Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Muna May 1944, Asakura akasimudzirwa kuva rear admiral uye "Musashi" akabva kuKure achienda kuOkinawa musi wa 10 May, ndokuzoenda kuTawi-Tawi musi wa 12 May. Yakapiwa 1st Mobile Fleet, pasi pehutungamiri hweVice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa, pamwe nehanzvadzi yake. Musi wa 10 Chikumi, ngarava dzehondo dzakabva kuTawi-Tawi kuenda kuBatjan dzichitungamirwa naVice Admiral Matome Ugaki, mukugadzirira Operation Kon, kurwisa kwakarongwa kurwisa maAmerican
kupinda muBiak. Mazuva maviri gare gare, apo shoko rakasvika kuna Ugaki rokurwisa kweAmerica Saipan, uto rake rakatsausirwa kuMariana Islands. Mushure mokunge vasangana nesimba guru raOzawa musi wa 16 June, ngarava dzehondo dzakagoverwa kuVice Admiral Takeo Kurita's 2nd Fleet. Mukati meHondo yeGungwa rePhilippine, "Musashi" haana kurwiswa. Kutevera kukundwa kweJapan muhondo (inozivikanwawo se "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot"), Second Fleet yakadzokera kuJapan. Musi wa 8 Chikunguru, "Musashi" nehanzvadzi yake vakakwira varume 3522 nemidziyo yeArmy's 106th Infantry Regiment ye49th Infantry Division ndokuenda kuLingga Island, kwavakasvika musi wa 17 Chikunguru.