In November, they moved to Taiwan, however soon afterwards the unit's main body was transferred to Saigon in French Indochina, leaving a detachment at Taichung.

[1] At the start of Pacific War, Kanoya Air Group was considered the most highly trained medium bomber unit in torpedo attacks.

[2] The rest of the group's bombers under Hikōtaichō Lieutenant Commander Kazuo Nishioka moved to Kavieng on New Ireland on 16 September.

On the same day, part of its fighter unit led by Hikōtaichō Lieutenant Toshitaka Itō moved to Rabaul for temporary duty with Tainan Air Group.

[5][7] On 30 January, the 751st Air Group bombers were involved in the Battle of Rennell Island, where they were led by Lieutenant Commander Kazuo Nishioka and they torpedoed the cruiser Chicago.

By mid-1943, the high rate of attrition forced the unit to reduce the number of aircrew per bomber from seven to five, which typically meant there was no co-pilot.