Name Translation: "First Frost"

Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Lieutenant Commander Kohama Satoru [55]. Assigned to Desdiv 21 (WAKABA, HATSUHARU, NENOHI, HATSUSHIMO), Desron 1, First Fleet.

December 1941:
Desdiv 21 remained in Japanese home waters, guarding battleships and conducting antisubmarine patrols.

18-23 December:
Desdiv 21 departed Tokuyama to meet returning Pearl Harbor Striking Force, then escorted it into Hashirijima.

14-22 January 1942:
Desdiv 21 escorted tanker convoy from Tokuyama to Davao.

24 January:
Desdiv 21 with Kendari invasion force.

25 January-4 February:
Flagship of Rear Admiral Kubo Kyuji [38] while NAGARA under emergency repair following collision with HATSUHARU.

8 February:
Desdiv 21 (minus HATSUHARU) with Makassar invasion force.

18 February:
Desdiv 21 (minus HATSUHARU) with Bali/Lombok invasion force.

28 February-1 March:
In Bali Strait, assisted WAKABA in sinking a Dutch merchant ship; Desdiv 21 later engaged but failed to intercept four U.S. destroyers escaping from the Java Sea.

16-25 March:
Desdiv 21 steamed from Makassar to Sasebo, then docked for maintenance.

29 May:
With ABUKUMA, Desdiv 21 departed Ominato, escorting Adak-Attu Attack Force in Aleutians operations. Attu occupied on 7 June; Adak occupation cancelled.

8-12 June:
Patrolled in Attu-area.

1-16 July:
Patrolled in Kiska-area, then to Shimushu on 18 July.

23 July-2 August:
Docked at Yokosuka for maintenance.

2-6 August:
Steamed from Yokosuka to Paramushiro, then resumed Northern Area patrol/escort duties.

10-19 September:
Transport run from Paramushiro to Attu and Kiska.

27-30 October:
With WAKABA, escorted ABUKUMA, KISO and TAMA on troop transport run from Paramushiro to Attu.

7-10 November:
With WAKABA, transport run from Shimushu to Kiska.

24 November-2 December:
With TAMA, departed Paramushiro escorting troop convoy toward Shemya Island. Operation aborted, convoy returned to Shimushu.

27 November:
Lieutenant Commander Kohama (later C.O. HARUZUKI) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Iritono Atsuo [55] (prev. C.O. HATAKAZE).

23-25 December:
Transport run from Paramushiro to Attu.

6-31 January 1943:
At Sasebo for maintenance and refitting: twin 25mm machine guns replace single 40mm abreast aft funnel.

31 January-4 February:
Escorted convoy from Sasebo to Paramushiro, then resumed Northern Area patrol/escort duties.

13-22 February:
With WAKABA, escorted KISO and SAKITO MARU on transport run from Paramushiro to Kiska and back.

26 March: Battle of the Komandorskis
With WAKABA, part of Fifth Fleet cover force: during escort of troop convoy from Paramushiro to Attu (aborted), engaged U.S. cruiser-destroyer group. Launched torpedoes without effect.

31 March-3 April:
With WAKABA, escorted NACHI and MAYA from Paramushiro to Yokosuka, then docked for repairs.

1 April:
Desron 1 reassigned to Fifth Fleet.

11 May:
Departed Yokosuka, then resumed Northern Area patrol/escort duties.

20-23 June:
With WAKABA, escorted convoy from Ominato to Paramushiro.

29 June-5 July:
Alongside repair ship HAKKAI MARU at Paramushiro.

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 WAKABA, NAGANAMI, SHIMAKAZE and SAMIDARE, assigned to screening unit under Comdesdiv 21, Captain Amano Shigetaka [47]. Moderate damage: to both bow and stern on 26 July in fog-induced chain-reaction collisions with WAKABA and NAGANAMI; detached to escort tanker NIPPON MARU for duration of operation.

5 September-5 October:
At Yokosuka for repairs and refitting: “X” turret removed/replaced by triple 25mm machine gun mount; twin 25mm machine guns added on bandstand forward of bridge.

11 October-5 November:
With HATSUHARU, escorted RYUHO and CHITOSE from Saeki to Singapore (19-26 October) and back to Tokuyama.

11 November:
Lieutenant Commander Iritono (to C.O. AKIGUMO) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Takigawa Kouji [59] (prev. C.O. MATSUKAZE).

