In February 1943, the group was involved in covering the evacuation of Japanese troops from Guadalcanal. In April 1943, it participated in Operation I-Go. During the Operation SE on 16 June, the group's 24 D3A dive bombers under Lieutenant Tamotsu Ema made a strike against Allied shipping around Guadalcanal, where the group's new "Hikōtaichō" Lieutenant Commander Saburō Shindō led 16 Zeros to escort them. They lost eight dive bombers and four Zeros in the attack. Finally, the group's fighter unit was disbanded on 1 August 1943 and some pilots were transferred to 201st and 204th Air Groups. The group then became a fully bomber unit and also absorbed some Nakajima B5N and B6N torpedo bombers from other units. It continued to participate in the Solomon Islands campaign and New Guinea campaign, including in attacking Allied ships during landings at Lae, Arawe, Finschhafen and Cape Torokina.