Construction of the advanced Fubuki-class destroyers was authorized as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's expansion program from fiscal 1923, intended to give Japan a qualitative edge with the world's most modern ships.

At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Uranami was initially assigned to Destroyer Division 19, Squadron 3 of the IJN 1st Fleet, and had deployed from Kure Naval District to the port of Samah on Hainan Island.

[citation needed] On 19 December, the destroyers Ayanami and Yūgiri unsuccessfully attacked the Dutch submarine HNLMS O 20 with depth charges.

Once these repairs were complete, Uranami escorted the armed merchant cruiser Kiyozumi maru as far as Singapore and then continued on to Mergui for a projected second Indian Ocean raid.

Throughout September and October, Uranami participated in a very large number of "Tokyo Express" high speed transport missions to Guadalcanal.

When American Admiral Willis A. Lee's Task Force 64 was located and attacked near Savo Island, Uranami came to the assistance of Ayanami and the light cruiser Nagara.

Almost immediately afterwards, Nagara in quick succession hit USS Preston several times, blowing up her magazines and sinking her in a devastating explosion.

Finally, Uranami (probably) scored the torpedo hit that severed everything forward of USS Benham's bridge, forcing her to be scuttled.

During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea on 1–4 March, Uranami sustained repeated air attacks without damage, and assisted in the rescue of survivors.

From 27 February to 25 March, Uranami escorted the cruisers Aoba, Tone and Chikuma in another commerce raiding operation in the Indian Ocean.

The next morning Uranami and Kinu, fighting for Mindanao, avoided three flights from Task Force 38 as the Battle of Leyte Gulf opened.

Uranami took two bombs and several rockets killing 103 crewmen, (including its captain, Lieutenant Commander Sako) before sinking around noon at position 11°50′N 123°00′E / 11.833°N 123.000°E / 11.833; 123.000, 12 miles (20 km) southeast of Masbate.