Shirakumo-class destroyer
 was the lead ship of two s built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the early 1900s. During the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), she took part in the Battle of Port Arthur in February 1904, the Battle of the Yellow Sea in August 1904, and the Battle of Tsushima in May 1905. During World War I (1914–1918), she participated in the Battle of Tsingtao in 1914.
Construction and commissioning.
Authorized under the 1900 naval program, "Shirakumo" was laid down on 1 February 1901 as Destroyer No. 15 by John I. Thornycroft &amp; Company at Chiswick, England. Launched on 1 October 1901 and named "Shirakumo", she was completed on 13 February 1902 and commissioned the same day.
Service history.
"Shirakumo" departed England on 27 February 1902 to make her delivery voyage to Japan. She completed it with her arrival at Kure on 30 May 1902.
When the Russo-Japanese War broke out on 8 February 1904, "Shirakumo" was part of the 1st Destroyer Division of the 1st Fleet. The war began that evening with the Battle of Port Arthur, a Japanese surprise attack on Imperial Russian Navy warships anchored in the outer roadstead of the Russian naval base at Port Arthur, China. 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 (, , , and "Shirakumo") and of the 2nd Destroyer Division constituting the first wave. They closed to about from the Russian ships and fired nine torpedoes. One of "Kasumi"′s torpedoes hit the Russian protected cruiser .
As the Russo-Japanese War continued, "Shirakumo" took part in the Battle of the Yellow Sea on 10 August 1904. After transferring to the 4th Destroyer Division in the 2nd Fleet, she participated in the Battle of Tsushima on 27–28 May 1905. Responding to a signal from the unprotected cruiser on the afternoon of 27 May, the 4th Destroyer Division (, "Asashio", , and "Shirakumo") mounted a torpedo attack against the damaged Russian battleship . Although "Asagiri", "Asashio", and "Murasame" launched their torpedoes at ranges of from down to 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. "Knyaz Suvorov" later sank.
"Shirakumo" was reclassified as a third-class destroyer on 28 August 1912.
After Japan entered World War I in August 1914, "Shirakumo" took part in the Battle of Tsingtao in 1914.
On 1 April 1922, "Shirakumo" was reclassified as a "special-duty vessel" for use as a second-class minesweeper. On 1 April 1923, she was stricken from the naval register and reclassified as a utility vessel for use as an accommodation ship. 
"Shirakumo" was sunk as a target in the Bungo Channel off Himeshima on 21 July 1925.
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Citations.
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