The Yūgumo class was a repeat of the preceding with minor improvements that increased their anti-aircraft capabilities. Their crew numbered 228 officers and enlisted men. The ships measured 119.17m (390.98feet) overall, with a beam of 10.8m (35.4feet) and a draft of 3.76m (12.34feet).[1] They displaced 2110t at standard load and 2560t at deep load.[2] The ships had two Kampon geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines were rated at a total of 52000shp for a designed speed of 35kn.[3]
The main armament of the Yūgumo class consisted of six Type 3 1270NaN0 guns in three twin-gun turrets, one superfiring pair aft and one turret forward of the superstructure.[2] The guns were able to elevate up to 75° to increase their ability against aircraft, but their slow rate of fire, slow traversing speed, and the lack of any sort of high-angle fire-control system meant that they were virtually useless as anti-aircraft guns.[4] They were built with four Type 96 250NaN0 anti-aircraft guns in two twin-gun mounts, but more of these guns were added over the course of the war. The ships were also armed with eight 610mm torpedo tubes in a two quadruple traversing mounts; one reload was carried for each tube. Their anti-submarine weapons comprised two depth charge throwers for which 36 depth charges were carried.[2]
Yūgumo participated in the battles of Midway, the Eastern Solomons, and the Santa Cruz Islands. The destroyer made troop transport runs to Guadalcanal on 7 and 10 November 1942. She then made troop transport runs to Buna, Papua New Guinea on 17 and 22 November. The ship then performed troop evacuation runs to Guadalcanal on 1 and 4 February 1943. Three days later, Yūgumo took part in a troop evacuation run to the Russell Islands. The destroyer made troop transport runs to Kolombangara on 1 and 5 April.
On 29 July, Yūgumo evacuated 479 soldiers from Kiska. She performed a troop evacuation run to Kolombangara on 2 October 1943. On the night of 6–7 October 1943, Yūgumo was on a troop evacuation run to Vella Lavella. In the Battle of Vella Lavella, she charged U.S. destroyers, irreparably damaging with a torpedo. She was sunk in turn by gunfire and at least one torpedo from Chevalier and, 15nmi northwest of Vella Lavella (-7.55°N 170°W), with 138 killed. U.S. PT boats rescued 78 survivors and another 25 reached friendly lines in an abandoned U.S. lifeboat, but Commander Osako was killed in action.