24 November-3 December:
Desdiv 21 (WAKABA, HATSUHARU, HATSUSHIMO) escorted HIYO from Kure via Manila to Singapore.

10-22 December:
Desdiv 21 escorted HIYO from Singapore via Tarakan and Palau to Truk.

24-29 December 1943
Desdiv 21 escorted ZUIHO and UNYO from Truk to Yokosuka.

1 January:
Desdiv 21 reassigned directly to Combined Fleet Headquarters.

4-9 January:
With NOWAKI and MAIKAZE, Desdiv 21 escorted ATAGO, ZUIHO, and UNYO from Yokosuka to Truk.

18 January:
Desdiv 21 departed Truk escorting ZUIHO and UNYO to Yokosuka; on 19-20 January escorted torpedoed UNYO to Saipan then guarded her there through 27 January while awaiting additional escorts; arrived Yokosuka on 5 February.

20 February-4 March:
With YUKIKAZE, escorted CHITOSE from Japan to Saipan, then back to Yokosuka.

29 March-7 April:
Escorted RYUHO from Ise Bay to Saipan, then back to Kure.

14 April-19 May:
At Sasebo for maintenance and refitting: Type 22 radar mounted on foremast; two single 25mm machine guns added abreast bridge bandstand mount.

6-11 June:
Escorted tanker HAYASUI from Sasebo to Davao.

19-20 June: Battle of the Philippine Sea
Escorted 1st Supply Force.

23 June-2 July:
Arrived Guimarras, then escorted tanker convoy to Kure.

6 July-4 August:
Escorted convoys from Miike to Manila and back to Kure.

4-12 August:
At Kure for maintenance and refitting: 8 single 25mm machine guns added along length of ship.

15 August-4 September:
Escorted convoys from Moji to Formosa and Manila and back.

4-12 September:
At Kure for maintenance and refitting: Type 13 radar mounted on mainmast; 4 single 13mm machine guns added amidships.

24 August:
Lieutenant Commander Takigawa relieved by Lieutenant Commander Sakawa Masazo [62] (prev. C.O. SAWAKAZE).

14-21 October:
Desdiv 21 escorted NACHI and ASHIGARA from Kure via Amami-O-Shima to Mako (Pescadores), then was detached to Takeo, Formosa.

21-23 October:
Desdiv 21 performed aircrew (ground-support units of 2^nd Air Fleet) transport run from Takeo to Manila, then departed to join Admiral Shima's 2nd Diversion Attack Force.

24 October:
Light damage: due to near-miss in attack by aircraft of TF 38; assisted HATSUHARU in rescuing survivors of sunken WAKABA, then returned with HATSUHARU to Manila.

1-2 November:
Escorted troop convoy TA No. 2 from Manila to Ormoc. For details see TA Operations to Leyte, Part 1

3-5 November:
With HATSUHARU, detached from TA No. 2 to escort naval transport T.9 towing damaged T.131 back to Manila.

13-22 November:
Steamed from Manila via the Spratly Islands to Lingga. Carried the Fifth Fleet commander (Vice Admiral Shima Kiyohide [39]) as far as the Spratlys, where he transferred to ASHIGARA.

15 November;
Desdiv 21 (HATSUSHIMO, SHIGURE) reassigned to Desron 2, Second Fleet.

29 November-10 December:
Escorted HARUNA from Singapore to Mako (4 December), then escorted convoy from Mako to Camranh Bay.

18 December:
Out of Camranh to assist torpedoed MYOKO.

27 December:
Arrived Singapore from Camranh.

10-20 February 1945:
Escorted ISE and HYUGA from Singapore to Kure.

21 February-27 March:
At Kure for maintenance and refitting: 5 single 25mm machine guns added along length of ship; single 13mm re-positioned amidships.

6-7 April:
Escorted YAMATO from Inland Sea on attack mission towards Okinawa. Not hit in air attacks of 7 April; only two crewmen injured. Rescued YAMATO, YAHAGI and HAMAKAZE survivors.

15 April:
Arrived in Maizuru for security duty.

20 April:
Reassigned to Desdiv 17 (YUKIKAZE, HATSUSHIMO), Escort Squadron 31, Combined Fleet.

16 June:
Assigned as training ship for gunnery school in Miyatsu Bay.

30 July:
Sunk: by mine while maneuvering under air attack by TF 38 in Miyatsu Bay, 12 miles west-northwest of Maizuru (35-33 N, 135-12 E). 17 killed but Lieutenant Commander Sakawa among survivors. Last Japanese destroyer sunk in the war.

30 September 1945:
Removed from Navy List.