 In the Battle of the Bismarck Sea on 3–4 March 1943, US Navy and RAAF bombers inflicted severe damage on the Japanese convoy, sinking all of the transports and four destroyers.Admiral Kimura was wounded by machine gun fire in the shoulder and stomach, and his flagship, "Shirayuki", was among the four destroyers sunk during the engagement.He, and most of his crew, were rescued by "Shikinami".