The lead ship of the Japanese Kagerō class was considered one of the most modern fleet destroyers in the world at the outbreak of the war. Armed primarily with six 12.7 cm guns and two quadruple torpedo launchers for the formidable Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedo, it was optimized for high-seas night combat.

The Kagerō saw extensive service in the Pacific War starting in 1941 and sank in May 1943 after striking a naval mine near the Solomon Islands.