The world wars employed the latest technology that had been available to humankind in that period of time. Amongst them were submarines and battle\war ships that were used to deploy troops and aid to the shores they had landed on. In a recent development, the wreckage of a US Navy submarine dating back to the World War II era has been unearthed after spending 80 years submerged underwater.
The wreckage was found off the coast of the northern Philippine island of Luzon. The submarine, identified as the USS Harder, was located at a depth of 3000 feet (914 meters) underwater.
USS Harder
The Harder met its demise in battle on August 29, 1944, with its entire crew of 79 men lost. During one of its last war patrols, the USS Harder sank three Japanese destroyers and inflicted significant damage on two others within a span of four days, as reported by the US Navy’s History and Heritage Command (NHHC). This successful offensive compelled the Japanese to alter their battle strategies and postpone the movement of their carrier force, ultimately playing a role in their defeat.
“Harder was lost in the course of victory. We must not forget that victory has a price, as does freedom,” said Samuel J. Cox, a retired US admiral who heads the NHHC.
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The Battle
One of the primary battlegrounds during World War II was the area encircling the Philippines. The battle was fiercely contested as the US had fought with the Japanese Imperial Army to reclaim its former colony. This archipelago is famed to be the final resting place of numerous World War II battleships.
In 2015, US billionaire Paul Allen discovered the wreckage of the Musashi, one of the two largest Japanese warships ever constructed, in the Sibuyan Sea of the Philippines. The Harder, known for its motto “Hit ’em harder,” was located by the Lost 52 project, dedicated to finding the 52 US submarines lost during World War Two. The submarine was discovered resting upright on its keel or spine, and remarkably intact, according to the US Navy.
The submarine and its crew were subsequently honored with the Presidential Unit Citation for their exceptional service during the war, acknowledging their extraordinary heroism in action. Additionally, its skipper, Commodore Sam Dealey, was posthumously bestowed with the United States’ highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor.
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