Following Midway, the ships were sent to assist in the Solomon Islands campaign. While "Takao", "Maya" and "Atago" were employed primarily escorting aircraft carriers, "Chōkai" was the flagship of the 8th Fleet and Vice-Admiral Mikawa's strike force at the Battle of Savo Island on 8 August 1942, inflicting what has been credited as the worst blue-water defeat in United States Navy history by sinking three American cruisers and severely damaging a fourth, as well as damaging the Australian cruiser "Canberra" to the extent that she had to be scuttled. Although "Chōkai" took several hits in return, the remainder of the Japanese force received only superficial damage.