Fumizuki (文月, ”July”) was one of twelve Mutsuki-class destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1920s.

In March, she was assigned to convoy escort duties in and around Malaya and the Dutch East Indies until she was transferred to Rabaul in early 1943 to ferry troops around New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

[4] Fumizuki was one of six Mutsuki-class ships reconstructed in 1935–36, with their hulls strengthened, raked caps fitted to the funnels and shields to the torpedo mounts.

[6] Fumizuki, built at the Fujinagata Shipyards in Osaka, was laid down on 20 October 1924,[2] launched on 16 February 1926[4] and completed on 3 July 1926.

From 10 March 1942 Fumizuki and Destroyer Division 5 were reassigned to the Southwest Area Fleet and escorted troop convoy from Singapore to Penang, and Rangoon.

[5] On 16 September, Fumizuki sustained heavy damage after a collision with the transport Kachidoki Maru in Formosa Strait, forcing a return to Sasebo for repairs until early 1943.

At the end of January 1943, Fumizuki escorted the seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru from Sasebo via Truk and Rabaul to Shortlands, and remained throughout February to cover Operation KE (troop evacuations from Guadalcanal).

On 2 November, Fumizuki was strafed during an air raid by United States Navy aircraft while at Rabaul, with six crewmen killed and four injured.

[7] The near miss to port amidships disabled her only usable turbine and caused gradual flooding, which the crew could not control, and Fumizuki sank on 18 February at 07°24′N 151°44′E / 7.400°N 151.733°E / 7.400; 151.733, with 29 crewmen killed.