troop transport run to land the Ichiki and Aoba Detachments on Guadalcanal, and shelling Henderson Field. From September through December 1942, she was assigned to numerous Tokyo Express high-speed transport runs throughout the Solomon Islands. On 17 December, she attacked and claimed sinking an unidentified submarine, but the report remains unconfirmed. At the end of December, she suffered significant damage near Rabaul in an air raid by USAAF B-24 bombers while towing the damaged destroyer . Six near misses killed 28 crewmen and injured 40 others, disabling her No.2 and No.3 gun turrets. After returning to Sasebo for major repairs through the middle of February 1943, Ariake escorted a convoy to Truk and the end of February and another convoy from Truk to Rabaul and back to Yokosuka at the end of April. She returned to Truk at the end of the month as escort for the aircraft carrier , returning with the battleship at the end of May. In early June, she was docked for repairs, except for a sortie to escort the carrier to Truk, and to return with the same damaged ship a few days later. In late June, she escorted the aircraft carrier from Yokosuka to Truk, and the cruisers and from Truk to Rabaul, repeating the mission twice in early July. On 27–28 July 1943, Ariake was on a troop transport run to Tuluvu, New Britain. After grounding on a reef near Cape Gloucester () with the destroyer , Ariake was able to work free. She removed troops and ComDesDiv 30 (Captain Orita Tsuneo) from and completed the mission to Tuluvu, then returned to assist Mikazuki. She was sunk while also engaged by U.S. Army B-25 Mitchells. Seven men were killed, along with Ariakes captain, LtCdr Akifumi Kawahashi. Notes References OCLC 77257764 External links Hatsuharu-class destroyers World War II destroyers of Japan Shipwrecks in the Bismarck Sea World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean Ships built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries 1934 ships Maritime incidents in July 1943 Destroyers sunk by aircraft Ships sunk by US aircraft