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).

[2] On the night of October 13–14, she escorted battleships Kongō and Haruna during the bombardment of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal.

On the night of October 15–16, she escorted cruisers Myōkō and Maya during the bombardment of Henderson Field.

On 30 November 1942, Takanami was on a supply transport run to Guadalcanal, when her task group engaged a United States Navy task group in the Battle of Tassafaronga, where was sunk by gunfire from the heavy cruisers USS New Orleans and Minneapolis, largely from Minneapolis — several miles south-southwest of Savo Island (9°14′S 159°49′E / 9.23°S 159.82°E / -9.23; 159.82), with 197 killed; 48 survivors reached Guadalcanal, 19 were later captured by US troops.

However, before she was sunk, Takanami managed to fire off her torpedoes, inflicting devastating damage on the very ships that sank her.