Hatsuharu was the name ship of her class. The name is early spring. Sasebo Naval Arsenal laid her down on 14 May 1931, launched her on 27 February 1933, and commissioned her on 30 September 1933. She was in Destroyer Division 21 with Nenohi, Wakaba, and Hatsushimo.
On 25 January 1942 she collided with the light cruiser Nagara off Kendari. The blow crushed her bow. She was repaired and was back with the division for Bali Strait. On the night of 28 February-1 March the division met Alden, Paul Jones, John D. Edwards, and John D. Ford. A short gun duel followed. None of the four American destroyers was hit.
Commander Hiroshi Makino had her then. He was relieved on 15 November 1942. Lieutenant Commander Yasunosuke Okuma had her from 1 October 1944. On 13 November 1944, in an American air raid on Manila, near-misses flooded her and set her on fire. She sank upright in shallow water. Twelve of her men were killed. Okuma survived. The loss is not credited to one plane. She was struck on 10 January 1945.