Name Translation: "Morning Clouds"

Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Commander Iwahashi Tooru [51] (prev. C.O. HATSUYUKI). Assigned to Desdiv 9 (ASAGUMO, YAMAGUMO, NATSUGUMO, MINEGUMO), Desron 4, Second Fleet. Flagship of Comdesdiv 9, Captain Sato Yasuo [44] (prev. Comdesdiv 5).

26-29 November 1941:
Steamed with Desron 4 from Terashima Strait to Mako (Pescadores).

7-11 December:
Departed Mako, then with Vigan (Philippines) invasion force.

22 December:
With Lingayen invasion force.

12 January 1942:
With Tarakan invasion force.

23 January:
With Balikpapan invasion force.

8 February:
With Makassar invasion force.

25 February:
Assisted in occupation of Bawean Island.

27 February:
With Eastern Java invasion force.

27-28 February: Battle of the Java Sea
Assisted by MINEGUMO, sank HMS ELECTRA by gunfire. Medium damage: hit in engine room, temporarily dead in the water; four dead, 19 wounded.

1-18 March:
Emergency repairs at Balikpapan.

18-19 March:
Escorted repair ship YAMABIKO MARU from Balikpapan to Makassar.

20-29 March:
Steamed from Makassar to Yokosuka, then docked for repairs.

4-6 June: Battle of Midway:
Escorted Admiral Kondo's Occupation Force Main Body.

27 June-13 July:
Escorted fleet patrolling out of Ominato southwest of the Aleutians.

19-25 July:
With NATSUGUMO, escorted CHOKAI from Kure to Truk.

29 July-1 August:
With NATSUGUMO transport run from Truk to Kwajalein, then returned to Yokosuka on 8 August.

11-17 August:
Escorted fleet from Yokosuka to Truk.

24 August: Battle of the Eastern Solomons
Escorted Admiral Kondo's Advance Force.

September:
Desdiv 9 escorted fleet patrolling out of Truk north of the Solomons.

26-28 September:
Desdiv 9 steamed from Truk to the Shortlands.

2 October:
Led troop transport run of six destroyers to Guadalcanal.

5 October:
Led troop transport run of six destroyers to Guadalcanal.

8 October:
Accompanied NISSHIN on troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

11-12 October:
Accompanied NISSHIN and CHITOSE on troop transport run to Guadalcanal; rescued survivors of NATSUGUMO.

14 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

17 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

26 October: Battle of Santa Cruz
Escorted CHOKAI in Shortlands-area.

2-6 November:
Served as flagship of Comdesron 4 (Rear Admiral Takama Tamotsu [41]).

2 November:
Led troop transport run of eleven destroyers to Guadalcanal (cover).

5 November:
Led troop transport run of ten destroyers to Guadalcanal (cover).

8 November:
Led troop transport run of nine destroyers to Guadalcanal (cover).

11 November:
Again serving as Desron 4 flagship (Rear Admiral Takama), departed Shortlands to join Admiral Abe's Bombardment Force.

12-13 November: First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
Escorted Admiral Abe's Bombardment Force. Entered fighting late, but assisted in sinking of USS MONSSEN (DD-436) and damaging USS HELENA (CL-50); later assisted crippled YUDACHI, then joined KIRISHIMA.

14-15 November: Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
Escorted Admiral Kondo's Emergency Bombardment Force, providing close cover to the heavy ships. Assisted sinking KIRISHIMA and helped remove survivors, then to Truk on 18 November for repairs.

21 December 1942-8 January 1943:
With SHIGURE, escorted CHUYO from Truk to Yokosuka and back.

15-25 January:
With SAMIDARE, escorted JUNYO out of Truk covering troop convoys (HEI No. 1, lifting elements of 20^th Division from Pusan) from Palau to Wewak; following JUNYO's return to Truk on 19 January, joined escort of the convoys.

31 January-4 February:
Escorted fleet patrolling out of Truk north of the Solomons to cover the Guadalcanal evacuation, then with SAMIDARE to Shortlands to augment evacuation forces.

4 February:
Troop evacuation run to Guadalcanal (cover).

7 February:
Troop evacuation run to Guadalcanal (cover).

11-17 February:
Steamed from Shortlands via Rabaul to Palau.

