In January 1942, "Kasumi" escorted aircraft carriers and to Truk, and onwards to Rabaul to cover landings of Japanese forces at Rabaul and Kavieng and air strikes on Lae and Salamaua. In February she sortied from Palau to cover the air strike on Darwin, and was based from Staring-baai in Sulawesi, Netherlands East Indies from 21 February. At the end of the month, she was making patrols south of Java, sinking a merchant vessel on 1 March. "Kasumi" departed Staring-baai on 27 March to escort the carrier force in the Indian Ocean raid on 27 March After the Japanese air strikes on Colombo and Trincomalee in Ceylon, she returned to Kure for repairs on 23 April. "Kasumi" deployed from Saipan on 3 June as part of the escort for the troop convoy in the Battle of Midway. Afterwards, she escorted the cruisers and from Truk back to Kure. On 28 June, she was assigned to escort the aircraft carrier to Kiska in the Aleutian Islands on a supply mission. While approximately east of Kiska at on 5 July, she was hit amidships by a torpedo fired by the submarine , which severed her bow, killing 10 crewmen. She remained under repairs in Japan until 30 June 1943.