作者： Morgane

前线来信·Mail call, 美舰本·Pacific ,

Silent Service VIII: Sonar

by Morgane 2017年5月17日

Hi, Tautog here. Morgane wanted me to explain the basics about sonar.

There are two types of sonar – passive and active. Passive sonar is like a giant microphone – you listen for the sound of ships and the direction they are coming from. Modern sets can even identify different types of ship just from the sound they make! We’ll probably talk more about this later, but this is what one looked like in World War 2.

Active sonar is the stereotypical pinging sound you hear in movies. You send one of those pings towards an object, the ping bounces back to you, and you measure the time it takes to bounce back. Since the speed of sound in water is known, with a little math you can find out just how far something is.

Submarines generally just use passive sonar. Active sonar is rarely used as it also broadcasts your location to anyone else who is listening. Not a smart move if you’re trying to stay hidden! Not that there’s no use for Active sonar – During the cold war Soviet submarines would rapidly ping American submarines so they couldn’t hear anything with their passive sonar.

Now that you know a bit of how sonar works, I figured it’d be a good time to explain how to counter it. The counter to passive sonar is quite simply to make the boat quieter.

(A note from Cusk. This is easier said than done, of course…)

Whether that means putting rubber noise-dampeners around the equipment, turning off non-essential equipment, or telling the crew themselves to shut up doesn’t matter. If the boat is quiet, passive sonar has a harder time listening in. Normally submarine crews are trained to rig the submarine for “silent-running” – this means that all non-essential equipment is shut off, the submarine restricted to very low speeds, and the crew going hush-hush.

Alternatively, since passive sonar has a limited range, you can just dive deeper.

Active sonar is harder to counter, since it relies on sound waves bouncing off of you instead of just listening for you. One way is simply to reduce the surface area the sound waves have to bounce off of you. If you point your bow directly on to the enemy ship, you give the sound waves less to bounce off of than if you were side-on. Modern subs have a sonar absorbent coating around them, which absorbs the sound waves so they can’t bounce back. The stuff’s largely classified, so I can’t really tell you how it works. Sorry.

And, as with almost everything in the submarine world, you can always just dive deeper. 😉

前线来信·Mail call, 美舰本·Pacific

[Mail Call 05/15/17] On the Abyssals

by Morgane 2017年5月16日

HA! WITH MORGANE SICK AND EVERYONE ELSE BUSY, TIME FOR ME TO APPEAR!

FOR THE GLORY OF THE –

Aw, who the hell am I kidding. Listen up. I’m never going to get a speaking role in Pacific, okay? I’m not big enough on the food chain to get lines. Every once in a while someone writes in and go OMG THE ABYSSAL-HIME SO CUTE CAN I BE WAIFU

First of all, what the f__k is a waifu.

Second of all why would I want to be a “waifu.”

We’re strong! Scary! We literally devour planets! Our technology is so advanced we BREAK THE LAWS OF PHYSICS! You think we’re just like the KC ones where we’re undead shipgirls or vengeful spirits from OUTER SPACE? Well we’re not! I’m scary! I have tentacles and sh_t!

…Okay. Fine. I’m really here to answer this question.

“If the Abyssals are so technologically advanced why don’t they just teleport their troops directly onto land? If it’s so beneficial (I’m guessing the Abyssals are like the Tyranids where they feed off of biomass?) you’d think they would have done that already.”

Yo. You think we don’t want to do this? We’re pretty damn proud of the fact that we’re capable bad-guys, you know?

We CAN’T. OKAY? Imagine yourself in command of an impossibly vast, transcendental and trans-dimensional force of ANTI-CIVILIZATION. How big is the universe?

Very, very, very big.

How big is earth?

Very, very, very small in comparison.

Do you know how hard it is to get something, what’s the human word. Teleported! Teleported into this world’s oceans?

I mean, do you have any idea how hard it is? You humans miss a decimal point and messes up a rocket launch. We f_ck up even an iota of our equivalent and you wanna know what happens?

… Forget it you wouldn’t understand even if I told you. In any case. Do you know what happens when you teleport biological matter straight into solid rock? Do you know what happens when you put an Abyssal into the planet’s molten core?

The same thing that happens to other stuff. It’s not pretty.

Now, you asinine mortals might be going, wuhhhhhhh but your numbers are limitless why does even it like matter hurrdurr?

Our numbers being limitless has nothing to do with how the Fleet operates. We do not tolerate failure. Failure is met with punishment. Always.

Always.

Now do you understand? Do you –

HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH MY KICKASS SUB CORNER?

Dolphin, this is K9 speaking. You weren’t scheduled to talk today –

SHUT UP DOGGO. EVERY DAY IS KICKASS SUB CORNER DAY. AND YOU TWO ARE MAKING IT LESS KICKASS! GET OUT OR ELSE I’LL HAVE TO APPLY FOOT TO ASS TO REGAIN OPTIMAL KICKASSNESS!

