‘USS Harder' WWII Submarine Wreck That Sank Crew of 79 On Board Found After 80 Years

(Photo : Pixabay / Jackdrafahl)

The submarine wreckage is the grave site of the 79 people who were on board it when it sank in battle back in 1944.

This happened as it was fighting with a Japanese warship close to the Philippines.

USS Harder WWII Submarine Wreckage Found

According to the Lost 52 Project, which is based in New York and which is behind the discovery, the USS Harder's wreck lies at the depths of the South China Sea close to the Philippine Island of Luzon. It sits at depths of roughly 1,140 meters.

According to naval reports of the final mission of the submarine, the Harder reportedly sank with its entire crew back on August 24, 1944. This happened after the submarine got heavily damaged by depth charges during a fight with a Japanese warship.

During World War II, the USS Harder was considered one of the most famous submarines of America. Based on navy records, it torpedoed and even sank five destroyers of the Japanese and several other ships of the enemy. This was during its six successful patrols within the war theater of the Pacific.

Tim Taylor, Lost 52 Project's founder, noted that this submarine is one of the most celebrated ones from World War II and that its discovery is historic.

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Grave Site

Taylor is the CEO of Tiburon Subsea, which makes use of AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles) and other forms of technology to gather data in underwater areas.

He is also the leader of the Lost 52 Project, which aims to find the wrecks of the 52 submarines of America that got lost in the sea back in WWII. The project also aims to find four ships that got lost in the Cold War.

So far, the group has been able to find eight vessel wrecks, making the USS Harder their ninth finding.

Each wreckage is also a war grave for the crew on board who died as the submarines sank. The Harder's missing crew was commemorated for the service they garnered when the discovery was made.

Taylor explained that they have a protocol that, upon finding a submarine, they must memorialize the crew. The team observes silence for a minute, rings a bell for each crew member, and conducts a prayer service held by a deacon who is part of their team.

The researchers were able to find the wreck through the study of final battle reports and looking for suitable areas with the help of shipboard sonar and AUVs.

However, though they exert efforts to boost the efficiency of the process, it still remains arduous and long.

The wreckage's extreme depth meant that searches for the AUVs were essential, though a relatively good period of weather in the past weeks has helped make it easier.

The location of the wreckage is too deep for divers to visit. The US Navy has also assigned it to be a protected site, as it represents sailors' final resting place.

Moreover, based on AUV images, the vessel's condition is apparently good. It is quite intact, minus the damages due to the charges of the depths.