Name Translation: "Strong Autumn Wind"

Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Commander Koga Mogotaro [49]. Assigned to Desdiv 4 (ARASHI, HAGIKAZE, NOWAKI, MAIKAZE), Desron 4, Second Fleet.

29 November-2 December 1941:
Desdiv 4 steamed from Terashima Strait to Mako (Pescadores).

4 December 1941-11 January 1942:
Desdiv 4 escorted Admiral Kondo's Southern Force Main Body out of Mako as distant cover to Malaya and Philippine invasion forces; also briefly escorted Malaya troop convoys during this period.

14-18 January:
Desdiv 4 escorted Main Body from Mako to Palau, then operated out of that base as distant cover to Dutch East Indies invasion forces through 15 February.

18-21 February:
Desdiv 4 escorted Main Body from Palau to Staring Bay (Celebes).

23 February:
Departed Staring Bay, escorting Main Body in operations south of Java.

1 March:
Assisted ARASHI in sinking Dutch motorship TORADJA and British minesweeper SCOTT HARLEY, then captured Dutch steamship BINTOEHAN.

2 March:
Assisted ARASHI and MAYA in sinking destroyer HMS STRONGHOLD.

3 March:
Assisted ARASHI in sinking USS ASHEVILLE (PG-21).

4 March:
Assisted ATAGO and TAKAO in sinking Australian sloop YARRA and British Motor Minesweeper 51, tanker FRANCOL and depot ship ANKING; then returned to Staring Bay on 7 March.

18 March-3 April:
With ARASHI, escorted ATAGO from Staring Bay on inspection cruise via Tarakan, Balikpapan, Makassar and Singapore to Penang.

4-18 April:
With ARASHI, escorted ATAGO from Penang via Camranh Bay to Yokosuka; then docked for repairs.

4-5 June: Battle of Midway:
Desdiv 4 escorted Admiral Nagumo's Striking Force; assisted AKAGI, helped ARASHI rescue survivors, then helped scuttle with torpedoes.

9 June-12 July:
Desdiv 4 escorted ZUIHO to reinforce Northern Area, then escorted fleet patrolling out of Ominato southwest of the Aleutians.

14 July:
Desdiv 4 reassigned to Desron 10, Third Fleet.

16 August:
Departed Kure, escorting fleet towards Truk.

24 August: Battle of the Eastern Solomons:
Escorted Admiral Abe's Vanguard Force.

1-9 September:
Escorted tanker TOA MARU from Truk to Shortlands and back, tanker towing disabled SHIRAKUMO on return trip.

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

29 September-1 October:
Steamed from Truk to Shortlands.

3 October:
Escorted NISSHIN on troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

6 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

9 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal. Minor damage: in air attacks due to near-misses; 11 dead and 19 injured.

10 October:
Departed Shortlands to rejoin fleet north of the Solomons.

26 October: Battle of Santa Cruz:
Escorted fleet supply group.

2-6 November:
Escorted SHOKAKU from Truk to Kure.

23 November-1 December:
Escorted aircraft transport AKITSU MARU from Kure via Truk to Rabaul; then steamed to Shortlands on 2 December.

3 December:
Supply-drum transport run to Guadalcanal.

7 December:
Supply-drum transport run to Guadalcanal, aborted due to PT-boat attack. Medium damage: in air attacks due to near-miss; dead in the water with flooded engine-room; 17 dead; towed back to Shortlands by NAGANAMI.

13-18 December:
Towed by MAIKAZE from Shortlands to Truk; then temporary repairs.

16-24 February 1943:
Escorted convoy from Truk via Saipan to Yokosuka; then docked for repairs.

10 April:
Commander Koga (to ComMSDiv 1, later Comdesdiv 7) relieved by Lieutenant Commander Araki Masami [50] (prev. C.O. ISONAMI).

3 July:
Lieutenant Commander Araki (to C.O. USHIO) relieved by Commander Kanda Takeo [52] (prev. C.O. USHIO). (Kanda and Araki traded places/commands.)

12-16 August
With AKEBONO, USHIO, SHIRATSUYU, and MAIKAZE, escorted UNYO from Truk to Yokosuka.

26 August-2 September:
With AKEBONO, SHIRATSUYU, and MAIKAZE, escorted UNYO from Yokosuka to Truk.

19-25 September:
With MAIKAZE, escorted ZUIHO from Truk to join fleet at Eniwetok in response to U.S. carrier raids in the Central Pacific, then returned.

