On 20 November 1943, the Battles of Makin and of Tarawa began with the U.S. landings on those atolls. That day, the commander-in-chief of the 6th Fleet, Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi, ordered "Ro-38" and the submarines , , , , , , , and to attack the U.S. invasion fleet off the atolls. On 26 November 1943, Takagi ordered "I-19", "I-40", "I-169", and "Ro-38" to form a patrol line north of Makin, with "Ro-38" northeast of Makin at the eastern end of the line. The 6th Fleet ordered "Ro-38" to move to a new patrol area southeast of Tarawa on 27 November 1943, and on 4 December 1943 it sent her orders to patrol between Tarawa and Canton Island. "Ro-38" did not acknowledge any of these orders.