The Silent Service – Episode 4 “Combat Begins” Recap & Review

Combat Begins

Episode 4 of The Silent Service opens with Yamato officially at war with the USA. The latter is trying to ensure that no media outlets get the wind of what is unfolding in the Pacific Ocean. Any news on the war between the USA and Yamato will mean recognizing Yamato as a country. In a similar vein, only the higher-ups of the Japanese government are aware of the ongoing war.

Kaide faces the challenge of combating two major submarines in the 7th fleet: Ashville and Oklahoma. However, this job becomes easier as Ashville crashes itself into the deep sea, leaving everyone in Oklahoma in shock. It turns out Kaide has baited Ashville into crashing.

Upon reaching the seabed, Ashville sends a distress signal (dan buoy), which inadvertently gets entangled with Sea Bat’s engine screw, and immobilizes it. However, Sea Bat manages to break free from the cable. As for the crew aboard Ashville, they aren’t so lucky and drown.

After dealing with Ashville, Kaide sets his sights on Oklahoma, and the Sea Bat heads straight toward Oklahoma. In response, Captain Kevin Doyle fires two torpedoes at Sea Bat, but Kaide confuses Oklahoma’s SONAR, making it difficult to determine if the attack is successful or not.

Suddenly, Sea Bat appears in front of Oklahoma, catching Captain Boyle off guard. Boyle anticipates a collision, but Sea Bat changes direction and attempts to escape. Captain Boyle orders a pursuit, falling for Kaide’s bait once again.

However, just before reaching a mountain under the sea, Sea Bat alters its course, and Oklahoma collides with the mountain. This collision triggers all the explosives, including the nukes, onboard.

Meanwhile, Wataru Unabara, the Chief Cabinet Officer, meets with Diago Unabara, one of the Japanese diplomats, at his home to address personal differences. As they debate their ideologies, they come to the conclusion that Japan has relied on the protection of the US for too long. They agree that Japan needs to strengthen itself and develop its own identity as a military superpower.

At the same time, Japan is also working to mend its relations with America, as the Prime Minister believes that having America as an enemy would be foolish (Hiroshima and Nagasaki). He sends a message showing Japan’s willingness to pay reparations. On the other hand, Japan also recognizes the importance of standing strong in the world.

They understand that if they can convince Kaide to return Sea Bat to the Japanese Navy, they will gain full control over the sea. This can potentially allow Japan to access nuclear warheads, placing them among the few countries with such luxury. In another high-level meeting, the Japanese PM orders to deploy the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) to protect the Sea Bat.

Kaide contacts Fukamachi and informs him that he, as the representative of Yamato, will be heading to Japan for diplomatic talks. Fukamachi is shocked to hear this news and fears that Kaide might use Sea Bat to threaten Japan’s sovereignty. Despite his concerns, Japan shows informal support for Kaide by sending warships to escort him to the discussions.

This gesture proves that Japan has informally recognized Yamato as a country. As the episode nears its end, we see the JMSDF in the Philippine Sea en route to help the Sea Bat. However, they face resistance from the 3rd fleet of the American Navy, which stops them from sailing further.

Despite requests, Captain Alan Lancing, head of the third fleet, continues to reject their pleas and warns the JMSDF that any further advancement could result in a bombing. JMSDF ignores their warnings, leaving Lancing with no choice but to order his crew to prepare to fire.


Episode Review

Episode 4 really took everyone by surprise, especially with the diplomatic maneuvering by the Japanese government. Episode 4 also brings in Alan B Lancing, and it’s clear that he’s going to be a major player in the episodes to come.

Looking ahead to Episode 5, all eyes will be on the showdown between the 3rd fleet and the JMSDF. This clash could either strengthen or strain the relationship between Japan and America.

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You can read our full season review for The Silent Service here!

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