Wreckage of a heroic World War II US submarine has been found 80 years after it vanished

The wreckage of the legendary WWII US submarine USS Harder, which sank the most Japanese ships of any US sub, has been discovered in the South China Sea nearly 80 years after its sinking.

The remains of the USS Harder, an American submarine that sank the most Japanese ships of any American sub in World War II, were found in the South China Sea 80 years after its disappearance. The Harder was discovered standing vertically on the seafloor at a depth of 3,000 ft near the northern Luzon island of the Philippines.

The Harder was more famous for its hit-and-run surface raids during the time it was under the command of the gallant Lt. Commander Sam Dealey. In four consecutive days in August 1944, the sub torpedoed three Japanese destroyers and injured two other ships, thus giving an upper hand to the Japanese navy to postpone its counteroffensive plans.

Unfortunately, the Harder’s fortunes as a successful patrol boat were short-lived; on August 24, 1944, the vessel was sunk by Japanese depth charges, and all 79 of the crew were lost with the ship. Due to the distinguished performance in combat, the submarine and its crew were honored with the Presidential Unit Citation.

The discovery was revealed by the Lost 52 Project, an organization with the mission to identify the 52 US World War II submarines that were never found. Some of the sonar images depict the Harder with its intact hull in the upright position and is described as being amazingly preserved by the chief of the US Naval History and Heritage Command.

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The Philippine Sea was heavily contested during the Pacific theatre of World War II. Many famous wrecks lie there, such as Musashi, one of the largest ships ever constructed, discovered by the Microsoft company co-founder Paul Allen in 2015.