Yokosuka for a refit with additional anti-aircraft guns, arriving 18 March. In April, she participated in the unsuccessful pursuit of the Doolittle raid task force. On 2 May, Takao assisted in rescue efforts for the seaplane carrier , which had been torpedoed by the US submarine off of Omaezaki. Takao rescued 471 crew from the sinking ship . In June 1942, Takao and Maya supported the invasion of the Aleutian Islands, protecting the convoy for Kiska and providing fire support for landings on Attu. On 3 June 1942, their reconnaissance floatplanes were attacked by USAAF Curtiss P-40 fighters from Umnak and two were shot down; on 5 June, Takao shot down a B-17 Flying Fortress. Takao returned to Ōminato on 24 June. In August 1942, Takao was assigned to "Operation Ka", the Japanese reinforcement during the Battle of Guadalcanal, departing Hashirajima with Atago and Maya on 11 August for Truk. The cruisers were in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons on 24 August from a distance, and did not see combat. However, during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October, all three cruisers (together with and ) participated in night combat operations resulting in the sinking of the crippled and abandoned American aircraft carrier . This was followed by a determined attempt to shell the US base at Henderson Field leading to the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Early in the morning of 15 November 1942, the battleship , supported by Takao and Atago, engaged the American battleships and . All three Japanese ships hit South Dakota multiple times with shells, knocking out her radar and fire controls. Takao and Atago fired Long Lance torpedoes at Washington but missed. However, Kirishima was quickly disabled by Washington and sank a few hours later. Atago was damaged. Takao escaped unharmed, but was forced to retreat to Truk, and from there went back to Kure Naval Arsenal for repairs at the end of November, returning to Truk by the end of December. In early 1943, Takao supported the evacuation of Guadalcanal. The force consisted of the carriers , and , the battleships and , heavy cruisers Atago, Takao, Myōkō and Haguro, the light cruisers Nagara and , and 11 destroyers. The Japanese transports were successful in evacuating 11,700 troops from the island. Under the command of Inoguchi Toshihira, Takao operated in the central Pacific from her base at Truk. She returned