USS Harder, sunk in World War II, found in the South China Sea

(NewsNation) — In its last days in battle, the submarine USS Harder sank three Japanese destroyers and heavily damaged two other enemy ships. But days later it fell victim to a depth charge in the waters off the Philippines.

Nearly 80 years later, a group dedicated to finding missing American World War II submarines has located the Harder in the South China Sea off the Philippines’ northern island of Luzon.

“Harder was lost in the course of victory, and victory has a price, as does freedom – and we must not forget,” said Samuel Cox, director of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

The Lost 52 project located the vessel in more than 3,000 feet of water sitting upright on its keel. It’s the seventh submarine the group has located since 2010. The name “The Lost 52” refers to the 52 U.S. submarines lost in the war.

“The excellent state of preservation of the site and the quality of the data collected by The Lost 52 allowed for (the Heritage Command) to confirm the identity of the wreck as Harder,” the Heritage Command said in a news release.

Before it was sunk on its sixth war patrol, the Harder sank at least 15 Japanese vessels in the South Pacific and South China Sea.

Nicknamed “Hit ‘em Harder,” the Gato-class submarine was the first in the U.S. Navy to be named for the harder, a fish native to the waters off South Africa. A second sub was given the name in 1952. That Tang-class sub left service in 1974.

The Lost 52 project was founded by Tim Taylor, CEO of the undersea exploration company Tiberon Subs e a, after his first sunken sub discovery, USS R-12, in 2010. Since then, The Lost 52 has located the wreckage sites of USS Grayback, USS Stickleback, USS S-26, USS S-28 and USS Grunion.

“Our mission objective is to provide the fullest possible documentation and accounting of the locations for our missing WWII Navy Sailors, their families, and the nation,” said The Lost 52 on its website. “Our mission Outreach mission post discovery is focused on historical database on each find, enabling community outreach, and building education components that will stand the test of time.”