Hagikaze

Hagikaze (萩風, Clover Wind) was one of 19 Kagerou-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the 1930s. The Kagerou class was an enlarge and improved version of the preceding Asashio class. Their crew numbered 240 officers and enlisted men. The ships measured 118.5 meters (388 ft 9 in) overall, with a beam of 10.8 meters (35 ft 5 in) and a draft of 3.76 meters (12 ft 4 in). They displaced 2,065 metric tons (2,032 long tons) at standard load and 2,529 metric tons (2,489 long tons) at deep load. The ships had two Kampon geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines were rated at a total of 52,000 shaft horsepower (39,000 kW) for a designed speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). The ships had a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at a speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). The main armament of the Kagerou class consisted of six Type 3 127-millimeter (5.0 in) guns in three twin-gun turrets, one superfiring pair aft and one turret forward of the superstructure. They were built with four Type 96 25-millimeter (1.0 in) anti-aircraft guns in two twin-gun mounts, but more of these guns were added over the course of the war. The ships were also armed with eight 610-millimeter (24.0 in) torpedo tubes for the oxygen-fueled Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedo in two quadruple traversing mounts; one reload was carried for each tube. Their anti-submarine weapons comprised 16 depth charges. Participating in the Battle of Midway, the heavily damaged aircraft carrier Kaga was scuttled by Hagikaze's two torpedoes, Kaga being fatally damaged by US aircraft from USS Enterprise during the battle. On 7 August 1943, Hagikaze was sunk between Kolombangara and Vella Lavella (07°50′S 156°55′E) during the Battle of Vella Gulf, by torpedoes and gunfire from the US destroyers USS Dunlap, USS Craven, and USS Maury, with 178 killed. Hagikaze has a cheerful, eager, but feminine personality. She notably has an aversion to the night, especially night battles. Probably due to her historical sinking in a disastrous night ambush. Her hourly and seasonal lines also show a weakness towards healthy food. She has yellow eyes and long purple hair with an ahoge. Her hair is tied into a side ponytail similar to Kaga's, continuing a Kantai Collection trend of matching a few traits from escort ships to the ships they escorted. (Other commentators note a distinct likeness to Shimamura Uzuki of iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls.) Hagikaze wears clothing similar to other Kagerou-class destroyers, including a white blouse with a black vest, and a red neck ribbon. She also wears a black pleated skirt, white gloves, black thigh-highs, and loafers. Uncommonly for a destroyer, her breasts are more prominent and she can be seen to wear a purple bra when damaged. Her combat gear includes a twin-cannon turret held with two handles on the sides and a purse-like strap, with a backpack-like mount for a smokestack that carries swing-arms for more turrets. On her thighs, she has additional anti-air guns strapped in garter belt-like arrangements. She's one of few girls with obvious Abyssal form, the Destroyer Water Demon. She holds a violet ribbon between her hands. This ribbon belongs to Kaga, and is a reference to how Hagikaze was the one who scuttled her at Midway. They also share the hairdo and Hagikaze was a reward for sinking her back in Fall 2015. Her line all reference the Battle of Vella Gulf where American destroyers ambushed Hagikaze's 4 destroyer convoy, with only Shigure surviving. Japanese didn't put as much as a dent on Americans and, aside Shigure's torpedoes, couldn't even return fire.