupy the New Hebrides, and intend to wrest control
of Guadalcanal from the Japanese.
A moving point on the map accompanied by an identifier
(e.g., a box labeled "TF62") represents the location of a
friendly task group. A small cross represents a sighting of
an enemy unit. Aircraft symbols represent known aircraft
movements.
Change Scale (Zoom/Unzoom)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The strategic map has two levels: level 1, which shows
the largest scale, and level 2, which displays more detail.
The strategic map always appears on level 1; to change scale
to level 2, press the zoom key. Press unzoom to return to
level 1.
Slide (Scroll Map)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This works just like the tactical charts: move the cursor
to the edge of the map in the direction you wish to scroll.
Note that the level 1 map scrolls up and down, but not left
and right.
Time Rate
~~~~~~~~~
You can speed up or slow down the game by pressing the
increase time rate and decrease time rate keys.
Base Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you place the cursor over one of the bases on the
strategic map, a base information text window appears,
displaying the base's name, who occupies it currently
(Americans or Japanese), and it's location. It also lists
any air groups in residence, and how may troops the
occupying force has there. (The latter information is
subject to some variation if the Inaccurate Reports reality
option is active.)
Task Group Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Placing the cursor over a friendly task force or task
group causes a task group information window to appear.
This window displays the group's name or number, its
location, heading, and speed, and its ship makeup, showing
numbers of TRs (transports), DDs (destroyers and destroyer
transports), CLs (light cruisers), CAs (heavy cruisers), BBs
(battleships), and CVs (carriers and seaplane carriers).
Any supplies and troops carried are also listed.
Task Group Command Menu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you click on a friendly task force, a command menu
appears that includes the following options:
Set Speed: This enables you to select the speed of your
task force, limited by the top speed of the slowest ship.
Set Waypoints: When you select this option, the menu
disappears, and the task group's current waypoints and
course become visible. To edit these waypoints, move the
cursor to the desired points and click.
Select Formation: Select this option and the command menu
disappears, to be replaced by a series of menus that enable
you to select formation for each division in the task group.
If you select "antiaircraft" formation from the first such
menu, it will be applied to the entire task group and no
further division menus will appear.
Engagements
~~~~~~~~~~~
When a friendly task group comes within combat range of
an enemy unit, an engagement information window appears
reporting the location and the unit involved. If the
friendly task group is one over which you have control
(i.e., not a carrier force), a command menu appears with the
following options:
Command: Selecting this option puts you in tactical
command of the battle and sends you to the bridge of the
task group flagship. You will probably want to take
personal command of all important battles.
Observe: When you select this option, you remain at the
strategic level of the simulation. The battle is fought out
without your direct participation, and you receive a report
of the results. This option is provided so that you do not
have to bother personally commanding every small scuffle
between minor units. Of course, if you prefer to play it
out, you can select Command instead.
Results of Engagements: An engagement ends when all of
one side's ships have fled the battle area or been
incapacitated (or sunk). the simulation then returns to the
strategic map. Ships in your task force that have been
badly damaged immediately leave the group and head for your
home base.
RECONNAISSANCE AND INTELLIGENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can't make strategic decisions without information,
particularly information about enemy movements and
activities. Your strategic information comes from naval
intelligence, sightings from coast watchers, submarines, and
carrier aircraft (over which you have no control), and from
reconnaissance flights by observation aircraft (which you
can control).
Naval Intelligence
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Occasionally a message box will appear on the strategic
map with information from naval intelligence about enemy
activities or intentions. This is often advance information
about the enemy, and therefore doubly valuable (as opposed
to sightings, which are current or recent information).
Sighting Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An enemy sighting is indicated on the strategic map by a
small cross. A recent sighting shines brightly; crosses
gradually fade and disappear as their relevance fades with
time.
Place your cursor over a cross and a sighting information
text window appears with details about the united sighted:
time seen, course, speed, and task group makeup. (Note that
if you have selected the Inaccurate Reports reality option
this information may be only partially correct.)
Air Search
~~~~~~~~~~
To perform an air search you must first click on a
friendly base wit an air group. When the base screen
appears, select the Air Search option. The strategic map
will then return, with a wedge shaped search area extending
from the chosen base toward the cursor. (The length of the
wedge indicates the range of the planes being used to
search; the width depends on the number of planes
available.) Move the cursor until the wedge covers the area
you want searched, and click to select.
Attrition Reports
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In addition to information about the enemy, you will
sometimes receive messages about damage and losses to
friendly task groups due to aircraft or submarine attacks.
Enemy bases with air groups in residence pose a grave danger
to any task groups foolish enough to pass near them during
daylight hours.
ORGANIZING TASK FORCES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As overall commander of your side's surface ships in the
Guadalcanal Campaign, it is up to you to create the task
forces that will carry out the missions intended to bring
victory over your opponents. You will be doing most of your
task force formation at your home base (Espiritu Santo or
Rabaul); that is where your available ships start the
campaign, where reinforcements appear, and where damaged
ships and task groups retreat to after battle.
