In January 1942, the detachment first moved to the newly captured airfield at Davao and then to Kendari and participated in the invasion of Dutch East Indies, while the main body supported the Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore. On 19 February, the detachment participated in the Bombing of Darwin, where they hit the harbor one and a half hour after the carrier strike. In March, the main body and the detachment both returned to Japan where they reunited.