19-23 February:
With SAMIDARE, escorted troop convoy (2nd section of HEI No. 3: AIKOKU MARU, GOKOKU MARU and KIYOZUMI MARU, lifting elements of 41st Division from Tsingtao) from Palau to Wewak; then to Rabaul on 25 February.

1-4 March: Battle of the Bismarck Sea
Escorted troop convoy from Rabaul towards Lae. On 2 March assisted YUKIKAZE in rescuing survivors from KYOKUSEI MARU and took them to Lae. On 3 March rejoined convoy, then weathered air attacks without damage. Assisted in rescuing survivors of sunken ships then carried them via Kavieng to reach Rabaul on 5 March.

7-8 March:
Steamed from Rabaul to Shortlands, then led troop transport run to Kolombangara.

13 March:
Led troop transport run to Kolombangara.

1 April:
Desdiv 9 reassigned to Desron 1, Fifth Fleet; on same date, troop transport run to Kolombangara.

5 April:
Troop transport run to Kolombangara.

6-8 April:
Steamed from Shortlands to Truk.

9-13 April:
Steamed from Truk to Yokosuka, then docked for repairs.

21-24 May:
Steamed from Yokosuka to Paramushiro, then Northern Area patrol/escort duties.

7 June:
Out of Paramushiro to assist damaged SHIRAKUMO.

9 June:
Commander Iwahashi (to Staff, Desron 1, later Desron 2) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Shibayama Kazuo [52] (prev. C.O. SUZUKAZE).

7-17 July:
Initial troop evacuation run to Kiska, aborted due to weather.

22 July-1 August:
Second troop evacuation run to Kiska, successful on 29 July. With ABUKUMA, KISO, and five other destroyers, assigned to transport unit. Removed 476 evacuees.

3-6 August:
Escorted MAYA from Paramushiro to Yokosuka.

10-11 August:
Steamed from Yokosuka to Ominato, then resumed Northern Area patrol/escort duties.

31 October:
Reassigned to Desdiv 10, Desron 10, Third Fleet.

31 October-4 November:
Escorted convoy from Paramushiro to Yokosuka, then docked for repairs. (“X” turret probably removed/replaced by two triple 25mm mounts during this refit.)

31 December 1943-7 January 1944:
Escorted troop convoy from Sasebo to Truk.

10-16 January:
Escorted YAMATO from Truk to Kure.

6-13 February:
Escorted SHOKAKU and ZUIKAKU from Kure to Singapore.

20 February-15 March:
Escorted ZUIKAKU from Singapore to Kure (27 February-8 March) and back.

12-15 May:
Escorted fleet from Lingga to Tawitawi.

30-31 May:
With KAZAGUMO, escorted FUSO from Tawitawi to Davao.

2-5 June:
With KAZAGUMO, escorted FUSO from Davao to support Biak troop transport operations (aborted), then returned to Davao.

7-11 June:
Departed Davao escorting MYOKO and HAGURO to support Biak troop transport operations. On 8 June rescued survivors of torpedoed KAZAGUMO; then to Batjan.

13-16 June:
Departed Batjan escorting Admiral Ugaki's task force to join Admiral Ozawa's fleet in Philippine Sea.

19-20 June: Battle of the Philippine Sea
Escorted Admiral Ozawa's Force A. Detached on 21 June to proceed independently to Okinawa, best speed 16 knots, due to fuel problems; then to Hashirijima on 24 June.

10 July:
Reassigned to Desdiv 4, Desron 10, Third Fleet.

14-29 July:
Escorted MAYA on troop transport mission from Yokosuka to Okinawa, then via Manila to Lingga.

18-20 October:
Escorted fleet from Lingga to Brunei.

22-25 October: Battle of Leyte Gulf
Fuelled from YAMASHIRO, then escorted Admiral Nishimura's Southern Force in Battle of Surigao Strait. Sunk: after losing bow to torpedo from USS McDERMUT (DD-677) in Surigao Strait, was finished off by gunfire of U.S. cruiser-destroyer group at the entrance to the strait (10-04 N, 125-21 E). 191 killed, 39 survivors, including Commander Shibayama, later rescued by the Americans.

10 January 1945:
Removed from Navy List.