Umikaze (海風, ”Sea Breeze”) [1] was the seventh of ten Shiratsuyu-class destroyers, and the first to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle Two Program (Maru Ni Keikaku).

From January 1942, Umikaze participated in operations in the Netherlands East Indies, including the invasion of Tarakan Island, and landings at Balikpapan and Makassar.

Umikaze escorted the aircraft carrier Chitose from Yokosuka to Truk in mid-August, and continued on to Guadalcanal, where she was assigned to eleven “Tokyo Express” missions through the end of September.

On a troop transport run to Buna, Umikaze suffered heavy damage in an air strike by USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, and had to be towed back to Rabaul by the destroyer Asashio for emergency repairs.

In June, Umikaze led a troop transport mission to Ponape and Nauru and continued on with escort duties between Truk and the Japanese home islands through the end of November.