USS Harder found
 

Discovery of WWII Submarine "Hit 'Em Harder" USS Harder and Crew Gravesite

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/discovery-of-wwii-submarine-hit-em-harder-uss-harder-and-crew-gravesite-302153454.html

HARDER was officially credited with having sunk 20.5 enemy ships, (The half credit was given for a ship sunk cooperatively with HADDO).
This gave HARDER a total of 82,500 tons sunk and she damaged seven ships for 29,000 tons.



https://www.oneternalpatrol.com/USS-...257-Crew-a.jpg

:Kaleun_Salute: I'm somewhat amazed Beijing would allow such a thing to take place in their sea!!??:timeout::oops: :x

China stealing metal from WW2 shipwrecks?


Yes, there have been reports of a Chinese ship accused of looting iconic World War II shipwrecks¹. An illegal Chinese salvage operation, suspected to have looted two iconic World War II shipwrecks, was seized by Malaysian authorities¹. The shipwrecks in question are the British ships HMS Prince of Wales and the HMS Repulse, both of which are designated war graves¹.

Scrap steel, aluminum, brass fittings, and ammunition believed to have belonged to these British ships were discovered aboard the Chinese cargo ship Chuan Hong 68¹. This ship was boarded and searched after authorities found that the vessel was not authorized to anchor in the waters under Malaysian jurisdiction¹.

The alleged Chinese looting has sparked outrage and concern from both the British and their allies². In 2017, The Guardian reported that more than 40 Australian, Dutch, and Japanese warships had been destroyed by looting operations in the same waters off Indonesia and Singapore¹.

Old shipwrecks are increasingly targeted by scavengers for their rare low-background steel, also known as 'pre-war steel'. The low radiation in the steel makes it a rare and valuable resource for use in medical and scientific equipment¹. This is a serious issue as it not only disrespects the memory of those who lost their lives in these ships but also destroys important historical artifacts.

Source: Conversation with Copilot, 5/24/2024
(1) Chinese ship accused of looting iconic WWII shipwrecks - Military Times. https://www.militarytimes.com/off-du...c-wwii-wrecks/.
(2) U.K. Royal Navy ‘Distressed and Concerned’ by Illegal Chinese Salvage .... https://news.usni.org/2023/05/25/u-k...of-wwii-wrecks.
(3) China accused of looting from British Second World War warship wrecks. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-ne...minated-steel/.
(4) Chinese-registered ship detained on suspicion of looting wreckages of .... https://news.sky.com/story/chinese-r...ships-12892516.

https://64.media.tumblr.com/46e6ca27...e6mo1_1280.jpg
The wreck of the USS Harder (SS 257), a renowned World War II submarine, has been discovered⁴⁵. The discovery was made with the help of the "Lost 52 Project," which aims to locate the 52 submarines lost during World War II¹. The wreck site was confirmed by the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) using data collected and provided by Tim Taylor, CEO of Tiburon Subsea and the Lost 52 Project⁴⁵.

The USS Harder, also known as the "Hit 'em HARDER" submarine, was found off the Philippines, sitting upright and "relatively intact" at a depth of more than 3,000 feet²⁴⁵. The vessel is relatively intact except for the depth-charge damage aft of the conning tower⁴⁵.

The USS Harder was commissioned on Dec. 2, 1942, with Cmdr. Samuel D. Dealey in command, and was lost at sea with 79 souls aboard on Aug. 24, 1944⁴⁵. The submarine was known for its audacious attacks and sank the most Japanese warships⁴⁵. Its fifth war patrol was the submarine’s most successful, depleting the critical supply of destroyers by sinking three of them and heavily damaging or destroying two others in four days⁴⁵.

The discovery of the USS Harder is a significant find, allowing us to honor the valor of the crew and remember the price of victory and freedom⁴⁵.

Source: Conversation with Copilot, 5/24/2024
(1) WWII “Hit ‘em HARDER” submarine wreck site confirmed - NHHC. https://www.history.navy.mil/news-an...confirmed.html.
(2) WWII “Hit ‘em HARDER” submarine wreck site confirmed. https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Ne...ite-confirmed/.
(3) Wreckage of famed 'Hit 'em HARDER' submarine found in South China Sea: See video. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/wr...eo/ar-BB1mZZs0.
(4) Legendary U.S. World War II submarine located 3,000 feet underwater off the Philippines. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/le...er/ar-BB1mZxLb.
(5) USS Harder: Wreck of famed US Navy World War II sub found off Philippines. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us...es/ar-BB1mXCLN.
(6) USS Harder: WW2 submarine wreck found off Philippines - BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceqq8gn014xo.