The turbines were rated at a total of 52,000 shaft horsepower (39,000 kW) for a designed speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph).

After the fleet had been attacked, the destroyer assisted in rescuing the survivors of the sinking aircraft carriers.

During the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal Kazagumo was assigned to the Bombardment Force, and assisted in the rescue of survivors from the cruiser Kinugasa.

Returning to active duty, Kazagumo took part in a troop evacuation run to Kiska 29 July.

Kazagumo engaged a trio of American destroyers, USS Selfridge, Chevalier, and O'Bannon, firing off several salvos of 5-inch (127 mm) guns, but during the initial action was unable to fire her torpedoes in fear of hitting her sistership Yūgumo.

The wounded O'Bannon and Selfridge retreated from the battlefield and left the battered Chevalier to sink.

After the battle, a banquet was held for the Japanese ships, during which one of Kazagumo's crew members, drunk after several rounds of Sake, ranted about the war effort, how the Japanese battleships were sitting in port doing nothing while destroyers were forced to take up the brunt of the American warship, particularly raving about Yūgumo's sinking.

At the time, she was thought to be lost with all hands (a third of her crew was rescued by American PT Boats).

[5] On 8 June 1944, Kazagumo was escorting the cruisers Myōkō and Haguro from Davao to support Biak troop transport operations.