to Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on 26 July for the installation of additional anti-aircraft guns. After returning to Truk on 23 August, she continued on to Rabaul on 27 August, disembarking army troops and supplies. In response to American carrier aircraft raiding in the Gilbert Islands, Takao sortied with Vice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa's fleet to engage the American carriers. The fleet consisted of the aircraft carriers , Zuikaku and Zuihō, the battleships and , heavy cruisers Myōkō, Haguro, , , , Atago, Takao, Chōkai and Maya, the light cruiser Agano and fifteen destroyers. Despite extensive searches, this force failed to make contact with the American striking force and returned to Truk. Takao was refueling at Rabaul when the base was attacked on 5 November 1943 by American carrier aircraft. She was targeted by SBD Dauntless dive bombers from and hit by two bombs, killing 23 crewmen and damaging her steering. Takao was forced to return to Yokosuka for dry dock repairs. During the repair work, additional anti-aircraft guns were fitted, along with a Type 21 radar. Repairs were not complete until 18 January 1944. Takao was assigned to Vice Admiral Ozawa’s First Mobile Fleet based at Palau from 1 March 1944, and was stationed at Davao in the southern Philippines from 1 April. She was attacked by the submarine on 6 April, but all of her torpedoes missed. On 13 June, during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, Takao was part of Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita’s Mobile Force Vanguard, deployed from Tawi Tawi in an attempt to force the American 5th Fleet into a "decisive battle" off of Saipan. In what came to be called the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot", Japanese aircraft attacking US Task Force 58 off Saipan suffered severe losses. On 26 June Takao was again at Kure Naval Arsenal, where yet more anti-aircraft guns were installed, as well as a Type 13 air-search radar. Takao returned to Singapore in mid-July and conducted operations in the vicinity of Singapore and Brunei until mid-October. On 22 October, Takao sortied from Brunei as part of Admiral Kurita's Center Force for the Battle of Leyte Gulf. In the predawn hours of 23 October, the Japanese force was intercepted by two American submarines in the Palawan Passage. Takao was hit by two torpedoes from , which shattered two shafts, broke her fantail and flooded three boiler rooms. Atago and Maya were both sunk