DKM GrafSpee, What’s next?

Iconfor WEB_DKM_72

It has been 8 months since the release of DKM Graf Spee 1.2 and it is time to present the roadmap of our leading product. DKM Graf Spee will get 2 updates in the next 6 months.

DKM Graf Spee 1.3 will be an evolution. It will still be based on the same Objective-C framework than the current revision 1.2 on the Apple App store. The main updates to this versions will be:

  • A new improved unit interface to interact with the different mounts (gun, torpedo)
  • At least 3 additional scenarios with a new menu to select scenario
  • Fight at night with variable visibility
  • Introduction of the French destroyers of the force X

DKM Graf Spee 2.0 will be based on a Swift framework. It will be the base for the universal Seamulation platform. This major revision will introduce several new and exciting features

  • Scenario introducing aerial units. The aero-naval operations will include HMS Hermes. The operation of HMS Hermes will engage a flight of 12 Swordfishs. The scenario will be a sweep with the force X based in Dakar to block the DKM Graf Spee to go back in the North Atlantic.
  • The interface with different menus consolidated in the Home page
  • Online help
  • Provide scalability on time (from 1 minute to 60 minutes)
  • Aerial operations will be enhanced with a command screen for each asset (reconnaissance units)

We will review also the opportunity to do a release on the Apple TV

For more information, please email us at info@seamulation.com

DKM Graf Spee, Getting Started!

Iconfor WEB_DKM_72  What is it about ?

DKM Graf Spee is a simulation of Naval Warfare. It will allow you to recreate the actual battle of the Rio de Plata and play also “what-if” scenario.  Find here  Historical background   and biography.

The game is turn based. Each turn duration is one minute and the turn start by orders for the Axis side and then orders for the Allied side.

How do I start to play?

HomePage_r_1_2_9_512_1

From the “Home” screen, choose “New Game” and then choose one the scenario.

ScenarioScreen_01_512

We recommend the Scenario 1 (Historical Rio De Plata engagement), this way you can apply Commodore Harwood strategy. At the prompt screen you will choose Continue.

Coming back to the “Home” screen, you can verify the settings:

DKM Graf Spee: Computer

DKM Graf Spee Screen Off

Top of the Map: Unit Direction

You will also have now the scenario information in the bottom bar dark grey area.

The “Next” button will move screen to review the KriegsMarine main screen, another “Next” will provide the Allied (Royal Navy in this scenario) Main Screen.

AlliedScreen_512

The main screen contain weather information in a scrollable window (last 5 minutes of info).

The “Next” screen will start your units review and orders, see detailed information on the following:

Map, Speed, Heading and Steering

Boat and Crew Status

Gunnery Instructions

Torpedo Instructions

Observation Plane Instructions

The “Next” button will allow the review and orders to the 3 different units under your command in the scenario 1 (HMS Ajax, HMS Achilles and HMS Exeter).

UnitScreen_512

After HMS Exeter all orders will be executed,

including eventually gunnery resolution and torpedoes courses. The clock will tick one minute and the next turn will start.

Winning and Scoring

The goal of the allied Cruisers Squadron was to cause enough damage to the DKM Graf Spee to cripple her. Each boat has a point value which correspond to 100% of the operational value. The damage level required to cripple the DKM Graf Spee is 50% of the operational status. Your score (winning points) is the ratio of damages to the Graf Spee and total damages on your units.

For all information, please email info@softwim.com

Map, Speed, Heading and Steering (version 1.2.10)

The map in the upper left corner of the screen is centered on the unit.

UnitScreen_512_1

It is zoomable and there is a scale on the left side. The boat previous course is the black line and the white mustache is seized according to the speed.

map
Each bar is 1 nm (nautic mile). There is a compass providing directions and north alignment. The longitude (Lng) and latitude (Lat) are provided in the degree / decimal format.

Heading

The Heading cursor is below the Port / Starboard boxes. As you are displacing the cursor you will see the Heading order updated. The Heading order will be the unit direction at the next turn. Heading actual is the current heading.

