Name Translation: "First Snow"

Ship's captain: Lieutenant Commander Kamiura Junnari [53] (prev. C.O. HOKAZE). Assigned to Desdiv 11 (HATSUYUKI, SHIRAYUKI, FUBUKI), Desron 3, First Fleet. Flagship of Comdesdiv 11, Captain Shoji Kiichiro [45].

20-26 November 1941:
Desdiv 11 steamed with Desron 3 from Kure to Samah (Hainan).

4 December 1941-30 January 1942:
Desdiv 11 escorted KUMANO, SUZUYA, MOGAMI and MIKUMA out of Samah and Camranh Bay in support of Malaya, British Borneo and Anambas Islands invasion operations; also briefly escorted troop convoys during this period.

13-18 February:
Desdiv 11 with Bangka-Palembang invasion forces; took part in attacks on Allied shipping fleeing from Singapore: assisted in sinking or capture of at least two vessels.

27 February:
Desdiv 11 with Western Java invasion force.

28 February-1 March: Battle of Sunda Strait
Desdiv 11 assisted in sinking of HMAS PERTH and USS HOUSTON (CA-30).

12 March:
Escorted Admiral Ozawa's cover force for Northern Sumatra invasions.

23 March:
Desdiv 11 escorted Admiral Ozawa's cover force for Andaman Islands invasion; then patrol/escort duties out of Port Blair during Japanese raids into Indian Ocean.

13-22 April:
Desdiv 11 steamed from Singapore via Camranh Bay to Kure, then docked for maintenance.

12 May:
Lieutenant Commander Kamiura (to C.O. SAWAKAZE) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Yamaguchi Tatsuya [52] (prev. C.O. HAKAZE).

4-5 June: Battle of Midway
Desdiv 11 escorted Admiral Yamamoto's Main Body.

30 June-2 July:
Desdiv 11 escorted troop convoy from Kure to Amami-O-Shima, then antisubmarine patrolling there.

17-31 July:
Desdiv 11 steamed from Amami-O-Shima via Mako, Singapore and Sabang to Mergui (Burma) for Indian Ocean raiding operations, aborted due to Guadalcanal.

8-17 August:
Desdiv 11 steamed from Mergui via Makassar to Davao.

19-23 August:
Desdiv 11 escorted troop convoy from Davao to Truk.

25-27 August:
Desdiv 11 steamed from Truk to Rabaul.

27-29 August:
Desdiv 11 escorted transport SADO MARU from Rabaul to Shortlands, then troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

31 August:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

4-5 September:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal: with YUDACHI and MURAKUMO (and a second section of URANAMI, SHIKINAMI and ARIAKE) landed about 1,000 soldiers of Ichiki and Aoba Detachments at Taivu. Assisted in sinking USS GREGORY (APD-3) and USS LITTLE (APD-4).

7 September:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

16 September:
Attack mission to Guadalcanal.

19 September:
Out of Shortlands to assist torpedoed transport SHIROGANE MARU.

1 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal. Minor damage: in air attack due to near-miss, rudder jammed; detached to Shortlands for repairs.

7 October:
Transport run to Rendova.

11-12 October: Battle of Cape Esperance
Assisted sinking FURUTAKA and rescued 518 survivors.

13-15 October:
Escorted damaged AOBA to Truk.

19-21 October:
Steamed from Truk to Shortlands.

26 October: Battle of Santa Cruz
On alert in Shortlands-area.

31 October-3 November:
Escorted KINUGASA and SENDAI as cover for troop transport runs to Guadalcanal.

6-9 November:
Escorted SENDAI from Shortlands to Truk; also carried Guadalcanal evacuees.

12-15 November: Naval Battles for Guadalcanal
Initially escorted Admiral Kurita's Support Force, then joined Admiral Kondo's Emergency Bombardment Force. With NAGARA in assault on enemy destroyers, assisted in sinking USS BENHAM (DD-397), USS WALKE (DD-416), and USS PRESTON (DD-379) and damaging USS GWIN (DD-433); then to Truk on 18 November.

29 November-4 December:
Aircrew transport run from Truk to Shortlands and Rabaul and back.

5-10 December:
With YUKIKAZE, escorted HIYO from Truk to Kure, then docked for repairs.

10-31 December:
While at Kure, twin 13mm machine guns added on bandstand forward of bridge.

8-15 January 1943:
Escorted troop convoy (2^nd section of HEI No. 1: YASUKUNI MARU, HAKOZAKI MARU, and ARATAMA MARU, lifting elements of 20th Division) from Pusan to Palau.

17-25 January:
Continued escort of same convoy from Palau to Wewak and back.

26-30 January:
Steamed from Palau via Wewak to Truk.

31 January-9 February:
Escorted fleet patrolling out of Truk north of the Solomons to cover the Guadalcanal evacuation.

11-14 February:
Escorted CHOGEI from Truk to Rabaul.

15-17 February:
Escorted repair ship YAMASHIMO MARU from Rabaul to Kavieng. Minor damage: clipped reef at Kavieng, then back to Rabaul on 21 February for repairs.

25 February:
Desron 3 reassigned to Eighth Fleet.

3-4 March:
Out of Mowe (near Kavieng) to meet destroyers returning from Battle of Bismarck Sea; exchanged fuel for survivors, then to Rabaul.

7-21 March:
Escorted convoys from Rabaul via Truk to Kure, then docked for repairs.

21 March-25 April:
At Kure for maintenance and repairs.

1-29 May:
Escorted TAIYO from Yokosuka via Manila and Surabaya to Singapore, then back via Mako to Sasebo.

30 May:
Lieutenant Commander Yamaguchi relieved by Lieutenant Commander Sugihara Yoshiro [57] (prev. C.O. SATSUKI).

31 May-7 June:
Escorted convoy from Sasebo to Truk.

9-12 June:
Steamed from Truk to Rabaul.

27-28 June:
Transport run from Rabaul via Shortlands to Rekata.

29 June:
Transport run from Shortlands to Buka.

30 June:
Rendova bombardment mission, aborted due to weather.

2 July:
Rendova bombardment mission.

5-6 July: Battle of Kula Gulf
Troop transport run to Kolombangara. Engaged U.S. cruiser-destroyer group. Minor damage: due to three dud shell hits; went to manual steering, six dead.

7-8 July:
Escorted CHOKAI from Shortlands to Rabaul, then repairs.

16-17 July:
Troop transport run from Rabaul to Shortlands. Sunk: in U.S. air raid on Shortlands while unloading passengers alongside pier at Kahili (06-50 S, 155-47 E); bomb exploded after magazine, sinking ship in shallow water; 120 dead (including 38 passengers) and 36 wounded; Lieutenant Commander Sugihara (to C.O. SAMIDARE) among survivors.

5 October 1943:
Removed from Navy List.