Japan avoided the limitations on ship tonnage by declining to sign the Second London Naval Treaty. As a result, new criteria were formulated for "cruiser-type" destroyers, emphasizing enhanced stability and sea endurance while maintaining the armament of "special type" destroyers. Laid down in September 1937, Kagerō played a role in World War II, engaging in combat near the eastern Solomon Islands and Santa Cruz Islands and participating in the Battles of Guadalcanal and Tassafaronga.