Asagumo was an Asashio-class destroyer. Kawasaki at Kobe launched her on 5 November 1937. She was commissioned on 31 March 1938. Ten destroyers were built in the class. It was the last Japanese destroyer class designed under the treaty limits.
On the night of 13 November 1942 she was in the sweeping group off Guadalcanal. Abe was coming the other way with Hiei, Kirishima, the light cruiser Nagara, and eleven destroyers. The lines ran together in the dark. Helena's guns hit Amatsukaze and drove her out. Asagumo, Murasame, and Samidare then drew Helena's fire. Asagumo was not sunk. The ships lost that night are not credited to her.
On the night of 14-15 November she was out again. Washington's 16-inch guns wrecked Kirishima. Kirishima capsized at 03:25. Asagumo took survivors off, with Teruzuki and Samidare. She was not sunk.
In early March 1943 she was with the convoy from Rabaul to Lae. Eight transports and eight destroyers were in it. Allied aircraft sank every transport and four destroyers: Shirayuki, Arashio, Asashio, and Tokitsukaze. Yukikaze, Asagumo, Shikinami, and Uranami got away with survivors. No Allied warship was in the daylight fight. She is not credited with a sinking there.
On 25 October 1944 she was in Nishimura's column in Surigao Strait. Yamashiro and Fuso were the battleships. Mogami and the destroyers Michishio and Yamagumo were there too. Shigure was the last destroyer in the column. American destroyers and the battle line sank Asagumo in the strait. The sinking is not credited to one ship. Shigure was the only ship of the column still underway when the night ended.
