Silent Service (Chinmoku no Kantai)

Enter.

Excuse me, sir.

We're nearly there.

Yamanaka.

70% of the Earth is ocean.

Faced with such a vast ocean,

why do humans fight?

NEAR THE JAPANESE COAST

JAPAN MARITIME SELF-DEFENSE FORCE

DIESEL SUBMARINE TATSUNAMI

Currently at high speed.

Ahead slow.

-Ahead slow. -Sorry to bother you, sir.

Unidentified vessel.

-Where? -Near Inubosaki, in the Yamanami's area.

Kaieda's area... Nam, signature?

No acoustic signature collected.

Name unknown. Los Angeles-class nuclear sub.

-The US... -XO.

The Yamanami is approaching.

The Yamanami is nearing the nuclear sub. It's not slowing down.

Are they not aware?

Stop!

All hands, remain silent.

Captain's order. All hands, remain silent.

The Yamanami is sinking.

It's on a collision course.

Collision.

The Yamanami is sinking...

-Any distress signal? -None, sir.

Contact Yokosuka Base.

They might not be able to blow their tanks.

Yamanami, this is Tatsunami.

Confirm your condition, over.

Depth 500.

No reply, sir.

600.

Approaching crush depth.

The Yamanami has been crushed.

JMSDF Yamanami sank with 76 people on board.

What could be the cause?

Submarines dive deep into the ocean.

Radio and radar may not work, so only sound is reliable.

Even the slightest error can lead to serious accidents.

A nearby submarine's audio analysis showed that

the Yamanami was diving straight down.

There may have been an anomaly in the propulsion or ballast system,

and the vessel couldn't resurface.

And they collided with an unidentified nuclear submarine?

There haven't been any announcements,

but if a diesel submarine and a nuclear submarine collided,

significant damage would be expected.

There is speculation that this was an engagement, not an accident.

Any thoughts on that?

Given current geopolitics,

it's natural for such concerns to arise.

But it seems unlikely given the circumstances.

So, Japan is safe?

Yes. As for this incident,

it's safe to say that it was an accident.

I see. Thank you.

We offer condolences for Yamanami Commander Shiro Kaieda,

and the 76 crew members who lost their lives.

THE YAMANAMI COLLISION

We lost a good man.

Watch your words.

Aren't you sad, Admiral?

What's your point?

I heard the US military took care of the bodies.

Did you see them with your own eyes, sir?

Did Kaieda really die?

Fukamachi.

I understand your feelings towards Kaieda, but that's nonsense.

The Ministry of Defense confirmed it.

Excuse me.

Begin rapid detection.

Starting flood control.

Captain Kaieda!

I said, "Close it."

I can hear it.

It's coming.

There.

Sonar techs aren't much good on land.

It's coming.

What?

Footsteps in a bad mood.

Nam!

You have the audio data of theYamanami's implosion, right?

Of course.

Call the Operations Officer. I want you both inside.

I'll go ahead.

You're not helping me?

Nam, please.

Aye, sir.

This is the sound of the nuclear sub's screw.

It's trying to avoid the Yamanami as it descends.

Collision.

It continues its descent...

Crushed.

What an awful sound.

The ship had 76 crew members...

Play that once more.

Anything odd?

Again.

-Why? -Captain.

There's no way Kaieda would ever bungle and sink a ship.

But the ship and its crew were recovered.

Yeah, by the US.

-Hayami. -Yes.

What do submariners trust?

Their ears, experience, and gut?

My gut tells me Kaieda is still alive.

Escaping from a crushed submarine at 700 meters is impossible.

Okay.

I'll clean up the noise and give it a thorough listen.

Just give me some time.

Right, thanks.

That's right.

Just sit on the chair, like you always do.

Yes, sir.

Yes, goodbye.

What did he say?

To confirm there are no changes to the project.

It's his greatest wish.

A nuclear sub.

Are you getting cold feet again?

No, but...

We must protect our own country.

This is a necessary action for Japan to build that strength.

Yes.

I know.

Pretty words won't protect a nation.

Enter.

Excuse me.

Goodbye, sir.

Sonezaki.

Yes?

Count me in on this.

I thought...

it wouldn't be right to exclude

the Chief Cabinet Secretary, after all.

Does he know?

Yes.

I told him.

He was very angry, though.

So we can share it with him?

Okay.

So, what is this project about?

3 YEARS AGO

Begin rapid detection, 1MC.

Begin rapid detection.

Sonar, send me the image.

Seawater entering the engine room from the starboard side.

The cause?

Unknown. It's flooding.

Roger. Flooding in the motor room.

Depth is 400 meters.

It's caused by depth pressure. Start barrier protection.

Roger.

Initiate flood control.

Starting flood control.

Can you go help out in the motor room?

Transporting wounded personnel now. We will head to the motor room ASAP.

Evacuate.

Close the motor room hatch.

But there's still...

Motor room?

Irie. Irie, respond.

-We're going to help. -XO!

Sinking from the stern.

Captain.

I analyzed the audio data.

I slowed it down and removed the noise, such as the water current.

Then, I focused on the internal and external rupture sounds,

and it was quite surprising.

This is the Yamanami's screw noise,

before it approaches the US nuclear sub.

It ascended...

and surfaced.

It's the sound of hatches opening.

Does this mean the whole crew escaped?

So they dropped the unmanned Yamanami onto a nuclear sub.

Is that even possible?

What if the US was in on this?

What in the world for?

Project Sea Bat?

The Sea Bat is a new nuclear submarine belonging to the US 7th Fleet.

Shiro Kaieda was selected to be its captain.

The crew are also from the Yamanami.

So the collision was a staged incident to transfer the crew to the Sea Bat?

But in secret, without going through the Diet.

-I assume Japan funded its construction? -Right.

What's so important about a submarine?

I mean, it's just a submarine.

It's a nuclear submarine.

Conventional submarines use diesel-electric power,

so they need to surface regularly.

But nuclear subs can navigate deep waters without resurfacing.

By the time they're detected, they're already behind the enemy.

Oh! You scared me.