Power
The second cursor allows you to control the power. The speed up or down will be delayed due to the inertia of the boat. Boat speed are in nautical knots (kn), one knot of speed is one nautical mile per hour. Based on the power setting the Fuel level will decrease over time.
Evasive steering is controlled by a switch. When on, the boat will have a zigzag course. This was done to throw off the enemy gunnery and was quite efficient above a certain speed (~15 kn).

Boat and Crew Status (version 1.2.10)

The Operational Status summarize the overall combat worthiness of the boat. It is a combination of the power plant effectiveness, the accumulated damages to the structures (including the gunnery). Successive damages, by gun hit, torpedoes or bomb, will diminish the Operational Status down. The status bar will go from green to orange and ultimately red. Be careful to manage your units to keep them afloat, when the Operational Status is down to 0 your boat is a worthless sinking wreck!

UnitScreen_512_Crew&UnitStatus

The Crew Status is a combination of the accumulated stress and fatigue. The Moral, Training and Experience of the crew will influence the wearing out of the Crew Status through the engagement. Hits and near misses will be the main contributors to the degradation of the Crew Status. A lower Crew Status will affect the overall efficiency of the crew (Gunnery, Repair Operation and launch / retrieve of observation planes).

BoatStatus_01

The boat flooding is represented on a schematic overview. Penetrating impacts on the belt or underwater will flood the hull, this flooding is limited due to the division in watertight compartments.

Gunnery Instructions (version 1.2.10)

The gunnery orders are given in the upper right corner of the screen.

Gunnery_01

The button “Fire” will order fire of one or two turret depending of the configuration of the boat. The actual fire will be executed at the end of the turn, most of the engagements were at distances of 5 to 12 nm and the travel time of the shell is 15 to 60 seconds.

Gunnery_03

The “Next Turret” button allows to review the turret one by one and select the ammunition type with the “HEM / APM” switch. APM stands for Armor Penetration munition and HEM stands for High Explosive Munition. APM are efficient against heavy armored plated hulls and HEM are efficient against superstructures.

Gunnery_03

The “Straddle / Group” switch allows to program the firing mode. Straddle allows to converge faster on the target, you can see the dispersion of a straddle fire in the red box inside the map view.

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Torpedo Instructions (version 1.2.10)

The launch direction of the torpedo is set by the -/+ adjustment. You need to carefully select your firing angle as the units involved in the different scenarios were not able to re-load at sea.

Torpedoes01
The torpedoes will progress every turn at their speed and along courses. When they run out of energy, they simply sink. You can track the torpedoes on the map screen.

Observation Plane Instructions (version 1.2.10)

In the pre-radar time observation planes were providing an essential feedback to the Fire Control Officer. This was making the firing much more accurate over time.

ObservationPlane_01

The first step is to launch the airplane, click the “Ready” button, the preparation of the catapulting is taking several minutes.

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It will take also a few minutes once the airplane is in the air to establish the connection with the firing unit.

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When the airplane is actively spotting you will have a special icon indicating an active radio connection.

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During the launch phase, it is important to avoid direction changes as it could damage the plane.

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Naval Firepower – Norman Friedman (2008)

Battleship Guns and Gunnery in the Dreadnought Era

Norman Friedman (2008)

Naval Firepower

This is the most comprehensive book about Naval Gunnery in the battleship age . The focus is the inter-war period and it is invaluable for understanding WWII Naval History. The emphasis is the Royal Navy but it also study in detail the German, US, Japanese, French, Italian and Russian (Soviet) navies.

Scenario #1 Battle of the River Plate, Historical – 13, Dec 1939

General Information – Rio De Plata – 13 Dec, 1939 6:10 am

This is the historical scenario, early at dawn of the 13th of December 1939, the DKM Graf Spee attack a British Cruiser squadron consisting of HMS Exeter (heavy cruiser) and HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles (light cruisers). The area is just north of the mouth of the Rio de Plata (Ln 35°W Lt 50°S) and it is summer time in the Southern Hemisphere. The breeze is light, 10 kn from SW, the sea is calm (state 1 on the scale of Beaufort) and the sky is empty of any cloud. The visibility start at 15 nm to increase to 25nm thru the day.

