The  USS Harder, said to be the US Navy submarine that sank the most Japanese warships during World War Two, has been found in the South China Sea, some 80 years after it was sunk. 

The Harder, a Gato class submarine, was sunk in battle on 29 August 1944, along with its crew of 79 men. Resting at a depth of more than 3,000 feet, the vessel sits upright on her keel relatively intact except for the depth-charge damage aft of the conning tower. The wreckage of the submarine was found off the Philippines’ northern island of Luzon.

 Nicknamed “Hit ‘em HARDER”, she was one of the most famous submarines of World War II. Harder received the Presidential Unit Citation for her first five patrols and six battle stars for World War II service. Her commanding officer throughout her service, Commander Samuel D. Dealey (1906–1944), described as “a submariner’s submariner”, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and four Navy Crosses during his lifetime.

In one of its final war patrols, it sank three Japanese destroyers and heavily damaged two others over four days, according to the US Navy’s History and Heritage Command (NHHC).

This forced the Japanese to change their battle plans and delay their carrier force, contributing to their defeat.

“Harder was lost in the course of victory. We must not forget that victory has a price, as does freedom,” said Samuel J. Cox, a retired US admiral who heads the NHHC.

Using data collected and provided by Tim Taylor, CEO of Tiburon Subsea and the Lost 52 Project, NHHC’s Underwater Archaeology Branch confirmed the wreck site they discovered as the final resting place of USS Harder (SS 257).

The Lost 52 Project is a privately funded organization founded by undersea explorer Tim Taylor and his wife, Christine Dennison, to locate US Navy submarines lost during World War II. Previous submarines located by Lost 52 Project include USS Grayback (SS 208), USS Stickleback (SS 415), USS R-12 (SS 89), USS S-26 (SS 131), USS S-28 (SS 133), and USS Grunion (SS 216).

Veteran ocean explorer discovers WWII submarine in South China Sea

Thanks to David Rye for contributing to this post