Leaving his cruisers at Kavieng, Mikawa gathered all 21 of his destroyers at the Japanese naval base in the Shortlands on 31 January to begin the evacuation runs.
Mikawa lod sine krydsere blive i Kavieng og samlede alle sine 21 destroyere på den japanske flådebase i Shortlandøerne den 31. januar for at begynde evakueringen.