Yamakaze (山風, ”Mountain Wind”)[1] was the eighth of ten Shiratsuyu-class destroyers, and the second to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy under the Circle Two Program (Maru Ni Keikaku).

[5] At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Yamakaze was assigned to Destroyer Division 24 of Destroyer Squadron 4 of the IJN 2nd Fleet together with her sister ships Umikaze, Kawakaze, and Suzukaze, and had sortied from Palau as part of the Philippine invasion force, covering landings at Legaspi and Lamon Bay.

From January 1942, Yamakaze participated in operations in the Netherlands East Indies, including the invasion of Tarakan Island, where she assisted in sinking the Royal Dutch Navy minelayer HNLMS Prins van Oranje.

From 10 May, Yamakaze was reassigned to the IJN 1st Fleet and returned to Sasebo Naval Arsenal for repairs at the end of the month.

On 25 June 1942, while steaming independently from Ōminato towards the Inland Sea, Yamakaze was torpedoed and sunk with all hands lost by the submarine USS Nautilus approximately 60 nautical miles (110 km) southeast of Yokosuka at position 34°34′N 140°26′E / 34.567°N 140.433°E / 34.567; 140.433.