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Researchers say they have discovered the final resting place of one of the most famous ships of World War II, the USS Harder.
The submarine was found more than 3,000 feet below the surface of the South China Sea and was largely intact except for damage to its conning tower, according to the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command’s archaeology division.
The National Marine Health Service confirmed the discovery Thursday, citing data collected by the “Lost 52” project, which aims to find and commemorate all 52 U.S. submarines sunk during the war.
The Lost 52 is led by entrepreneur and ocean explorer Tim Taylor and dive entrepreneur Kristin Denison.
They are Using advanced photogrammetry and underwater robotics, they located and captured stunning images of the Harder, sunk by the Japanese off the coast of the Philippines in 1944.
As Business Insider’s Elias Chavez previously reported, missing submarines are notoriously difficult to find and identify.
“Submarines are difficult to identify due to their design, but the good state of preservation at the site and the quality of the data collected by Lost 52 have enabled NHHC to confirm that the wreck is the Harder,” the NHHC said in a statement.
A black and white photo of the USS Harder in February 1944. United States Naval History and Heritage Command
Sailing under the slogan “Attack Harder,” the Harder sank on August 24, 1944 after sinking a huge number of enemy ships.
There were 79 military personnel on board, including the famous Commander Samuel Deely.
“The Harder was lost in the process of victory,” said NHHC director and retired Rear Adm. Samuel J. Cox, adding that the submarine had carried out “a particularly daring attack” against Japanese forces.
During one patrol, Harder sank three enemy destroyers and destroyed or damaged two more, according to the NHHC.
Harder’s final patrol saw her search for new targets with the USS Hake near Dasol Bay in the northern Philippines.
The two ships began to pursue the two Japanese ships, with Harder firing three torpedoes before falling victim to a series of depth charges. Hake took evasive action, but Harder was not so lucky.
The Lost 52 team has so far discovered at least six American submarines.
“Out of respect for the families, we maintain a policy of not disclosing ongoing expedition plans,” the group said on its website, adding that the find would only be announced once it was fully confirmed.
Taylor, a co-founder of Lost 52, is CEO of Tiburon Subsea, a company focused on collecting seafloor data using underwater drones.
The discovery, part of a multi-year, $50 million project, Taylor told BI, shows that underwater photogrammetry is increasingly being used to reveal deep-sea sites that are typically hard to reach.
The Harder’s discovery “highlights the importance of oceanographic data collection and the importance of underwater robotics technology,” Taylor told BI.
This is part of the growing “blue economy” which is predicted to be a $30 trillion industry by 2030, he added.
Underwater photogrammetry involves using divers or remotely operated vehicles to take thousands of pictures from all angles, which are then stitched together by software. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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