Silent Running Mode: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}
{{quote|But only whiffs of paraffin<br />
{{quote|But only whiffs of paraffin
Or creamy rings that fizz and fade<br />
Or creamy rings that fizz and fade
Show where the one-eyed Death has been<br />
Show where the one-eyed Death has been
That is the custom of "The Trade."|''The Trade'' by [[Rudyard Kipling]]}}
That is the custom of "The Trade."|''The Trade'' by [[Rudyard Kipling]]}}


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* ''[[Down Periscope]]'' both plays this straight and subverts this trope at different points in the movie, including the time that an all-hands singalong to "Louie Louie" is a vital part of their disguise. This might be a reference to the ''[[The Hunt for Red October]]'' example below.
* ''[[Down Periscope]]'' both plays this straight and subverts this trope at different points in the movie, including the time that an all-hands singalong to "Louie Louie" is a vital part of their disguise. This might be a reference to the ''[[The Hunt for Red October]]'' example below.
* In movie version of ''[[The Hunt for Red October]]'', they switch on the silent propulsion system and the crew start singing the Soviet National Anthem. One of the crew worries that they'll be heard. Ramius says to let them sing.
* In movie version of ''[[The Hunt for Red October]]'', they switch on the silent propulsion system and the crew start singing the Soviet National Anthem. One of the crew worries that they'll be heard. Ramius says to let them sing.
{{quote| '''Jonesy''' (on the USS Dallas): The Russian disappeared. One minute he was steady 4000 yards off the bow and....then he was gone. And for a second, I thought I heard.....<br />
{{quote|'''Jonesy''' (on the USS Dallas): The Russian disappeared. One minute he was steady 4000 yards off the bow and....then he was gone. And for a second, I thought I heard.....
'''Capt. Mancuso''': Heard...what?<br />
'''Capt. Mancuso''': Heard...what?
'''Jonesy''': I thought I heard singing, sir.<br />
'''Jonesy''': I thought I heard singing, sir.
'''Capt. Mancuso''': Singing?<br />
'''Capt. Mancuso''': Singing?
'''Jonesy''': ...Yes, sir. }}
'''Jonesy''': ...Yes, sir. }}
* ''[[The Matrix]]'', when the Nebuchadnezzar has a close call with the sentinels.
* ''[[The Matrix]]'', when the Nebuchadnezzar has a close call with the sentinels.
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* One of the common concepts of the tactics used in the ''[[Honor Harrington]]'' books is that the spaceships used in the battles are virtually invisible when the "wedges" that normally propel them are powered down, and the rare obedience to physics means that a powered-down ship is not motionless and can coast on a ballistic course with virtually no chance of detection. They're almost incapable of maneuvering, though. Honor uses this trick, along with a ridiculous amount of luck, to get the drop on a Havenite fleet guarding the Cerberus system, from which she and a few hundred thousand POWs and Peep political prisoners are attempting to escape.
* One of the common concepts of the tactics used in the ''[[Honor Harrington]]'' books is that the spaceships used in the battles are virtually invisible when the "wedges" that normally propel them are powered down, and the rare obedience to physics means that a powered-down ship is not motionless and can coast on a ballistic course with virtually no chance of detection. They're almost incapable of maneuvering, though. Honor uses this trick, along with a ridiculous amount of luck, to get the drop on a Havenite fleet guarding the Cerberus system, from which she and a few hundred thousand POWs and Peep political prisoners are attempting to escape.
** Specifically, a ship without its wedge powered is invisible to ''gravitic'' sensors; it continues to emit everything else (heat, EM, etc) as normal, and still presents a perfect target for radar and laser systems. However, lots of commanders in the Honorverse don't bother with anything but the gravitics, since gravitics operate at FTL speeds as opposed to light-speed EM-based methods, and it's assumed that any ship attempting aggressive action will have to have its wedge running. Basically, Honor's entire plan hinged on the Peeps being [[Too Dumb to Live|terminally lazy]] and failing to check their EM sensors. In a later novel, she and Michelle Henke [[Lampshade Hanging|hung a giant pair of fuzzy dice]] on the tactic for the benefit of a gaggle of hero-worshiping midshipmen, dissecting all of the myriad ways the Peeps could have spotted Honor coming light minutes away and turned her entire fleet into space junk with a single salvo. Paraphrased below:
** Specifically, a ship without its wedge powered is invisible to ''gravitic'' sensors; it continues to emit everything else (heat, EM, etc) as normal, and still presents a perfect target for radar and laser systems. However, lots of commanders in the Honorverse don't bother with anything but the gravitics, since gravitics operate at FTL speeds as opposed to light-speed EM-based methods, and it's assumed that any ship attempting aggressive action will have to have its wedge running. Basically, Honor's entire plan hinged on the Peeps being [[Too Dumb to Live|terminally lazy]] and failing to check their EM sensors. In a later novel, she and Michelle Henke [[Lampshade Hanging|hung a giant pair of fuzzy dice]] on the tactic for the benefit of a gaggle of hero-worshiping midshipmen, dissecting all of the myriad ways the Peeps could have spotted Honor coming light minutes away and turned her entire fleet into space junk with a single salvo. Paraphrased below:
{{quote| '''Michelle Henke:''' Dame Honor's tactic may not have been the single most outrageous, gutsiest, all-or-nothing, do-or-die throw of the dice in the history of the Royal Manticoran Navy. If it wasn't, however, I cannot imagine the action that ''was.''}}
{{quote|'''Michelle Henke:''' Dame Honor's tactic may not have been the single most outrageous, gutsiest, all-or-nothing, do-or-die throw of the dice in the history of the Royal Manticoran Navy. If it wasn't, however, I cannot imagine the action that ''was.''}}
* In Stephen Baxter's novel ''[[Exultant]]'', when an asteroid base goes into steatlh mode, everyone around the base is quiet. One character points out that there's no reason for this, but another responds that it's purely psychological--being quiet helps everyone feel that they're being stealthy.
* In Stephen Baxter's novel ''[[Exultant]]'', when an asteroid base goes into steatlh mode, everyone around the base is quiet. One character points out that there's no reason for this, but another responds that it's purely psychological--being quiet helps everyone feel that they're being stealthy.
* [[World War Z]]. Attempted during a battle between two Chinese submarines. Underwater zombies mess it up.
* [[World War Z]]. Attempted during a battle between two Chinese submarines. Underwater zombies mess it up.
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