Task groups can only be created or changed at a friendly
base. No task group away from a base can be altered (except
through combat) until it returns to a friendly base.
To organize or change a task group or task force, click
on a friendly base to call up the base menu, then choose the
Available Ships or Edit Task Group option.
Available Ships
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This option opens the available ships menu, which lists
all of the ships currently at the chosen base (regardless of
task group assignment). Place the cursor over the box in
the lower left to highlight a ship name. A silhouette of
the ship appears above, and its statistics and current
condition are listed at the left. Click on the ship name to
see a rotating three dimensional view of the ship.
Edit Task Group
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Selecting this option brings up the Assign Task Groups
worksheet, a multiple menu that enables you to create and
change task groups by moving ships from one category to
another.
In the bottom half of the screen are two menu boxes. The
left of the screen are two menu boxes. The left menu
consists of Available Ships, Damaged Ships, and any existing
task groups at the base. The right menu also lists existing
task groups, plus Create New Task Group. Clicking on any of
these options replaces the menu with a list of ships in the
option selected.
* Available Ships lists all undamaged ships in the base,
regardless of task group affiliation. (Left menu only.)
* Damaged Ships lists all damaged ships currently
undergoing repairs at the base. (Left menu only.)
* An existing task group lists all ships currently
assigned to it. (Note that ships formerly assigned to a
group that became damaged are now on the Damaged Ships list
and are no longer listed with their former group.)
* Create New Task Group names/numbers a new task group
and opens an empty list. (Right menu only.)
When you highlight a ship name with the cursor, that
ship's silhouette and current statistics appear above.
Assigning ships to task groups: First, make sure both the
right and left menus are open to task groups, Available
Ships or Damaged Ships. Highlight a ship on either side,
then click on it to transfer it to the list on the other
side. For example, suppose Available Ships is open on the
left, and Task Group 62.1 is open on the right. You
highlight the USS Vincennes on the Available Ships list,
then click on it. The Vincennes is then added to the Task
Group 62.1 list on the right. To remove it from TG 62.1,
highlight the ship's name on the right menu and click on it,
and it will disappear from the Task Group 62.1 list.
Note that only damaged ships can be moved into the
Damaged Ships list.
Task Group makeup: Remember these rules about task group
construction:
* No task group may have more than 8 cruisers and/or
battleships in it.
* Maximum task group size is 16 ships (unless there are
transports in the group.)
* A task group with transports can have no warships but
destroyers or destroyer transports (or seaplane
carriers) in it; no cruisers or battleships.
SUPPLY AND REINFORCEMENT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Strategic Considerations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Though Task Force 1942 is a naval simulation, ultimate
victory in the campaign game depends on your side's ground
forces defeating the enemy and winning uncontested control
of the island of Guadalcanal. To win, you must keep your
troops on Guadalcanal supplied and reinforced. Patrol and
bombardment missions may be fun, but you must run a certain
number of supply missions to Guadalcanal or the enemy will
win and all your patrols and bombardments will have been for
nought.
Why not just run supply missions, then? Because
transports are slow and extremely vulnerable to surface ship
and aircraft attacks, even when escorted. You need patrol
missions to whittle down the enemy's offensive capabilities
ann to keep the enemy's patrols away from your
transport-heavy supply missions. You need bombardment
missions to suppress the enemy's air groups because your
transports aren't fast enough to get in and out of
Guadalcanal waters in a single night. Sometimes several
patrols and bombardments are needed to set the stage for a
successful supply mission, especially if you are delivering
a lot of reinforcements. If enemy warships get in among
your laden transports and sink a division's worth of troops,
it could cost you the campaign.
Transporting Troops
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Troops are transferred in units of 50 soldiers. Each
transport can carry up to 1,750 troops. In contrast,
destroyer transports (APDS) can carry no more than 150
soldiers, while big seaplane carriers like the Japanese
Chitose and Nisshin can each transport as many as 3,000
troops. Guard your fleet of transports well: they are your
only method of getting large quantities of troops to
Guadalcanal quickly.
Unfortunately, reinforcements intended for Guadalcanal do
not appear at your home base in a steady stream. They
arrive in big, awkward quantities like battalions and
divisions, usually later than you needed them but before
you're ready to transport them. (The actual reinforcement
schedule for both sides varies slightly as to arrival times,
and is never the same from one campaign game to the next.)
Keep an eye on the number of troops you and your enemy
have on Guadalcanal. If you have fewer than your opponent,
then you had better consider a troop-heavy supply mission.
If either side seems to gain a significant advantage in
number of troops, it will initiate an attack on an enemy
held base. Whether the base holds or is captured, both
sides will lose troops. Be prepared to act quickly to
reinforce your troops after a battle.
