Yūgiri completed her delivery voyage from England to Japan on 15 June 1899 with her arrival at Yokosuka.[2] She was reclassified as a destroyer on 22 June 1900.[2]
When the Russo-Japanese War broke out in February 1904, Yūgiri was part of the 5th Destroyer Division of the 2nd Fleet.[3] 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.[2][3] During the Battle of Tsushima, she took part in the 5th Destroyer Division's torpedo attack against the Imperial Russian Navysquadron on the evening of 27 May 1905.[4] After firing one torpedo, she withdrew to make another approach to fire her second torpedo, but collided with the Japanese destroyer Harusame.[5]Harusame sustained a gash almost 3 feet (0.9 m) long below the waterline forward, but was able to continue her operations.[6] The impact bent Yūgiri′s bow to starboard, leaving her in great danger of sinking, but after an hour the crisis passed and she was able to get back underway and proceed at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) to Sasebo, Japan, which she reached on the evening of 28 May.[6] She completed repairs and returned to service in time to participate in the invasion of Sakhalin in July 1905.
On 28 August 1912, the Imperial Japanese Navy revised its ship classification standards. It established three categories of destroyers, with those of 1,000 displacement tons or more defined as first-class destroyers, those of 600 to 999 displacement tons as second-class destroyers, and those of 599 or fewer displacement tons as third-class destroyers.[7] Under this classification scheme, Yūgiri became a third-class destroyer.[8]
On 1 April 1919, Yūgiri was renamed Yūgiri Maru and reclassified as a "utility vessel" for use as a submarine tender and minesweeper.[2] On 1 July 1920 she was renamed Yūgiri and reclassified as a "special service vessel" for use as a second-class minesweeper.[2] On 1 April 1922 she was reclassified as a "utility vessel" for use as a target ship. On 14 March 1924, she was decommissioned, stricken from the navy list, and hulked.[2]
^「大正1年 達 完:8月」 アジア歴史資料センター Ref.C12070064400 画像33『達第十一號 艦艇類別等級別表ノ通改正セラル 大正元年八月二十八日 海軍大臣 男爵斎藤實 (別表)|驅逐艦|一等|千暾以上|二等|千暾未満六百暾以上|三等|六百暾未満|』 ("1912: August Asia Historical Records Center Ref.C12070064400 Image 33 ′Tatsu No. 11 Ship Classification Classification Table Revised Serral August 28, 1912 Minister of Navy Baron Minoru Saito (Appendix ): Destroyer, First class, 1,000 tons or more; Second class; Less than 1,000 tons, 600 tons or more; Third class′") (in Japanese)
^("1912 August Image 34 ′Tatsu 12th Revision of Ship Classification Classification Table No. August 28, 1912, Minister of Navy Baron Minoru Saito (separate table): Destroyer, Third class: Shinonome, Murakumo, Yugiri, Shiranui, Kagero, Usugumo, ...′") (in Japanese)
^日本海軍史』第9巻・第10巻の「将官履歴」及び『官報』に基づく ("Based on History of General Officers and Official Gazette in Volumes 9 and 10 of History of the Japanese Navy) (in Japanese)
^ ab『官報』第1900号、大正7年12月3日 ("Official Gazette No. 1900, 3 December 1917") (in Japanese)
^ ab『官報』第1979号、大正8年3月11日 ("Official Gazette" No. 1979, 11 March 1919") (in Japanese)
Bibliography
海軍歴史保存会『日本海軍史』第7巻、第9巻、第10巻、第一法規出版、1995年。("Naval History Preservation Society "Japanese Naval History" Vol.7, Vol.9, Vol.10, Daiichi Hoki Publishing, 1995.") (in Japanese)
Cocker, Maurice (1983). Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981. Ian Allan. ISBN0-7110-1075-7.
Corbett, Julian S. (1994). Maritime Operations in the Russo-Japanese War 1904–1905, Volume II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-55750-129-7.
Evans, David (1979). Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-192-7.
福井靜夫『写真日本海軍全艦艇史 Fukui Shizuo Collection』資料編、KKベストセラーズ、1994年。("Shizuo Fukui, "Photographic History of All Ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy Fukui Shizuo Collection" Data Edition, KK Bestsellers, 1994.") (in Japanese)