German Brief

On your way back to Germany you have decided to raid the merchant traffic off the southern coast of Brazil toward the mouth of the Rio de Plata.

Your orders are to avoid engagement with enemy warship and focus on disrupting merchant traffic, however as you are finishing your Southern Atlantic Campaign you are taking the risk to attack the British merchant convoy protected by a cruiser and 2 destroyers appearing on your SSE horizon. You order battle station ready and set speed to 25knots!

The axis order of battle:

TypeNameDisplacementSpeed
Main Armement
CADKM Graf SpeeTons 16 000kn 28 / 25 (1)6 x 280mm

(1) Practical battle speed due to diesel engines vibrations.

British Brief

You guessed that the German raider will attack the traffic coming from Argentina. Your intuition was right, the elusive German Pocket Battleship is now on the horizon! Your force of one heavy cruiser and 2 light cruisers will have a hard task but the Royal Navy will perform her duty!

The allied order of battle:

TypeNameDisplacementSpeed
Main Armement
CAHMS ExeterTons 10 000kn 326 x 205mm (8')
CLHMS AjaxTons 8 000kn 328 x 150mm (6')
CL
HMS AchillesTons 8 000kn 328 x 150mm (6')

Scenario #2 Orders from Berlin, Afternoon Engagement – 13, Dec 1939

General Information – Rio De Plata – 13 Dec, 1939 14:50 (2:50 pm)

This is the historical scenario, early at dawn of the 13th of December 1939, the DKM Graf Spee attack a British Cruiser squadron consisting of HMS Exeter (heavy cruiser) and HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles (light cruisers). The area is just north of the mouth of the Rio de Plata (Ln 35°W Lt 50°S) and it is summer time in the Southern Hemisphere. The breeze is light, 10 kn from SW, the sea is calm (state 1 on the scale of Beaufort) and the sky is empty of any cloud. The visibility start at 15 nm to increase to 25nm thru the day.

preambleText_2 =@”The HMS Ajax has just recovered the Seafox after Lieutenant Lewin landed alongside, you can now increase his speed and cover the starboard side of the DKM Graf Spee in case she change her course toward the high sea. The HMS Achilles is covering the southwest. The Admiralty informed you that HMS Cumberland is steaming toward the river Plata from the Falklands. The HMS Exeter was able to stop the flooding and is slowly sailing toward Port Stanley.”;

German Brief

On your way back to Germany you have decided to raid the merchant traffic off the southern coast of Brazil toward the mouth of the Rio de Plata. 

Your orders are to avoid engagement with enemy warship and focus on disrupting merchant traffic, however as you are finishing your Southern Atlantic Campaign you are taking the risk to attack the British merchant convoy protected by a cruiser and 2 destroyers appearing on your SSE horizon. You order battle station ready and set speed to 25knots!
The morning battle report has been reviewed by the headquarter in Germany,  the DKM Admiral Sheer and DKM Gneisenau and DKM Scharnhorst will leave harbor and force their way to the North Atlantic. All available U-boot to be reassigned to Atlantic and attack Allied shipping aggressively. Your orders are:

  • Fight your way to the high sea.
  • If required take to shelter sail to Lagoa dos Patos in Brazil (Porto Alegre has a very large German population)

The axis order of battle:

TypeNameDisplacementSpeed
Main Armement
CADKM Graf SpeeTons 16 000kn 28 / 25 (1)6 x 280mm

(1) Practical battle speed due to diesel engines vibrations.

British Brief

You guessed that the German raider will attack the traffic coming from Argentina. Your intuition was right, the elusive German Pocket Battleship is now on the horizon! Your force of one heavy cruiser and 2 light cruisers will have a hard task but the Royal Navy will perform her duty!

The allied order of battle:

TypeNameDisplacementSpeed
Main Armement
CLHMS AjaxTons 8 000kn 328 x 150mm (6')
CL
HMS AchillesTons 8 000kn 328 x 150mm (6')