USS Harder SS 257

The USS Harder SS 257 was a Gato-class submarine that was launched on August 19th, 1942 from the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut and was sponsored by a Miss Helen M. Shaforth. The newly built submarine was officially commissioned on December 2nd, 1942 under the leadership of Commander Samuel D. Dealey. Following her shakedown cruise and initial operational training trials, it was determined that the Harder was finally ready for action and she departed the eastern seaboard of the United States and moved south in order to transit the Panama Canal and ultimately head out into the Pacific where she arrived at Pearl Harbor.

The USS Harder embarked on her first war patrol on June 7th, 1943 where she cruised along the coast of Japan and encountered her first enemy target on June 22nd. She was able to sneak up on the two-ship convoy using her radar to approach stealthily and once she was in attack position she fired four torpedoes, she was able to take down a convoy ship sinking her to bottom of the sea. The Hammerhead returned to Midway for refitting and refueling on July 7th.

From August 24th, 1943 until August 5th, 1944 the Hammerhead conducted her second, third, fourth, and fifth war patrols while in the Pacific. During that time the Hammerhead continued to find very good targets such as on September 23rd, 1943 during her second patrol when she sank a forty five hundred ton enemy freighter as well as a fifty eight hundred ton tanker off the coast of Nagoya Bay during a fierce battle and firefight between the Allied and Axis powers, or during her fourth war patrol when she sank a seven thousand ton Japanese merchant ship.

While carrying out her sixth and final war patrol, the USS Hammerhead engaged in what would later be known as the Battle of Dasol Bay where before dawn on August 24th, 1944 she and her wolf pack of submarines were guarding the Dasol Bay port where American ships were being repaired from a recent attack on Japanese ships when she picked up a massive enemy fleet approaching and the USS Harder initiated attack positions. Tragically, during the grueling and fierce battle, the USS Harder had been sunk. At about 07:28 hours, 15 enemy depth charges had taken the lives of everyone on board the Harder SS 257. She received six battle stars and a Navy Unit Commendation for her World War II service.

The USS Harder SS 257 was built during a period when the dangers of asbestos contamination were not well known. Unfortunately, the crewmen who worked with the insulation material around piping areas within the submarine itself may be at higher risk for developing respiratory problems and deadly diseases such as mesothelioma which is a dangerous form of asbestos cancer. Any crewmember who served aboard the USS Harder SS 257 who is at all concerned they may have been exposed to asbestos should consult a medical doctor for further respiratory evaluation.

Last modified: December 09 2009.