Name Translation: "Thunder"

Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Lieutenant Commander Kudo Shunsaku [51] (prev. C.O. TACHIKAZE). Assigned to Desdiv 6 (HIBIKI, AKATSUKI, IKAZUCHI, INAZUMA), Desron 1, First Fleet.

29 November-2 December 1941:
Desdiv 6 steamed from Terashima Strait to Mako (Pescadores)

4-8 December:
Departed Mako, then with Hong Kong invasion force. Assisted ISUZU in sinking gunboats HMS CICADA and HMS ROBIN, then secured captured shipping in harbor.

24 December 1941-6 January 1942:
Departed Hong Kong, then escorted ASHIGARA from Formosa to Davao; then operated out of that base as distant cover to Menado invasion force through 14 January.

29 January-25 February:
Escorted NACHI and HAGURO out of Davao in support of Ambon, Makassar and Timor invasion forces; then to Makassar.

1-3 March:
Attempted capture (06-30'S, 113-00'E) of Dutch oil tanker given as KARUIRUS (probably KASUARIS), which crew scuttled, then carried crew to Bandjermasin. Unloaded prisoners.[Ed-1 & Ed-2]

10 March:
Arrived in Subic Bay, then assisted in operations to secure the Philippines.

19-26 March:
Escorted convoy from Subic Bay to Kure, then docked at Yokosuka for maintenance.

22-26 May:
Escorted TAKAO and MAYA from Kure to Ominato.

3-5 June: Battle of Midway
Escorted Admiral Hosogaya's Northern Force Main Body.

24 June:
Arrived Ominato, then Northern Area patrol/escort duties.

26 July-3 August:
Towed damaged KASUMI from Kiska to Shimushu.

8-20 August:
Docked at Yokosuka for maintenance.

13 August:
Lieutenant Commander Kudo (to C.O. HIBIKI) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Ishii Hagemi [52] (prev. C.O. HIBIKI). (Ishii and Kudo traded places/commands)

27 August:
Lieutenant Commander Ishii relieved by Lieutenant Commander Maeda Saneho [56] (prev. C.O. MIKAZUKI).

1-6 September:
Escorted ZUIHO from Kure to Truk.

9-12 September:
Escorted UNYO from Truk on aircraft transport run to Kavieng and back.

13-18 September:
Escorted UNYO from Truk to Kure.

29 September-12 October:
Escorted troop convoy from Saeki via Okinawa, Saipan and Rabaul to the Shortlands.

14 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

17 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

25 October:
Attack mission to Guadalcanal; assisted in sinking USS SEMINOLE (AT-65) and YP-284 and damaging USS ZANE (DMS-14). Light damage: in air attack due to strafing: rudder temporarily jammed; four casualties.

2 November:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

3-6 November:
Escorted CHITOSE and CHIYODA from Shortlands to Truk.

12-13 November: First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
Escorted Admiral Abe's Bombardment Force. Claimed sinking a cruiser with torpedoes. Medium damage: due to shell hits: No. 1 turret knocked out, set afire, 21 dead and 20 injured; then to Truk on 17 November for emergency repairs.

22-27 November:
Escorted TAKAO and NISSHIN from Truk to Yokosuka, then docked for repairs.

12 January-4 February 1943:
While at Yokosuka, twin 13mm machine guns added on bandstand forward of bridge.

20-22 February:
Steamed from Yokosuka to Ominato, then Northern Area patrol/escort duties.

26 March: Battle of the Komandorskis
During escort of troop convoy from Paramushiro to Attu (aborted), engaged U.S. cruiser-destroyer group. At rear of column so saw no action in battle.

30 March:
Medium damage: in collision with WAKABA.

1 April:
Desdiv 6 reassigned as cadre to Desron 11, First Fleet.

3-11 April:
Steamed from Paramushiro via Ominato to Yokosuka, then docked for repairs.

4-12 May:
Escorted convoy from Yokosuka to Truk.

16 May-8 June:
Escorted convoys from Truk to Jaluit and Kwajalein and back; on 20 May rescued survivors of torpedoed transport BANGKOK MARU.

13-24 June:
Escorted convoy from Truk via Saipan to Yokosuka.

28 June-16 July:
Escorted convoys from Yokosuka to Truk and back.

19 July-10 August:
Escorted convoys from Yokosuka to Truk and back.

15 August-11 September:
Escorted convoys from Yokosuka to Truk and back. On 2 September rescued 126 (eight later died) survivors of torpedoed escort MUTSURE.

15 September-12 October:
Escorted convoys from Yokosuka to Truk and back.

14-23 October:
Escorted convoy from Yokosuka via Chichi-jima to Truk.

25 October:
Lieutenant Commander Maeda (to C.O. ISOKAZE) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Ikunaga Kunio [60] (prev. C.O. MOCHIZUKI).

2-24 November:
Escorted convoys from Truk to Yokosuka and back.

24 November-10 December:
Troop transport runs from Truk to Kwajalein, Mili, Kusaie and Ponape and back.

22 December 1943-3 January 1944:
Escorted convoy from Truk to Yokosuka; on 1 January rescued survivors of torpedoed transport NAGOYA MARU; then docked for maintenance.

3-18 January:
While at Yokosuka, 13mm machine guns on bandstand forward of bridge replaced by twin 25mm.

25 January-1 February:
Escorted convoy from Tateyama to Truk.

5 February-2 March:
With SHIMAKAZE, escorted tanker convoys from Truk to Davao, Balikpapan and Palau.

4-14 March:
With SHIMAKAZE, escorted AKITSUSHIMA from Palau via Saipan to Yokosuka.

22-30 March:
Escorted troop convoy Matsu No. 3 from Tokyo to Saipan.

12-13 April:
Departed Saipan, escorting transport SANYO MARU to Woleai. Sunk: torpedoed by USS HARDER (SS-257) 200 miles south-southeast of Guam (10-13 N, 143-51 E). Depth charges exploded while sinking, leaving no survivors.

10 June 1944:
Removed from Navy List.

Editorial Note 1 = Date of event ambiguous. Entry under TROM column 1-3 March could indicate either 1 or 2 March. A text reference gives the date as 2 March. Since Ikazuchi rescued 404 from HMS EXETER and ENCOUNTER on 2 March and another 18 at a different moment, 2 March may be correct and refer to this vessels's crew. The kanji of the trom notation thus entered under the wrong date column. However, the latest evidence makes it unlikely these 18 men were from the Kasuaris [See Note 2] (Tully)

Editorial Note 2 = A Japanese source states that Ikazuchi attempted to seize an enemy vessel named as `Karuirus' of 340 tons in position 06-30'S, 113-00'E on 2 March. Since there is no known record of a ship registered as or named `Karuirus' this event has been sometimes associated with and suggested as being the small Dutch auxiliary Kasuaris. However, though early sources conflict, the most reliable Dutch sources and photographs now affirm that Kasuaris apparently was scuttled at dockside in Surabaya port that same date, 2 March. The identity of the craft or even derelict that sank thus remains unclear. (Tully)