Kawakaze (江風, ”River Wind”)[1] was the ninth of ten Shiratsuyu-class destroyers, and the third to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle Two Program (Maru Ni Keikaku).

After a large variety of escorting and transport missions, Kawakaze was sunk by a torpedo attack from US destroyers at the battle of Vella Gulf, August 7, 1943.

On October 11, 1941, Kawakaze was one of 98 Japanese warships anchored in Tokyo Bay for a massive fleet inspection in preparation for Japan's entry into WW2.

From the rest of December and into January and February of 1942, Kawakaze undertook escorting missions for the Lamon Bay, Tarakan, Balikpapan, and Makassar invasion forces.

However, Kawakaze only took part in a mass torpedo attack that failed to score any hits, with the heavy cruisers Haguro and Nachi primarily carrying the battle into a devastating Japanese victory.

[6][9] On March 1 Kawakaze joined other destroyers and the heavy cruisers Haguro, Nachi, Myōkō, and Ashigara, and in the late night engaged a trio of allied ships attempting to escape the Java Sea.

This blunder allowed Kawakaze to close to 2,925 meters (3,200 yards) away from the enemy ships and fire a full spread of eight torpedoes.

After sinking Blue and finishing up patrol duties, Kawakaze joined the destroyers Kagerō, Isokaze, Mutsuki, and Yayoi with the purposes of bombarding Henderson Field, a former Japanese airbase which was captured by US forces.

In the remainder of August through early November, Kawakaze participated in ten "Tokyo Express" high speed transport runs or surface attack missions to Guadalcanal, alongside serving as an aircraft carrier escort during Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October under Admiral Nobutake Kondō.

During the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on the night of 12–13 November 1942, Kawakaze rescued 550 survivors from the torpedoed transport ship Brisbane Maru.

About 10 minutes after Pensacola was hit, Kawakaze is generally credited for landing the two torpedoes that gouged the heavy cruiser USS Northampton.

The damage detonated her fuel takes, flooded three of her four propellers and left the cruiser dead in the water, and started a gigantic fire inside the ship.

[17][18] On 9 February, she suffered significant damage in a collision with cargo ship Toun Maru and had to be towed by the destroyer Kuroshio to Rabaul for emergency repairs before returning to Sasebo by the end of March for further repairs which were completed by the end of May, Kawakaze returned to Truk, transported troops to Nauru in early June, and to Kwajalein in late June and Tuluvu on 1 August.