前线来信·Mail call, 美舰本·Pacific

[Mail Call 05/14/17] It’s a special day~

by Morgane 2017年5月15日

It’s Mother’s Day. Did you say thanks to mom today?

You know we’ve got a colloquial saying, “for mom and apple pie.”  The way I heard it, it’s basically a way of saying something is very American. This tongue-in-cheek saying has its origins in World War II, where soldiers were quoted that they missed “mom and apple pie” back home.

Of course, the other version of the tale was that they were fighting for “mom and apple pie,” too.

 

前线来信·Mail call, 美舰本·Pacific ,

Silent Service VII: Trout

by Morgane 2017年5月14日

I did say last week that I’ll be showing up sooner or later, right?

I’m the Tambor-class subgirl Trout. I serve at the Commander’s pleasure here in Avalon base. From an out-of-the-universe perspective, I do the same. Simply swap Mike Yin out for K9catforce & Morgane and the rest of the team.

Good morning! How are you.

Good morning, commander! Actually, it’s technically still “good very-late night for me.” Before I clock out though I do have three new developments that requires your attention.

One. As you are aware sections of Avalon is currently undergoing significant build-up, and it is necessary for us to oversee the little one’s construction process. There’s been an unusual – but resolved – incident today that you need to acknowledge. Here is the form.

… I know the Dee-dees liked it a lot, and I’m sorry that we had to tear it down, but the plan specifically called for a new temporary airfield in that sector and not a set of trenches. I’m not even sure if we can get snow on Avalon so the prospective utility of a snowball fight is moot, but just do pay attention to this one too, alright? I do feel we should try to give the poor girls more stuff to do for fun here, especially since visits off-shore is extremely limited.

Two. I have revised your draft pertaining to the coordination of production and additional support to Project Trinity. The big boss certainly seems on board with it so I figure this would be a good time to push. If you can get the draft to me in … maybe six or so hours I can have it back to you before the end of the day today.

Three. There is a new intel report on Jer’s desk pertaining to the latest developments in Europe. Not saying anything else, just that it’s there. You’ll see it first thing Monday and we have the rest of your day blocked off for meetings.

To summarize, the Pan-European effort to create a shipgirl service has failed yet again, and multiple parties have reached out to us for comment and arbitration. We reported to our superiors and they threw the ball right back in our court. If you ask me –

Jer? Probably not up yet. Yeah, I know. It’s the weekend. I just enjoy my work. Besides, not to sound like the commies but I’m proud of the fact that I’m one of your finest agents on and off the field. THAT requires dedication and effort, and I’ve every intent to keep myself ready, able, and willing at all times –

*yawn*

Though, my record is hardly… sterling. Sometimes *yawn* the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

…

Is that breakfast I see?

Oh.

Well. With Tambor around usually nothing’s left – I see now, commander. Crafty, and much-appreciated. Why don’t you just leave the plate on my cabinet and I’ll grab a bite after this segment?

TRUIIIIIIII-TE~

Yes?

TRUITE!

I heard ya just fine, Surcouf dear. How are you?

WHY NO “SILENT SERVICE” FOR SURCOUF?

I don’t understand the question.

WHEN IS IT MY TURN?

I still don’t understand the question.

WHY AM I NOT IN BOOK!!

Ask Tautau.

SHE HAS BEEN AVOID SINCE YESTERDAY! 

Um, ask Morgane?

SHE SAYS TO ASK SUNE WHO TOLD ME TO ASK K9 WHO SAY ME TO ASK MORGANE AGAIN WHO SAY TO ME TO ASK K9 WHO TOLD ME TO WAIT SINCE SOMETHING ABOUT LAYOUT AND PAGES AND TIME.

So you’re not… not in the book.

WELL I AM NOT IN BOOK YET!

Well, most of us aren’t yet either.

JE PROTESTE! LE SURCOUF WAS LARGEST AND UNIQUEST FRENCH SUBMARINE IN ALL OF THE SECONDE GUERRE! IS GREAT EXAMPLE OF SUBMARINE PRINCIPLES! ALSO HEROISM.

PLUS I HAVE SENIORITY! AM LITERALLY FIRST SUBGIRL SIMA EVER DRAW! I EVEN HAVE PLOTS! THERE WERE CHIBIS OF ME! YET BATFISH AND PAM ARE ALL GETTING REDRAWN BEFORE ME WHEN I CAME BEFORE THEM!

Well, Narwhal and The twins aren’t getting redrawn either, nor are they spotlighted in the book –

I WANT TO SEE SIMA! BRING ME TO LE CHEF! I HAVE –

You know what, dear. I see you’re upset right now. Why don’t you come with me as I drop these books off for Mike? Talk to me on the way. We can then go do something um, fun, after.

…OKAY.