10-17 October:
With MAIKAZE, escorted transports AWATA MARU and NICHIEI MARU from Truk to Shanghai.

20-30 October:
With MAIKAZE, escorted troop convoy (3^rd section of Operation T4: AWATA MARU and NICHIEI MARU, lifting units of 17th Division) from Shanghai to Truk; on 22 October helped MAIKAZE rescue 1,000 survivors from torpedoed and sinking AWATA MARU.

3-7 November:
Departed Truk escorting troop convoy to Rabaul, but recalled due to heavy air attacks in Rabaul-area.

9-12 November:
With MAIKAZE and YAMAGUMO, escorted troop convoy (reorganized 3rd section of Operation T4: NICHIEI MARU, NICHII MARU and KAMIKAZE MARU, lifting units of 17th Division) from Truk to Rabaul.

13-15 November:
With MAIKAZE and YAMAGUMO, aircrew (of Cardiv 1) transport run from Rabaul to Truk.

25 November-7 December:
Escorted tanker NIPPON MARU supporting fleet operating in Marshalls-area in response to U.S. landings on Tarawa, then returned to Truk.

11-16 December:
Escorted KONGO and HARUNA from Truk to Sasebo, then docked for repairs. (“X” turret probably removed/replaced by two triple 25mm mounts during this refit.)

25 December:
Commander Kanda relieved by Commander Moriya Setsuji [51] (prev. C.O. SUZUKAZE).

4-9 January 1944:
With MAIKAZE, HATSUHARU, HATSUSHIMO, and WAKABA, escorted ATAGO, ZUIHO, and UNYO from Yokosuka to Truk.

19-22 January:
Escorted KOKUYO MARU from Truk to Rabaul.

24-25 January:
Troop transport run from Rabaul to Lorengau (Manus).

25-28 January:
Departed Lorengau, joined KOKUYO MARU out of Kavieng, then escorted to Truk.

30 January-12 February:
Escorted convoys from Truk to Rabaul and back.

17-24 February:
Departed Truk with MAIKAZE, escorting KATORI and auxiliary cruiser AKAGI MARU towards Yokosuka. Only ship of convoy to escape destruction by U.S. air and surface forces attacking Truk; joined YAMAGUMO and transport ASAKA MARU, then to Yokosuka.

12 March-1 April:
Escorted troop convoy Matsu No. 2 from Yokosuka to Saipan (19-24 March) and back. On 13 March removed Rear Admiral Takama Tamotsu [41] (Comdesron 11 and convoy commander) from sinking TATSUTA to become convoy flagship for remainder of operation.

11-16 May:
Escorted JUNYO, HIYO and RYUHO from Saeki to Tawitawi.

10-12 June:
With NOSHIRO, SHIMAKAZE, OKINAMI and YAMAGUMO, escorted YAMATO and MUSASHI from Tawitawi to Batjan to support Biak troop transport operations.

13 June:
Departed Batjan, escorting Admiral Ugaki's task force to join Admiral Ozawa's fleet in Philippine Sea.

19-20 June: Battle of Philippine Sea:
Desdiv 4 escorted Admiral Joshima's Force B.

23-26 June:
Desdiv 4 steamed from Okinawa to Guimarras to pick up oil tankers, then to Davao on 29 June; en route assisted and removed oil from torpedoed tanker ITSUKUSHIMA MARU at Negros Island.

1-15 July:
Desdiv 4 escorted FUSO from Davao via Tarakan to Kure.

30 July:
Departed Yokosuka, troop transport run to Chichi-jima.

15-21 August:
Escorted HARUNA from Sasebo to Singapore.

17-19 October:
Escorted supply force from Lingga to Brunei.

23-26 October: Battle of Leyte Gulf:
Escorted Admiral Kurita's 1st Diversion Attack Force. In Battle off Samar on 25 October took part in torpedo attack on U.S. escort carriers and assisted in sinking of USS JOHNSTON (DD-557); later removed survivors from CHIKUMA and scuttled with torpedoes. Sunk: after being crippled by gunfire from U.S. cruisers on 26 October, was finished off by torpedoes from USS OWEN (DD-536) 65 miles south-southeast of Legaspi (13 N, 124-54 E). Lost with all hands, including CHIKUMA survivors. (A sole CHIKUMA survivor named Hayashi drifted ashore without ever having been picked up by NOWAKI.)

10 January 1945:
Removed from Navy List.