ariake (kancolle)

Ariake comes off as somewhat spunky, cool, and at times tomboyish, but does get very embarrassed as she is gradually stripped of her clothing. She is also unmindful whether she is actually classified as a Hatsuharu or, as some historians regarded the historical destroyer, the nameship of a separate class, under which Shiratsuyu, Shigure, and Murasame are included. This is due to the extensive design changes and modifications to the historical destroyer to remedy the flaws the previous "top-heavy" Hatsuharus had.

The historical Ariake was the fifth of the Hatsuharu-class but the first in an "improved design" that was meant to remedy the chronic stability issues of the first four Hatsuharus. Aside from lowered superstructures and a revised weapons suite, she and her sister ship Yuugure were the first destroyers fitted with the 12.7 cm twin Type C mounts as used by the succeeding Shiratsuyu, Asashio, and Kagerou classes. In addition, they both received two rudders, one aft of each propeller, in an attempt to reduce severe heeling at turns, only to have them removed after their trials in 1935.

Assigned to DesDiv 27, they escorted the Second Carrier Division (Hiryuu and Souryuu) in raids on Rabaul and Darwin. They repeated the same task for the Fifth CarDiv (Shoukaku and Zuikaku) in the battle of the Coral Sea.

She was sunk on July 28, 1943 by engaging B-25 Mitchell bombers while assisting Mikazuki. This was after completing a troop transport at Tuluvu, New Britain (now part of Papua New Guinea), during which the two destroyers ran aground on a reef off Cape Gloucester.