NEW DELHI: After 80 years a wreck of the US navy submarine, which was renowned for its impact on World War II naval warfare, has been found in the South China Sea.
The USS Harder which vanished on August 24, 1944, with 79 sailors onboard has been located off Luzon island in the Philippines with assistance from Tim Taylor, CEO of Tiburon Subsea and the Lost 52 Project, as reported by the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC).
“We are grateful that Lost 52 has given us the opportunity to once again honor the valor of the crew of the ‘Hit ‘em HARDER’ submarine that sank the most Japanese warships — in particularly audacious attacks — under her legendary skipper, Cmdr. Sam Dealey,” NHHC Director Samuel J Cox, a retired US navy rear admiral, said in a statement.
The NHHC revealed that the wreckage of the USS Harder lies 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.
Taylor explained to Fox News Digital that the search for the USS Harder involved delving into historical records and deploying multiple autonomous robots to efficiently cover expansive search areas.
Commissioned in December 1942, the submarine completed six war patrols before its demise. Its fifth patrol, described by the NHHC as its “most successful,,” saw it engage Japanese destroyers, sinking three and inflicting heavy damage or destruction on two others within four days.
During its final patrol, the USS Harder, aided by the USS Haddo, targeted and neutralized three escort ships off the Philippines province of Bataan.
Japanese records later revealed that on August 24, 1944, the Harder launched three torpedoes at CD-22, another escort ship in the vicinity, according to the Fox News digital citing the NHHC.
“The Japanese ship evaded the torpedoes and began a series of depth charge attacks,” it added, with the “fifth depth charge attack sinking Harder and her crew.”
Following its service in World War II, the USS Harder received the Presidential Unit Citation and six battle stars, the NHHC says
The USS Harder which vanished on August 24, 1944, with 79 sailors onboard has been located off Luzon island in the Philippines with assistance from Tim Taylor, CEO of Tiburon Subsea and the Lost 52 Project, as reported by the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC).
“We are grateful that Lost 52 has given us the opportunity to once again honor the valor of the crew of the ‘Hit ‘em HARDER’ submarine that sank the most Japanese warships — in particularly audacious attacks — under her legendary skipper, Cmdr. Sam Dealey,” NHHC Director Samuel J Cox, a retired US navy rear admiral, said in a statement.
The NHHC revealed that the wreckage of the USS Harder lies 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.
Taylor explained to Fox News Digital that the search for the USS Harder involved delving into historical records and deploying multiple autonomous robots to efficiently cover expansive search areas.
Commissioned in December 1942, the submarine completed six war patrols before its demise. Its fifth patrol, described by the NHHC as its “most successful,,” saw it engage Japanese destroyers, sinking three and inflicting heavy damage or destruction on two others within four days.
During its final patrol, the USS Harder, aided by the USS Haddo, targeted and neutralized three escort ships off the Philippines province of Bataan.
Japanese records later revealed that on August 24, 1944, the Harder launched three torpedoes at CD-22, another escort ship in the vicinity, according to the Fox News digital citing the NHHC.
“The Japanese ship evaded the torpedoes and began a series of depth charge attacks,” it added, with the “fifth depth charge attack sinking Harder and her crew.”
Following its service in World War II, the USS Harder received the Presidential Unit Citation and six battle stars, the NHHC says