The USS Harder, a US Navy submarine that disappeared 80 years ago, has been discovered in the South China Sea off Luzon Island in the Philippines. The submarine, known for its impact on World War II naval warfare, vanished on August 24, 1944, with 79 sailors on board. The wreckage was discovered with the help of Tim Taylor, CEO of Tiburon Subsea and the Lost 52 Project.
According to NHHC Director Samuel J Cox, it is an honor to be able to pay tribute to the bravery and valor of the crew of the USS Harder. He commended the legendary skipper, Cmdr. Sam Dealey, and their successful attacks on Japanese warships during World War II. The USS Harder was found at a depth exceeding 3,000 feet and rests upright on its keel relatively intact apart from depth-charge damage aft of the conning tower.
The search for the USS Harder involved extensive research on historical records and deploying autonomous robots to cover vast search areas efficiently. Commissioned in December 1942, the submarine completed six war patrols before its disappearance. Its fifth patrol was described as one of its most successful missions sinking Japanese destroyers and inflicting heavy damage on others within four days.
During its final patrol, the USS Harder targeted and neutralized three escort ships off Bataan Province in the Philippines with assistance from another submarine named USS Haddo. According to Japanese records, it was sunk by depth charges launched from another escort ship on August 24th., 1944. For its service in World War II