Nobutake Kondō
During the Battle of Midway on 4–6 June, "Murasame" was part of the aborted Midway Occupation Force under Admiral Nobutake Kondō. In late July, she transferred to Mergui via Singapore to join the Indian Ocean raiding force, but the operation was cancelled due to developments at Guadalcanal, and she returned to Truk on 21 August. During the Battle of the Eastern Solomons on 24 August, she was part of the escort for the battleship , and during most of September, she was an escort for the seaplane tender , exploring the Solomon Islands and Santa Cruz Islands for potential base locations.