The name is the first wind. Hatsukaze was a Kagero-class destroyer. Kawasaki laid her down on 3 December 1937, launched her on 24 January 1939, and commissioned her on 15 February 1940. Captain Michio Oka had her from 15 December 1942.
On the night of 1 March 1942 she was with Amatsukaze, north of Surabaya. The two destroyers depth-charged the submarine Perch and left her on the bottom, unable to stay down. They did not sink her. Before sunrise on 3 March Perch could not dive. Her own crew scuttled her. Ushio took all fifty-nine men off.
On the night of 1–2 November 1943 she was with the light cruiser Agano off Empress Augusta Bay, and with Naganami and Wakatsuki. Rear Admiral Morikazu Osugi's flag was in Agano. In the dark the heavy cruiser Myoko collided with her and cut off her bow.
American destroyers finished her. Claxton, Spence, Stanly, and Thatcher were in that fire. Not one of them is credited alone. Burke's flag that night was in Charles Ausburne, and she is not the ship named for the fire that sank Hatsukaze. Hatsukaze went down on 2 November 1943.