Vella Lavella
On the night of 6–7 October 1943, "Yūgumo" was on a troop evacuation run to Vella Lavella. In the Battle of Vella Lavella, she charged U.S. destroyers, irreparably damaging with a torpedo. She was sunk in turn by gunfire and at least one torpedo from "Chevalier" and , northwest of Vella Lavella (), with 138 killed. U.S. PT boats rescued 78 survivors and another 25 reached friendly lines in an abandoned U.S. lifeboat, but Commander Osako was killed in action.