Initial Command Structure:
Ship's captain: Lieutenant Commander Sugawara Rokorou. Assigned to Desdiv 11, Desron 3, First Fleet.

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

4 December 1941-30 January 1942:
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.

27 January: Battle off Endau
Assisted in sinking of HMS THANET.

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

27 February:
With Western Java invasion force.

1 March: Battle of Sunda Strait
Assisted in sinking of HMAS PERTH and USS HOUSTON (CA-30). Minor damage: due to shell hit on bridge, one dead and 11 injured.

8-14 March:
Escorted troop convoy from Singapore towards Rangoon.

23 March:
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:
Steamed from Singapore via Camranh Bay to Kure, then docked for maintenance.

4-5 June: Battle of Midway
Escorted Admiral Yamamoto's Main Body.

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

17-31 July:
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:
Steamed from Mergui via Makassar to Davao.

19-23 August:
Escorted troop convoy from Davao to Truk.

25-27 August:
Steamed from Truk to Rabaul.

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

31 August:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

2 September:
Attack mission to Guadalcanal (cover for TSUGARU troop transport run).

5 September:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

8 September:
Attack mission to Guadalcanal.

13 September:
Gunfire support mission to Guadalcanal (Kawaguchi offensive).

15 September:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

18 September:
Attack mission to Guadalcanal.

21 September:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

1 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

4 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

7 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

11-12 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal; rescued survivors of MURAKUMO then scuttled with a torpedo.

14 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

17 October:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal.

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

1 November:
Lieutenant Commander Sugawara promoted to Commander.

2 November:
Troop transport run to Guadalcanal. Minor damage: due to grounding off Kamimbo.

5 November:
Troop transport run 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:
Escorted HIYO from Truk to Kure, then docked for repairs.

21 December 1942-25 January 1943:
Escorted troop convoy (6th Division Transport/Group B) during all or parts (record unclear) of its voyage from Shanghai via Truk (17 January) and Rabaul (24 January) to Shortlands. From 22-24 January also with SENDAI from Truk to Rabaul, then carried Comdesron 3 (Rear Admiral Hashimoto Sentaro) to Shortlands.

28 January:
Troop transport run to Russell Islands (cover).

1 February:
Troop evacuation run to Guadalcanal (cover). Removed Admiral Hashimoto from damaged MAKINAMI to become Desron 3 flagship for remainder of evacuation operations.

4 February:
Led troop evacuation run to Guadalcanal (cover). Briefly disabled by engine trouble but able to resume mission.

7 February:
Led troop evacuation run to Guadalcanal (cover).

25 February:
Desron 3 reassigned to Eighth Fleet.

1-3 March: Battle of the Bismarck Sea
Led escort of troop convoy from Rabaul towards Lae as flagship of Comdesron 3 (Rear Admiral Kimura Masatomi). Sunk: in Allied air attacks of 3 March, 55 miles southeast of Finschhafen (07-15 S, 148-30 E); skip-bomb exploded after magazine, severing stern, 32 dead. Survivors, including Admiral Kimura, Comdesdiv 11 (Captain Sugino Shuichi) and Commander Sugawara (to Naval Personnel Dept.), rescued by SHIKINAMI.

1 April 1943:
Removed from Navy List.