Note also that, even if there are no battles, troop
numbers on Guadalcanal gradually decline nonetheless due to
the presence of loathsome tropical diseases and relatively
primitive medical conditions. (Troop numbers also decline
when they are out of supply - see below.)
Supply And Resupply
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Supplies are measured in ton units; each ton of supplies
will feed and arm 50 soldiers for about one day. An APD can
carry a maximum of 288 tons of supplies; a transport can
carry 3,360 tons; a seaplane carrier can haul up to 5,760
tons. (Note: 96 tons take up the same amount of room as 50
troops and their equipment.) The troops occupying Henderson
Field automatically receive 96 tons of supplies per day via
air cargo, but this is not nearly enough to keep a large
force in supply. Both sides must make regular naval supply
runs to Guadalcanal or suffer the consequences of running
out of supply.
The consequences are dire: troops at a base that runs out
of supplies may lose as much as 20% of their strength PER
DAY. Even if you have no more reinforcements to bring to
Guadalcanal, you can always make an impact on the ground
combat situation by interdicting the enemy's supplies. If
you can keep your own troops supplied while cutting off the
enemy's resources, you side will eventually win.
PLANNING MISSIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once you have organized your task group and decided what
to do with it, you must select its actual mission. Missions
can be selected at any base where you have ships. Click on
a base and select Supply Mission, Patrol Mission, or Bombard
Mission from the base menu.
Once you have chosen mission type, it takes three steps
to determine the details. Step one is creating your task
force from a menu that lists all task groups available at
your chosen base. Clicking on a task group on the base menu
transfers it to the mission task force menu; clicking on a
group in the task force returns it to the base.
Step two is selecting a commanding admiral from a list of
those available for assignment. The admirals are all
officers who were present in the campaign, and reflect the
aggressiveness or caution of the historical admirals. You
must have an admiral for each task group, and (if your task
force consists of more than one task group) an overall
commander for the task force. The admirals are listed on
the left menu, the task groups on the right. Select a task
group first by clicking on it, then click on the admiral you
wish as commander. Continue until every command spot is
filled.
In step three you select your mission's destination. You
will see a proposed route out and back plotted on the
strategic map; successive turn locations are called
waypoints. Standard waypoints are assigned, but you are
given the opportunity to alter these. Once you are done
editing waypoints, time resumes on the strategic map and
your task force starts its mission.
Some of these steps vary by mission type, as described
below.
Supply Missions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Step one for supply missions involves not just selecting
a task force, but also loading it. First, be sure to select
a group that you know contains at least one transport or
destroyer transport. (The Japanese may also use destroyers
and seaplane carriers as transports. Once you have made
your selection, the loading worksheet appears. This
consists of a base menu on the left and a task group menu on
the right, each listing the troops and supplies currently
assigned to the base or task group. The task group menu
also has a digital capacity number that indicates how much
of the task group's cargo capacity is currently filled.
(For example, if the capacity number reads 35%, then
whatever troops and supplies are listed on the task group
menu fill up 35% of the task group's potential carrying
capacity.)
To load or unload, simply click on the troops or supplies
you wish moved and they will transfer from one side to the
other (in units of 50 troops or 96 tons of supplies). You
can switch back and forth until you have achieved the mix of
troops and supplies you want.
(The supply problem in this campaign is a matter of
transport rather than availability; for this reason, the
amount of supplies available at the home bases of Espiritu
Santo and Rabaul is unlimited.)
In step three of mission selection you must choose a
friendly base as a destination. The base menu will be
replaced by the strategic map with the waypoints of your
mission displayed. You can then move and click with your
cursor to change your waypoints, should you choose,
excepting the waypoint of your destination base.
Patrol Missions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The function of a patrol mission is either to send your
ships where they are likely to find the enemy, or to place
them to defend against a likely enemy attack. Since a
patrol mission isn't bound for a specific base, in step
three you must Select Patrol Time before you Select
Waypoints.
When you choose Select Patrol Time, the Patrol Duration
menu appears. This shows the end of the patrol (which
always starts out at about 24 hours from the current time),
and three options: Earlier, Later, and OK. Click on Earlier
or Later to change the patrol's end time, and select OK when
you've selected the duration you want.
Select Waypoints sends you to the strategic map, where no
default waypoints are displayed: you must select all
waypoints yourself. Note that if you place a waypoint at a
certain location, then place a second, then place the third
as the same location as the first, your ships will patrol
between the first and second waypoints until it is time to
return to base. This enables you to place your ships where
you think the enemy will pass in hopes of ambushing them.
Bombardment Missions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A bombardment mission is the easiest type of mission to
set up. Just select your task group, admiral, and the enemy
base you intend to bombard. When you get to the waypoint
editing step you will notice that there are several
unchangeable waypoints adjacent to the base chosen to be
bombarded. These are the bombardment waypoints, which are
navigation points your ships will sail between while
conducting the bombardment.
