@Updated - January 21, 2012 - Allyn Nevitt

@Revised - Anthony Tully with Allyn Nevitt - November 2018

Name Translation:"Swirling Clouds"

14 March 1942:
Completed at Maizuru; assigned same date to Desdiv 10 (KAZAGUMO, MAKIGUMO, YUGUMO). Ship's captain: Commander Fujita Isamu [50] (prev. C.O. ASASHIO). Portrait photograph of the destroyer taken the same day.

10 April:
Desdiv 10 (AKIGUMO also added this date) assigned to Desron 10, First Air Fleet.

4-5 June: Battle of Midway
Escorted Admiral Nagumo's Striking Force.

5 June:
Action:
- c1630 Ordered by NAGARA to investigate object in the water to the north. MAKIGUMO found it to be a life raft, and captured two enemy aircrew from VS-6 (USS ENTERPRISE CV-6).[1]

6 June:
Action:
- 0015 HIRYU began to abandon ship and MAKIGUMO and KAZAGUMO removed the crew. MAKIGUMO went alongside to port. However, suffered damage to mainmast and other riggings when became entangled in the carrier's projections. When the evacuation is completed MAKIGUMO is directed to stay behind and scuttle the carrier.
- 0210 MAKIGUMO fired a torpedo at HIRYU's low port side but it ran too deep and under the island. Circled to the starboard side and fired a second torpedo that hit the starboard bow close to the forepeak. Departed immediately without waiting to observe the results or confirm sinking.
- 0420 A plane from the carrier HOSHO reported HIRYU derelict and still afloat. The destroyer TANIKAZE is disptached to complete MAKIGUMO's assignment and finish the task. (However, the carrier soon foundered and sank bow first around 0615. TANIKAZE finds nothing and had to escape air attack herself.) Whether Commander Fujita was censured for his failure to confirm the sinking earlier is unknown.

8 June:
Assigned to Northern Force operations.

9 June:
About this time the two airmen made PoWs June 5th are executed.[2]

25 June:
0730 Arrived at Yokosuka.

29 June:
1200 Departed Yokosuka. Escorted fleet patrolling out of Ominato southwest of the Aleutians.

11 July:
Returned to Yokosuka.

14 July:
Desron 10 reassigned to Third Fleet.

18 July:
MAKIGUMO and AKIGUMO departed Yokosuka.

19 July:
Arrived at Hashirajima. Went on standby status and carried out maintenance work and training exercises.

16 August:
Departed Kure with AKIGUMO, escorting SHOKAKU and other elements of the fleet towards Truk.

24 August: Battle of the Eastern Solomons
Escorted Admiral Nagumo's Striking Force.

September:
Escorted fleet patrolling out of Truk north of the Solomons.

29 September-1 October:
Steamed from Truk with AKIGUMO to the Shortlands. Replenished.

3 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal. The destroyers carried between them 370 soldiers and 16 tons of provisions.

4 October:
Returned to Shortlands.

5 October:
Shorland anchorage attacked by two large bombers (presumably B-17s); attack repulsed.
2300: Departed for troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

6 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

9 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

10 October:
Returned to Shortlands.

11 October:
Shortlands anchorage attacked by enemy planes; they were driven off by gunfire. Same day MAKIGUMO and AKIGUMO departed together to rejoin fleet north of the Solomons.

13 October:
Rendezvoused with Mobile Fleet and joined carrier screen.

22 October:
Enemy aircraft reported. Chased away by CAP.

26 October: Battle of Santa Cruz
Escorted Admiral Abe's Vanguard Force. Assisted AKIGUMO in scuttling of USS HORNET (CV-8) with torpedoes.
Action:
- 2058 AKIGUMO and MAKIGUMO proceeding by order to derelict and burning enemy carrier. To evaluate for possible capture, and otherwise, to dispose of it.
- 2205 Finding the carrier ablaze and listing 45 degrees to port two torpedoes are fired from each destroyer to finish it off. Three hits are claimed. The enemy carrier had the number `8' as revealed by searchlight.
- 2234 Enemy carrier sank.

27 October:
0352: MAKIGUMO rescued and made prisoner a third-class gunner of VT-10 (USS ENTERPRISE CV-6) [3]

30 October:
Returned with AKIGUMO and others to Truk.

1 November:
Because division member AKIGUMO has to return to Japan for repairs to port propeller, her torpedoes and ammunition are transferred to MAKIGUMO which remained at Truk.

3-5 November:
Escorted SUZUYA and MAYA from Truk to Shortlands.

