Shirakumo departed England on 27 February 1902[3] to make her delivery voyage to Japan. She completed it with her arrival at Kure on 30 May 1902.[1]
When the Russo-Japanese War broke out on 8 February 1904, Shirakumo was part of the 1st Destroyer Division of the 1st Fleet.[4] The war began that evening with the Battle of Port Arthur, a Japanese surprise attack on Imperial Russian Navywarships anchored in the outer roadstead of the Russian naval base at Port Arthur, China.[5] Ten Japanese destroyers of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Destroyer Divisions made a torpedo attack in three waves, with the four destroyers of the 1st Destroyer Division (Akatsuki, Asashio, Kasumi, and Shirakumo) and Ikazuchi of the 2nd Destroyer Division constituting the first wave.[5] They closed to about 650 yards (590m) from the Russian ships and fired nine torpedoes.[5] One of Kasumi′s torpedoes hit the Russian protected cruiserPallada.[5]
As the Russo-Japanese War continued, Shirakumo took part in the Battle of the Yellow Sea on 10 August 1904.[1] After transferring to the 4th Destroyer Division in the 2nd Fleet, she participated in the Battle of Tsushima on 27–28 May 1905.[4][6] Responding to a signal from the unprotected cruiserChihaya on the afternoon of 27 May, the 4th Destroyer Division (Asagiri, Asashio, Murasame, and Shirakumo) mounted a torpedo attack against the damaged Russian battleshipKnyaz Suvorov.[7] Although Asagiri, Asashio, and Murasame launched their torpedoes at ranges of from 800 metres (870yd) down to 300 metres (330yd) and Murasame scored an apparent hit that caused Knyaz Suvorov to heel 10 degrees, Shirakumo did not fire, finding that Knyaz Suvorov had lost all steaming power and come to a stop before she could achieve a firing position.[7]Knyaz Suvorov later sank.[8]
Shirakumo was reclassified as a third-class destroyer on 28 August 1912.[1]
On 1 April 1922, Shirakumo was reclassified as a "special-duty vessel" for use as a second-class minesweeper.[1] On 1 April 1923, she was stricken from the naval register and reclassified as a utility vessel for use as an accommodation ship.[1]
『日本海軍史』第9巻・第10巻の「将官履歴」及び『官報』に基づく ("History of General Officers" and "Official Gazette" in Volumes 9 and 10 of "History of the Japanese Navy") (in Japanese)
『官報』第2801号、大正10年12月2日 ("Official Gazette" No. 2801, 2 December 1924) (in Japanese).
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Empire of Japan
