Name Translation: “Full Moon”

Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Lieutenant Commander Terauchi Saburo [52] (prev. C.O. OTORI). Assigned to Desdiv 30 (MUTSUKI, KISARAGI, YAYOI, MOCHIZUKI), Desron 6, Fourth Fleet.

29 November-3 December 1941:
Desdiv 30 steamed with Desron 6 from Truk to Kwajalein.

8-11 December:
Departed Kwajalein, Desdiv 30 with first Wake Island invasion force.

23 December:
Desdiv 30 with second Wake Island invasion force.

31 December 1941-3 January 1942:
Desdiv 30 escorted convoy from Kwajalein to Truk.

3-7 January:
While at Truk, sponson installed starboard forward side of bridge for additional 13mm machine guns.

8-12 January:
With MUTSUKI, escorted convoy from Truk via Saipan to Guam.

16-17 January:
During fleet rendezvous of Rabaul invasion forces at Mereyon (Woleai), twin 13mm machine guns mounted starboard forward side of bridge.

23 January:
Desdiv 30 with Rabaul invasion force, then patrol/escort duties out of that base.

9 February:
Desdiv 30 with Surumi/Gasmata (New Britain) invasion force.

8 March:
Desdiv 30 with Lae/Salamua invasion force. Guardship for KIYOKAWA MARU.

28 March:
With Bougainville (Kieta and Shortlands) invasion force.

6 April:
Lieutenant Commander Terauchi (to C.O. NENOHI) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Miyazaki Isamu [58].

8 April:
Desdiv 30 with Manus (Admiralties) invasion force.

7-8 May: Battle of the Coral Sea
Desdiv 30 escorted Port Moresby troop convoy.

13-16 June:
Escorted convoy from Palau to Truk.

25 June-6 July:
Covered passage of airfield-construction convoys out of Truk to Lae and Guadalcanal.

6-13 July:
Steamed from Truk to Sasebo, then docked for refitting.

10 July:
Desdiv 30 reassigned to 2nd Surface Escort Division, Fourth Fleet.

13 July-27 August:
At Sasebo for maintenance.

14 July:
Desdiv 30 reassigned directly to Eighth Fleet.

27 August:
Departed Sasebo for Rabaul.

17 September:
Removed 98 wounded evacuees from Buna to Rabaul.

25-27 September:
Out of Rabaul with ISOKAZE to rescue YAYOI survivors from Normanby Island.

11-12 October:
With AKATSUKI and IKAZUCHI, escorted CHOKAI from Rabaul to Shortlands.

14-15 October:
With AMAGIRI, escorted CHOKAI and KINUGASA in bombardment of Henderson Field.

2 November:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal: With URANAMI, SHIKINAMI, AYANAMI and MICHISHIO, carried troops, provisions and two mountain guns to Koli Point.

5 November:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal: With TENRYU, URANAMI, SHIKINAMI, AYANAMI and SHIRAYUKI, carried troops to Tassafaronga.

8 November:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal (cover): With ASAGUMO, guard force for seven other destroyers carrying reinforcements to Tassafaronga. Damaged PT-61 with shell hit. Minor damage: hit by dud torpedo.

13-15 November:
Escorted Guadalcanal troop convoy. With AMAGIRI rescued 1,500 survivors of sunken transports CANBERRA MARU and NAGARA MARU, then escorted damaged SADO MARU back to Shortlands.

17-20 November:
Escorted ISUZU from Shortlands to Truk.

1 December:
Desdiv 30 deactivated; assigned directly to Eighth Fleet.

12-13 December:
Escorted KUMANO and SUZUYA from Kavieng to the Admiralty Islands and back in support of Buna troop transport operations.

18 December:
With ASASHIO, troop transport run from Rabaul to Finschhafen. Minor damage: in air attacks due to near-misses.

30 December:
Lieutenant Commander Miyazaki (to C.O. TACHIKAZE) relieved by Lieutenant (s.g.) Ikunaga Kunio [60] (prev. C.O. SAGI).

8 January 1943:
With OTORI, escorted SEIA MARU carrying construction units from Rabaul to Kolombangara.

15 January:
Accompanied TSUGARU on transport run carrying AA units to Rekata.

2 February:
Arrived in Sasebo.

2-23 February:
At Sasebo for maintenance and refitting: twin 13mm machine guns abaft funnels replaced by twin 25mm; twin 13mm machine guns mounted port forward side of bridge.

1-10 March:
Steamed from Sasebo via Truk to Rabaul.

12-19 March:
Escorted convoy from Rabaul to Palau; en route assisted and helped tow the torpedoed FLORIDA MARU. Later returned to Rabaul.

28-29 March:
With AMAGIRI, transport run to Rekata.

31 March:
Assigned to reactivated Desdiv 30 (MIKAZUKI, MOCHIZUKI, UZUKI), Desron 3, Eighth Fleet.

2-3 April:
With YUKIKAZE and AMAGIRI, transport run to Rekata and Buka.

7 April:
With AMAGIRI, transport run to Rekata.

28-30 April:
With AMAGIRI and YUGIRI, transport run from Rabaul via Shortlands to Rekata and Buka.

3-4 May:
With AMAGIRI and YUGIRI, transport run to Rekata and Buka.

6-7 May:
Transport run to Rekata and Buka.

10 May:
Transport run to Rekata.

27-29 May:
Transport run from Rabaul via Shortlands to Rekata and Buka.

1 June:
Lieutenant Ikunaga promoted to Lieutenant Commander.

4 June:
With AMAGIRI and SATSUKI, transport run from Rabaul to Tuluvu.

6 June:
With NAGATSUKI, transport run from Rabaul to Tuluvu.

26-27 June:
With SATSUKI and YUNAGI, troop transport run from Rabaul via Buin to Kolombangara.

2 July:
Rendova bombardment mission.

5-6 July: Battle of Kula Gulf
Troop transport run to Kolombangara. After landing troops during battle, engaged USS RADFORD (DD-446) and USS NICHOLAS (DD-449). Minor damage: due to shell hits on No. 1 gun and torpedo tubes.

18 July:
Minor damage: due to air attack in Buin-Kahili area.

14 August-18 September:
Arrived Sasebo, then docked for maintenance and refitting: included removal of No. 4 main gun in favor of two triple 25mm machine-guns, added twin 13mm abaft aft funnel, and replacement of twin13mm machine-guns abreast bridge by twin 25mm; radar-detecting device installed on bridge.

21 September:
Departed Sasebo for Rabaul.

7 October:
With AMAGIRI and SATSUKI, troop transport run from Rabaul to Surumi/Gasmata.

12 October:
Minor damage: in air attack on Rabaul, due to near-miss: No. 2 gun disabled.

15 October:
Lieutenant Commander Ikunaga (to C.O. IKAZUCHI) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Iwabuchi Goro [61].

21 October:
With AMAGIRI, troop transport run to Buka.

23-24 October:
With UZUKI, transport run from Rabaul to Jacquinot Bay (New Britain). Sunk: in air attack by U.S. Navy PBYs, 90 miles south-southwest of Rabaul (05-42 S, 151-40 E). Direct bomb hit in engineering spaces: 10 dead. UZUKI rescued survivors, including Comdesdiv 30 (Captain Sawamura Seiji [49]) and Lieutenant Commander Iwabuchi (to C.O. YUNAGI).

5 January 1944:
Removed from Navy List.