t the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Shirayuki was assigned to Destroyer Division 11 of Desron 3 of the IJN 1st Fleet, and had deployed from Kure Naval District to the port of Samah on Hainan Island. From 4 December 1941 through February 1942, Shirayuki covered the landings of Japanese troops in Malaya, Anambas Islands and "Operation B" (the invasion of British Borneo). On 27 January, Shirayuki and her convoy were attacked by the destroyers HMS Thanet and HMAS Vampire about 80 nautical miles (148 km) north of Singapore in the Battle off Endau, and her torpedoes are credited with helping sink Thanet