High School Fleet (ハイスクール・フリート)

April 8th 16:00

Principal, you've got a message from the Maritime Safety Support Department.

Read it.

Yes, ma'am. "If this Harekaze incident can't be dealt with promptly within the school,

it will be recognized as a large-scale insurrection.

In that case, all of your school's ships will be seized.

If that proves impossible, they will be sunk."

At this rate, it really will be deemed mutiny,

and the Blue Mermaid's main force may be dispatched on a public security operation.

We can't put our students in danger when we don't even know the truth yet!

Let's try all possible means for the sake of the students' safety.

Yes, ma'am.

First, call the Director of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation.

An emergency distress call from the Musashi.

What should I do?

Ms. Takeda.

How is the main battery?

As you can see, we're inspecting it right now.

It's automated for the most part, but inspecting it is tough.

Well, Hikari?

This kid is still giving me grief.

About how much longer will it take?

I'll get it done by sunset somehow.

I appreciate it.

Yep.

We made some rice balls.

- Thanks! - It looks good!

The ones with faces have pickled plums inside.

Ms. Matsunaga, Ms. Himeji, are there any problems here?

- No problems with the launching tubes. - Well, we don't even have a single torpedo.

So you're having rice balls for lunch?

Everyone's too busy with repairs to go to the dining hall.

Is it true we got an emergency distress call from the Musashi?

That's what I heard, too.

I wonder what's going on with the other ships.

You're saying the whole world has turned against us?!

We can't let the Musashi sink!

Let's escape to the South Pole!

That's not a very funny idea.

What?

Damage Report

I've verified the damages.

What's the situation?

At present, the engine is being repaired. Battery number three is out of commission.

We have no torpedoes. We have one depth charge left.

The tactical marine equipment and surface radar are damaged.

As for communications, we can only receive messages.

How long will it take if we place priority repairing the necessities to be seaworthy?

If it's only the engine, we need another eight hours.

We'll start there.

Chief Engineer!

Can you repair it on the go?

We can make it work! But we can't go any faster than cruising speed!

Understood.

At cruising speed, we'll take the shortest course back to school, Captain?

Captain?

Captain!

Shiro, what is it?

Please get your act together.

Sorry, I was just...

Maritime Safety Support Department...

Apparently Ms. Yagi intercepted an emergency message.

- From where? - From where?

It was an area-wide message from the Maritime Safety Support Department.

Area-wide message?

Let's see, "Currently, a Yokosuka Girls' Marine High School ship has turned renegade.

No ships from that high school shall be allowed to stop at a port.

Also, if the following ship offers any resistance, it may be sunk without any repercussions:

the Destroyer, Harekaze"?!

S-Sunk?

I like firing, but I hate being fired at!

Does that mean we can't stop at any port?

It looks like it.

W-we've totally become fugitives!

The Musashi may be in the same situation. That's why the distress call...

Unlike us, that ship can't be sunk easily.

- But they were asking for help. So— - We're the ones who need help!

And how can we help anyone when we haven't even done any practical skill exercises?

We shouldn't change our plan to return to school.

Let's report the Musashi to the school and let them handle it.

I understand. Just as Shiro says, let's return to school.

Aye.

Okay, I'll be on the bridge, so the rest of you can get some sleep.

Rin and I are on duty tonight.

You need to sleep too in order to command properly.

I'll be fine.

Just get some sleep, please!

O-Okay. Understood, Shiro.

Moka.

I want to go help you. But right now...

I have to start acting like a captain.

Captain. The sonar technician, Ms. Marikouji, said she heard a strange noise underwater.

Captain! Captain!

All hands to your station!

Coco, please report!

Um, there are two propellers 3,000 m away. Currently conducting a sound analysis.

There's nothing on the surface, so...

...a submarine?

What's up at a time like this?

Shiro, what's that?

What are you doing?

This is, um... Don't look!

Main battery, ready!

We're still fixing the engine. We can't go any faster than cruising speed!

All clear from the watch!

As far as I can see.

A-All hands are at their stations.

Sound analysis completed. It's I-201, a ship from Toumai High.

Thank you, Ms. Marikouji.

You're welcome.

Toumai High?

That's a boys' high school.

Huh, a boys' school.

Submarines are always from the boys' schools.

But they're so cramped and hot and stinky.

I-I can't deal with that!

They're obviously pursuing us. Let's fire at them!

Coco, can we get in contact with I-201?

Seawater will damp normal radio waves, so we wouldn't reach them.

So how do they normally contact each other?

Just because it's a submarine, doesn't mean they're always underwater.

Yeah, it would be scary if they didn't check the surface once in a while.

Shiro, when underwater, they're also using sonar to see what's on the topside, right?

Of course.

Then why don't we use our active sonar for Morse code?

I believe that would work.

If we do that, they'll think we attacked them!

- Let's fire sonar or whatever at them! - Don't talk nonsense!

Ms. Marikouji, tell them our school, ship name, and we have no intention of fighting.

Received, and understood.

Target has changed its depth. It's suddenly diving deeper.

What did I tell you?

But what if we could convey our circumstances.

That might be true, but we're fugitives!

See, they're pursuing us.

L-Let's just get out of here!

Rin, slow ahead, at a speed that doesn't interfere with the sonar.

S-Slow ahead!

I wonder what kind of ship the I-201 is.

Feature: History of Underwater High Speed Submarines

Let's see. Here it is.

Standard water displacement 1,070 tons.

It's a fast ship that can move at 20 knots underwater.

Twenty knots is really slow compared to the Harekaze.

We're on the surface. If they can go that fast underwater, it's incredible.

Most submarines can only move about six knots.

Twenty and six.

Wow, so it's about three times as fast.

And their arms?

Four 53 cm torpedo tubes, two 25 mm single-mounted machine guns,

and ten torpedoes!

Two torpedoes heading our way!

Maron! Battle speed, as much as you can give us!

I've got my hands full right now. Kuro, you do it!

Roger.

Ms. Marikouji.

Where is the firing sound coming from?

Both are coming from 27 degrees. They're getting closer.

3,000... 2,000.

Roger.

Two torpedoes, 20 degrees off the port bow. Approaching!

Rin! Hard left rudder!

Hard left rudder!

We escaped the torpedoes' collision course!

Two explosions off the ship's stern!

Eight torpedoes left. Tama, prepare for artillery battle, port side!

I can't see the target!

- If we fire, they'll definitely treat us as hostile! - I know! But for us to escape...

W-We could lose them if we go full spee—

We can't go full speed!

I-I know!

Ms. Marikouji, do you know their position?

I apologize, but we would have to move more slowly.

If we slow down, they'll sink us!

For now, let's just keep running around.

I don't see anything in the area.

It's been an hour. With the speed difference, I hope we've put enough distance between us.

Really?

They can't stay underwater at their max speed forever.

Then maybe we managed to escape.

If it's escaping, leave it to me.