The USS Harder, a US navy submarine that has been missing for 80 years, has been discovered in the South China Sea off Luzon island in the Philippines. The submarine, which played a significant role in World War II naval warfare, vanished on August 24, 1944, with 79 sailors on board.
The wreckage of the USS Harder was found by Tim Taylor, CEO of Tiburon Subsea and the Lost 52 Project, with the help of the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). NHHC Director Samuel J Cox expressed gratitude for the opportunity to honor the valor of the crew of the USS Harder. He mentioned the submarine’s legendary skipper, Cmdr. Sam Dealey, and their successful attacks on Japanese warships.
The search for the USS Harder involved extensive research into 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 the most successful, sinking Japanese destroyers and inflicting heavy damage on others within four days.
During its final patrol, the USS Harder, with assistance from another ship called USS Haddo, targeted and neutralized three escort ships off Bataan province in the Philippines. 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
