US Navy Submarine USS Harder Found in South China Sea
After 80 years, the wreckage of the USS Harder, a US Navy submarine known for sinking the most Japanese warships during World War Two, has been discovered in the depths of the South China Sea.
The USS Harder was located 3,000ft (914m) below the surface near the Philippines’ northern island of Luzon, where it was sunk by enemy forces on 29 August 1944, claiming the lives of its 79 crew members.
During one of its final war patrols, the Harder successfully sank three Japanese destroyers and inflicted heavy damage on two others over a span of four days, a feat that ultimately forced the Japanese to alter their battle strategies and delay their carrier force, contributing to their eventual defeat.
Retired US Admiral Samuel J. Cox, who leads the US Navy’s History and Heritage Command (NHHC), reflected on the sacrifice of the Harder crew, stating, “Harder was lost in the course of victory. We must not forget that victory has a price, as does freedom.”
The Philippines played a significant role in the Pacific theater of World War Two, with its waters serving as the final resting place for several renowned battleships from that era.
In a similar discovery in 2015, US billionaire Paul Allen located the wreck of the Musashi, one of Japan’s largest warships, in the Sibuyan Sea of the Philippines.
The Lost 52 project, dedicated to locating the 52 US submarines lost during World War Two, successfully found the Harder lying upright on its keel, remarkably intact. The submarine, known for its motto “Hit ’em harder,” and its crew were later honored with the Presidential Unit Citation for their exceptional service during the war.
Commander Sam Dealey, the Harder’s skipper, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration in the United States. — BBC
