Asashio (Japanese: Morning Tide) was a Japanese destroyer whose keel was laid in 1935, launched in December 1936, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in August 1937. At the time of launching, the ship was 115 m long, 10.3 m wide, and had a full displacement of 2,600 tons. Destroyer Asashio's top speed was up to 35 knots. The main armament at the time of the launch was 6 127 mm guns in three twin turrets, and the secondary armament was 3 25 mm cannons, depth charge launchers and eight 610 mm torpedo tubes.
Asashio was the first destroyer of the type with the same name - ie Asashio. Destroyers of this type were a development of the not very successful Shiratsuyu type. Compared to its predecessors, the main artillery was significantly strengthened, new anti-aircraft armament was added and four-tube torpedo tubes were used. The main disadvantage of the Asashio type was the low maneuverability, but until the outbreak of the war in the Pacific, this error was corrected by using a new type of rudder and redesigning the stern of the ships. Destroyer Asashio started the war in the Pacific by participating in convoying landings in Malaya and Indonesia in December 1941 and early 1942. In February of that year, it took part in the Battle of Bandung, and in June it took part in the Battle of Midway, where it was damaged. Later, it was very intensively used for activities in the area of the Gudalcanal island, constituting one of the elements of the so-called Tokyo Express. On March 4, 1943, Asashio was sunk by the American air force.