On 1 February 1944, "Fusō" departed Truk with "Nagato" to avoid an American air raid, and arrived at Palau on 4 February. They left on 16 February to escape another air raid. The ships arrived on 21 February at Lingga Island, and "Fusō" was employed there as a training ship. A week later, Captain Masami Ban relieved Tsuruoka. The ship was refitted at Singapore between 13 and 27 April, and returned to Lingga. She was transferred to Tawi-Tawi on 11 May and provided cover for the convoy that failed to reinforce Biak Island at the end of the month. "Fusō" transferred to Tarakan Island off Borneo to refuel in early July before returning to Japan and escaping an attack by the submarine . In early August at Kure, she was refitted with additional radars and light AA guns. "Fusō" and her sister ship were transferred to Battleship Division 2 of the 2nd Fleet on 10 September, and "Fusō" became the flagship of the division under the command of Vice-Admiral Shōji Nishimura on 23 September. They departed Kure on 23 September for Lingga, escaping an attack by the submarine the next day, and arrived on 4 October, where Nishimura transferred his flag to "Yamashiro". The ships then transferred to Brunei to refuel in preparation for Operation "Shō-Gō", the attempt to destroy the American fleet conducting the invasion of Leyte.