10 November:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.
Action:
- 1555 Attacked by aircraft. No damage received.
- 2035 Attacked by motor torpedo boats. No damage received. Vessels take aboard 585 sick and wounded army personnel.

13-14 November: Naval Battles of Guadalcanal
Escorted Admiral Nishimura's Bombardment Force; on 14 November assisted KAZAGUMO in rescuing KINUGASA survivors.
Action:
- 0550 Bombardment Force rejoined Support Force.
- 0636 Enemy carrier planes attacked. Cruiser KINUGASA damaged by bombs and torpedo attack and steering gear put out of order. She had to proceed at slower speed escorted by MAKIGUMO and KAZAGUMO.
- 0855 Ceased fire after third wave of enemy carrier planes attacked. Cruisers CHOKAI, MAYA, and ISUZU all damaged. KINUGASA dead in the water.
- 0922 Cruiser KINUGASA capsized to port and sank stern first from progressive flooding. MAKIGUMO and KAZAGUMO rescued most of the crew, but nine officers and forty-two petty officers and men of KINUGASA were killed in action or lost.

15 November:
MAKIGUMO and KAZAGUMO while carrying KINUGASA survivors detected and dropped depth-charges on a submarine. Results unknown. In the afternoon a single B-17 approached and was driven off by gunfire. Arrived back at the Shortlands same day.

16 November:
1300: After Allied attacks on Buna, New Guinea, a force built around 8th Fleet flagship heavy cruiser CHOKAI sailed for Rabaul comprised of: CHOKAI, Desdiv 10 (KAZAGUMO, MAKIGUMO, YUGUMO) and Desdiv 15 (OYASHIO, KAGERO).[They were followed later that day by ASASHIO and Desdiv 24 (UMIKAZE, KAWAKAZE)]

17 November:
The units arrived at Rabaul. Upon anchoring, 8th Fleet HQ was shifted to shorebase facilities as planned and CHOKAI departed for Truk. The destroyers remained at Rabaul and immediately embarked troops for transport run to Buna that same day.
2000: KAZAGUMO, MAKIGUMO, YUGUMO, OYASHIO, and KAGERO departed Rabaul for Buna.
2340: Arrived at Buna. Landed about 1,500 men.

18 November:
0230: Offloading completed, departed back for Rabaul.

22 November:
Troop transport run to Buna.

28-29 November:
Troop transport run to Buna, aborted due to air attack.
Action:
- Six enemy B-17s attacked. SHIRATSYU and MAKIGUMO are damaged. MAKIGUMO near-missed by bombs that perforate the hull abreast the forward stack and set the No.2 boiler room afire. Fire soon extinguished.

16-21 December:
With KAZAGUMO and YUGUMO, escorted Wewak attack force (auxiliary cruiser KIYOZUMI MARU carrying a battalion of 5^th Division from Ambon) from Rabaul to Wewak and back.

23-29 December:
Steamed from Truk to Japan, then docked for repairs.

9-27 January 1943:
Steamed from Japan via Truk and Rabaul to the Shortlands.

1 February:
Troop evacuation run to Guadalcanal.
Action:
- 2345 While MAKIGUMO is maneuvering to avoid torpedo boats, struck mine aft. The No.6 and No.5 crew spaces aft of turret 3 on the Lower Deck were flooded. The auxiliary engine room also flooded. It became impossible to steer or proceed independently.[4]

2 February:
Action:
- 0000 Offload completed and force heads back.
- 0030 Reinforcement Commander ordered YUGUMO to depart Esperance to tow MAKIGUMO. Air escort requested to cooperate.
- Upon arriving on the scene, YUGUMO came alongside and attempted side-by-side towing procedure, while MAKIGUMO's crew worked to halt flooding in the fantail. Initially a speed of 5 knots is attained and the situation seemed to be under control. Air cover is requested again. However MAKIGUMO began to gradually settle even deeper aft.
- 0050 Commander Fujita ordered to remove his crew after reported that flooding has now begun in Crew Space No.4 and there was little prospect of checking the increase.

Sunk:
- 0127 YUGUMO scuttled MAKIGUMO with one torpedo after transfer of personnel completed. MAKIGUMO went down in position reported as bearing 224 degrees, 6.7 miles from Savo Island. Casualties were one dead, two missing, one seriously injured, six slightly injured. Sixteen officers including Commander Fujita (to Staff, Crudiv 14) and 248 men were rescued by YUGUMO.[5]

1 March 1943:
Removed from Navy List.

Notes & Remarks: