 Nyorai kuenderera mberi kweiyi ndima - Muna Ndira naFebruary 1942, simba iri rakakamurwa kuva Eastern neCentral Forces; yekutanga yekupinda kweMenado, Kendari neMakassar muCelebes uye amphibious operations muBanda Sea, uye yechipiri yekupinda kweDutch Borneo. Takahashi akanga ari Mutungamiriri weEastern neCentral Forces panguva yokupinda kweBali neJava. Mauto ake aisanganisira Direct Support Force pasi peRear Admiral Shōji Nishimura, mutungamiri we4th Destroyer Squadron, Second Escort Force pasi peRear Admiral Raizo Tanaka, mutungamiri we2nd Destroyer Squadron, 1st uye 2nd Naval Base Forces, pasi peRear Admiral Takeo Kurita, Third Escort Force, pasi peRear-Admiral Chuichi Hara, uye First Air Group yakaumbwa neanotakura mutakuri uye 56 anotakura. 