Wreckage Of US Navy World War II Submarine Found After 80 Years

After 80 years, the famed World War II U.S. Navy submarine USS Harder's wreck was discovered in the South China Sea. Located off the northern Philippine island of Luzon at 3,000 feet (about 900 meters), the submarine rests mostly intact except for damage from a Japanese depth charge behind its conning tower.

Lost in battle on August 24, 1944, during its sixth wartime patrol, USS Harder went down with its entire crew of 79 sailors while aiding the U.S. effort to liberate the Philippines from Japanese occupation. 

"Harder was lost in the course of victory. We must not forget that victory has a price, as does freedom," NHHC Director Samuel J. Cox, a retired US Navy admiral, said in the press release.

Following its success in sinking two Japanese escort ships near Bataan on August 22nd, 1944, the USS Harder continued north along the Luzon coast with two other submarines, hunting for further targets.

Tragedy struck on the morning of August 24th. Harder's three torpedoes missed their mark in a confrontation with the Japanese escort ship CD-22. According to captured Japanese records, the CD-22 then relentlessly pursued Harder, ultimately sinking the American submarine with a depth charge attack on the fifth attempt.

The wreck of the USS Harder was confirmed thanks to data provided by the Lost 52 Project. This initiative, led by Tim Taylor of Tiburon Subsea, aims to locate all 52 US submarines lost during World War II. Notably, the project has already successfully found at least six other submarines from the war.

"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," the NHHC's Cox said, about the vessel's motto.

The NHHC said the wreck is "the final resting place of Sailors that gave their life in defence of the nation and should be respected by all parties as a war grave."

The Philippines, a US territory, fell victim to a surprise Japanese attack shortly after Pearl Harbor in December 1941. By spring 1942, overwhelmed US and Filipino forces on Luzon surrendered, allowing Japan to utilize the captured archipelago as a shield for its supply lines from Southeast Asia.

However, by