Hatsuyuki (初雪, "First Snow") was the third of twenty-four Fubuki-class destroyers[1] built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I.

Construction of the advanced Fubuki-class destroyers was authorized as part of the Imperial Japanese Navy's expansion program from fiscal 1923, intended to give Japan a qualitative edge with the world's most modern ships.

[citation needed] At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hatsuyuki 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 to 30 January 1942 Hatsuyuki was part of the escort for the heavy cruisers Suzuya, Kumano, Mogami and Mikuma out of Samah and Camranh Bay, French Indochina in support of Malaya, Banka-Palembang and Anambas Islands invasion operations.

In July 1942, Hatsuyuki sailed from Amami-Ōshima to Mako Guard District, Singapore, Sabang and Mergui for a projected second Indian Ocean raid.

[8] During the Battle of Cape Esperance on 11–12 October, Hatsuyuki took 518 survivors off of the sinking cruiser Furutaka, and two days later escorted the badly damaged Aoba to Truk.

After making one more transport run to Rabaul in December, Hatsuyuki was assigned to escort aircraft carrier Hiyō back to Kure Naval Arsenal for repairs.

In the Battle of Kula Gulf off of Kolombangara on 5 July, Hatsuyuki engaged a group of American cruisers and destroyers, and was hit by six dud shells, which damaged her steering and killed six crewmen.