Fascinating discovery of a historic submarine’s remains

Nearly 80 years after the sinking of the USS Harder (SS-257), it has finally been found. The submarine, one of the most famous in the U.S. Navy during World War II, was discovered in the South China Sea, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC).

According to NHHC, the submarine was located off the coast of Luzon Island in the northern Philippines. This then is the location of “the final resting place of the USS Harder,” a submarine that sank a significant number of Japanese warships during the Second World War. The submarine was found at a depth of about 900 meters, “upright on its keel and relatively intact, except for the depth charge damage behind the conning tower.”

The discovery was made possible thanks to data collected by the Lost 52 Project, led by Tim Taylor, which aims to locate the 52 U.S. submarines lost during World War II. To date, according to NHHC, the remains of at least six submarines have been found. “Submarines, by their very design, can be challenging to identify, but the excellent state of preservation of the site and the quality of the data collected by the Lost 52 allowed for the confirmation of the identity,” the NHHC said.

History of the USS Harder

The submarine’s last expedition took place on August 24, 1944. While departing from the Philippines for the South China Sea off Luzon, the Harder and another U.S. submarine engaged a Japanese flotilla. While the USS Harder was sunk, the other submarine managed to escape, leaving the exact location of the wreck of its sister submarine unknown.

That morning, during its sixth and final war patrol, the Harder, whose motto was ‘Hit ‘em Harder’, engaged in battle with the Japanese escort ship CD-22. However, the enemy “evaded the torpedoes and began a series of depth charge attacks.” The fifth charge struck the American submarine, causing its sinking.

The ship went down with its entire crew of 79. “Harder was lost in the course of victory. We must not forget that victory comes at a price, as does freedom,” said NHHC Director Samuel J. Cox, a retired Navy admiral, following the discovery.

In the days leading up to its sinking, the discovered submarine, along with the USS Haddo, sank several Japanese ships off the Bataan Peninsula. In total, during its first four patrols after entering service on December 2, 1942, the USS Harder sank 14 Japanese warships and merchant vessels, according to the Medal of Honor Museum.