On December 1, 1941 it was re-equipped with 24 Navy Type 97 Kawanishi H6K flying boats and assigned to support Japanese IJN 4th Fleet operations in the central Pacific as part of the 24th Air Flotilla.

Immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and start of hostilities against the United States, Japanese forces attempted to seize strategically located Wake Island.

On February 14, 1942, a detachment of seven Kawanishi H6K’s was sent to Rabaul, New Britain and assigned to the 25th Air Flotilla, where they conducted reconnaissance and bombing missions in support of Japanese offensives in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

On April 1, 1942 the unit gained twelve Navy Type 2 Nakajima A6M2-N fighter seaplanes, which were tasked with defending Japanese bases in the same area from Allied bombing raids from June 2, 1942.

[1] The survivors, commanded by Captain Shigetoshi Miyazaki, joined the detachment of the 3rd Kure Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) and fought as infantry until they were annihilated to the last man.