"Searaven"s fourth war patrol was a quiet one and returning from her fifth patrol, she claimed 23,400 tons sunk and 6,853 damaged. This tally, however, went unconfirmed. She ended her fifth patrol on 24 November 1942 at Fremantle, Australia, where she underwent refit. On 18 December, she got underway from Fremantle, bound for the Banda Sea, Ceram Sea, and the Palau Islands. In the Banda Sea, she welcomed the New Year by loosing a spread of three torpedoes at the minelayer . Again, the sinking claimed by "Searaven" went unconfirmed. Two weeks later, on 14 January 1943, the submarine pumped four torpedoes into the freighter "Siraha Maru" and collected her first confirmed victory. On 10 February, she sailed into Pearl Harbor and, two days later, she set out for overhaul at Mare Island, California.