Wakaba (若葉, ”Young Leaves”) [1] was the third of six Hatsuharu-class destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle One Program (Maru Ichi Keikaku).

From 1940, she was assigned to patrol and cover landings of Japanese forces in south China, and participated in the Invasion of French Indochina.

On 26 March, she participated in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands as part of the IJN 5th Fleet, and unsuccessfully engaged United States Navy forces at long range with torpedoes.

Wakaba rejoined the IJN 5th Fleet in northern waters at the end of April, escorting convoys between Paramushiro and Ōminato to early July.

In July, she participated in the evacuation of the Aleutians as part of a screening force consisting of the destroyers Hatsushimo, Naganami, Shimakaze and Samidare.

From 24 November, Wakaba escorted Hiyō, from Kure to Truk via Manila, Singapore, Tarakan and Palau, returning with the aircraft carriers Unyō and Zuihō to Yokosuka at the end of the year.

In July, she made two troop transport runs to Iwo Jima as part of the Japanese preparations against the American landings.

[9] On 24 October 1944, in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Wakaba was sunk by aircraft from USS Franklin, struck by one or two bombs off the west coast of Panay (11°50′N 121°25′E / 11.833°N 121.417°E / 11.833; 121.417).