Another of the deep-lying US submarine wrecks on the “Lost 52 Project” list has been located at a depth of 1,040m, with Naval History & Heritage Command (NHHC) confirming the discovery as that of USS Harder (SS 257) – a vessel with one of the deadliest strike rates of World War Two.
The NHHC is responsible for preserving, analysing and disseminating US naval history and heritage. Its Underwater Archaeology Branch identified the war grave using data collected by Tim Taylor, the CEO of Tiburon Subsea who came up with the Lost 52 Project.
Tiburon employs what it calls hovering autonomous underwater vehicles (HAUVs), described as fast, manoeuvrable, reliable and versatile, for undersea data collection.
USS Harder was commissioned in early December, 1942 and was lost at sea with her captain Cdr Samuel D Dealey and 78 crew on 24 August, 1944.
The 95m Gato-class submarine could travel at 21 knots and had a 20,000km range. She was armed with ten 533mm torpedo tubes, a 76mm deck gun and 40mm and 20mm cannon.
The Lost 52 Project found and scanned the entire wreck using video cameras mounted on Tiberon undersea vehicles, stitching the images together to form a multi-dimensional model that would allow the site to be explored and studied remotely.
Resting upright, the submarine is said to be relatively intact other than for depth-charge damage aft of the conning tower. The NHHC said that its good condition helped in making a positive identification.
The final patrol
On Harder‘s most successful war patrol, her fifth, she sank three Japanese destroyers and either heavily damaged or destroyed two others in the space of four days. The frequent attacks resulted in the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Admiral Ozawa having to delay his carrier force in the Philippine Sea, contributing to the subsequent defeat of the Japanese forces.
Her sixth and final patrol found Harder in the South China Sea off the northern Philippines island of Luzon early on 22 August when, with another submarine, USS Haddo, she attacked and destroyed three escort ships off the western province of Bataan. Joined by USS Hake, the three submarines then headed north for Caiman Point.
The following day Haddo used up her torpedoes crippling another destroyer, so left Harder and Hake off Dasol Bay. Before dawn on 24 August, Hake moved to attack Japanese escort ship CD-22 and Patrol Boat 102, which turned away.
Hake’s crew last saw Harder’s periscope ahead as they took evasive action, and reported hearing 15 rapid depth-charge explosions. Japanese records later indicated that Harder had fired three torpedoes unsuccessfully at CD-22, which had sunk Harder during a series of depth-charge attacks.
USS Harder received the Presidential Unit Citation for her first five patrols, and six battle stars for her WW2 service. Cdr Dealey was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honour for the fifth patrol and was decorated for each of the other five.
“Harder was lost in the course of victory,” said NHHC Director Samuel J Cox. “We must not forget that victory has a price, as does freedom.
“We are grateful that Lost 52 has given us the opportunity to once again honour the valour of the crew of the ‘Hit ‘em Harder’ submarine that sank the most Japanese warships – in particularly audacious attacks – under her legendary skipper, Cdr Sam Dealey.”
The previous 12 submarines located by the Lost 52 Project, a number of which have been reported on Divernet, include USS Grayback, Stickleback, R-12, S-26, S-28 and Grunion. Taylor received a Distinguished Public Service Award from the Navy in 2021 for the project’s work.
Also on Divernet: American sub wreck found in Japan, USS Stickleback sub found at 3.3km, Team finds sub’s missing bow, Wreck of first kamikaze rocket-bomb victim located
