On 24 October 1944, in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Wakaba was sunk by aircraft from , struck by one or two bombs off the west coast of Panay ().
ˌɔn twˈɛnti fˈoːɹ ɑːktˈoʊbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi fˈoːɹ, ɪnðə bˈæɾəl ʌv lˈeɪt ɡˈʌlf, wækˈɑːbə wʌz sˈʌŋk baɪ ˈɛɹkɹæft fɹʌm , stɹˈʌk baɪ wˈʌn ɔːɹ tˈuː bˈɑːmz ˈɔf ðə wˈɛst kˈoʊst ʌv pˈæneɪ.