She saw action during World War II in the Attack on Pearl Harbor and in the Pacific, before being disabled in the Battle of Surigao Strait in October 1944, then bombed and sunk by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) off the coast of the Philippines.

[2] The Nagara-class vessels were essentially identical to the previous Kuma-class cruisers, retaining the same hull design, engines and main weaponry, with the addition of the new 610 mm Type 93 Long Lance Torpedoes, which required a larger launcher.

[2] Abukuma was laid down on 8 December 1921, launched on 16 March 1923 and completed at the Uraga Dock Company on 26 May 1925, her commissioning having been delayed due to the Great Kantō earthquake.

The collision only lightly damaged Kitakami, but Abukuma lost her bow and had to be towed by the battleship Mutsu to Tateyama, Chiba, and from there she was returned to Yokosuka Naval Arsenal by tugboats.

Abukuma set sail from Hitokappu Bay on Etorofu in the Kurile Islands on 26 November 1941 with Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo's Carrier Striking Force.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Abukuma led DesRon1 with most of the Carrier Striking Force on the return to Japan, and received a hero's welcome on 23 December 1941.

[4] In May, Abukuma and its destroyer squadron were reassigned to the Northern Force under Vice Admiral Boshirō Hosogaya, and escorted the light aircraft carriers Ryūjō and Jun'yō, supporting the invasion of Attu and Kiska in the Battle of the Aleutian Islands.

[4] Abukuma returned to Sasebo Naval Arsenal for refit on 12 December 1942, during which time two triple-mount Type 96 25 mm AA guns were installed, and the No.

After refit, Abukuma returned to northern waters to continue reinforcement operations to Attu and Kiska in January, February and March 1943.

[2] Abukuma was undamaged during the battle, but the heavy cruiser Nachi was badly damaged and the Japanese Fifth Fleet was forced to abort its supply mission to the Aleutians.

From April through May 1943, Abukuma underwent refit at the Maizuru Naval Arsenal, during which time a Type 21 air-search radar was installed, and it was thus not present during "Operation Landcrab", during which American forces recaptured Attu.

On 12 September 1943, while cruising off Paramushiro, Abukuma suffered slight damage by near misses by bombs from USAAF B-24 Liberator and B-25 Mitchell aircraft.

In the pre-dawn hours of 25 October 1944, as Shima's force entered the strait, the flotilla was attacked by a squadron of American PT boats.

Lieutenant (jg) Mike Kovar's PT-137 fired a torpedo at a destroyer, but it ran deep and passed beneath the target to strike Abukuma at 0325 near the No.

On 26 October, Abukuma and Ushio departed Dapitan for Coron, Palawan but was spotted and attacked repeatedly by B-24 Liberator bombers of the 5th Group, 13th Air Force armed with 500 lb (227 kg) bombs.