Kaibokan CD-22 sank USS Harder on 24 August 1944 after USS Harder missed the kaibokan with 3 torpedoes. By the time, USS Harder sank 2 Japanese kaibokan escorts and 4 Japanese destroyers, having proven its reputation as the "destroyer killer" and as "hit them again Harder", especially since USS Harder was proven capable of sinking multiple (4) Japanese destroyers itself, including 3 Japanese destroyers in one of its own patrols.
If USS Harder set up its down the throat torpedoes better against the kaibokan CD-22, USS Harder would be able to eliminate the kaibokan before and avoid USS Harder's sinking. This would allow USS Harder to finish off the kaibokan CD-22, the patrol boat PB-22 and the tanker Niyo Maru on 24 August 1944 before returning to Fremantle and reaching there on 10 September 1944 to replenish its torpedoes and fuel.
On the next and 7th patrol of USS Harder, starting from 2 October 1944, the USS Harder was able to join a wolfpack of USS Darter and USS Dace. The wolfpack would be able to destroy Atago and Maya on 23 October 1944. The next day, USS Darter ran aground on a reef and had to be scuttled by USS Dace. USS Harder, having been warned off the reef and ordered to pursue the Takao, was able to sink the destroyers Naganami and Asashimo and the torpedo boat Hiyodori with "down the throat" shots on the evening of 25 October 1944 and finish off the Takao as night fell, all around Brunei. The rest of Leyte Gulf procceded as in otl. The USS Harder was able to return to Fremantle by 8 November 1944. Mitsui Maru, the only survivor of Takao's convoy, would be sunk (instead of Hiyodori) on 17 November 1944 by USS Gunnel.
With the losses of Asashimo and Naganami to USS Harder, US carrier planes would finish off the Ushio, Shimakaze, Hamanami and Wakatsuki on 11 November 1944. On 5, 13 and 25 November, strikes against Manila Bay proceed as in otl, except for Ushio's crippling by bombs being replaced by Hatsushimo's crippling by bombs. Having left Fremantle on 3 December 1944 for its 8th war patrol, USS Harder would stumble into crippled Hatsushimo on 14 December 1944, escorting a crippled by USS Bergall the previous day Myoko and sinking both Myoko and Hatsushimo on 14 December 1944. The USS Harder's further successes on patrol saw it destroying the destroyer Shigure and the carrier Ryuho when escorting Convoy HI-87 on the morning of 7 January 1945. Regarding the carrier Ryuho, the Japanese should have learned not to send it after the losses of all its completed by 1944 escort carriers excluding Kaiyo to submarine attacks in 1943 and 1944, but those escort carriers' losses (as in otl) and the only remaining Japanese escort carriers by 1945 being incomplete (the Shimane Maru class), Army owned and not easily available for Navy oriented and commanded HI convoys and Kaiyo having to escort the inbound Convoy HI-84 would result in Ryuho's fate.
The USS Harder would proceed to Saipan (reaching there on 17 January 1945) and Pearl Harbor (reaching there on 28 January 1945) for a refit. The USS Harder would leave Pearl Harbor on 5 May 1945. During the refit, USS Blackfin would finish off the kaibokan Kanju on 24 January 1945 instead of Shigure, resulting in kaibokan Hotaka's fatal mining on 15 August 1945 instead of Kanju's fatal mining that day. USS Blower, without the USS Bergall after it sank following a shell hit from the Hatsushimo on 13 December 1944, shortly before Hatsushimo's and Myoko's destruction, would finish off the destroyer Kasumi with a "down the throat" shot and the battleship Ise (making it 1 out of 2 Japanese battleship losses to US Submarines, the other being the Kongo) on 13 February 1945. On 20 February 1945, the USS Picuda would finish off the Japanese destroyer Nokaze, but at a further north location than the otl location of the event.
On 7 April 1945, during Operation Ten Go, the Yamato and Yahagi would be sunk as in otl. Without the Asashimo, the Kamikaze would be sunk in Asashimo's place, causing the deactivation of Japanese Destroyer Division 1 when combined with the losses of Numakaze and Nokaze. Isokaze and Hamakaze are lost as in otl. Without the Kasumi, Hibiki would be sunk in Kasumi's place. Without the Hatsushimo and after the operation, on 30 July 1945, US aircraft which attacked and caused the Hatsushimo's mining would destroy Yukikaze that way.
On 5 May 1945, after USS Harder's refit, it departed from Pearl Harbor and proceeded south to Southeast Asia despite being warned of a lack of targets to replicate its successes there for its 9th war patrol. On 8 June 1945, after losing Ashigara to HMS Trenchant's submarine attack earlier that day, the torpedo boat Kiji would be hit by a "down the throat" torpedo salvo. The torpedo boat Kari, having rushed to escort a tanker convoy carrying fuel from Surabaya to Saigon, would share the same fate on 18 June 1945, followed by the patrol boat PB-109 and the patrol boat PB-36. USS Harder reached Manila on 28 June 1945, having expended its torpedoes against the escorts.
Departing on 13 July 1945 from Manila on its 10th war patrol, USS Harder could sink an unidentified escort on 19 July 1945 and could only find a convoy of Fuyo Maru, Seiha Maru and an unidentified escort on 4 August 1945 after losing Tencho Maru the previous day and sank the convoy. It would follow up its findings with their sinking and return to Manila on 14 August 1945, with Japan surrendering the next day. In the meantime, HMS Spark and Stygian were no longer needed to carry midget submarines. USS Harder would serve until 1958 and its commander would live on until 1990. USS Harder contributed to the losses of at least 8 destroyers, not counting torpedo boats and patrol boats.
If USS Harder set up its down the throat torpedoes better against the kaibokan CD-22, USS Harder would be able to eliminate the kaibokan before and avoid USS Harder's sinking. This would allow USS Harder to finish off the kaibokan CD-22, the patrol boat PB-22 and the tanker Niyo Maru on 24 August 1944 before returning to Fremantle and reaching there on 10 September 1944 to replenish its torpedoes and fuel.
On the next and 7th patrol of USS Harder, starting from 2 October 1944, the USS Harder was able to join a wolfpack of USS Darter and USS Dace. The wolfpack would be able to destroy Atago and Maya on 23 October 1944. The next day, USS Darter ran aground on a reef and had to be scuttled by USS Dace. USS Harder, having been warned off the reef and ordered to pursue the Takao, was able to sink the destroyers Naganami and Asashimo and the torpedo boat Hiyodori with "down the throat" shots on the evening of 25 October 1944 and finish off the Takao as night fell, all around Brunei. The rest of Leyte Gulf procceded as in otl. The USS Harder was able to return to Fremantle by 8 November 1944. Mitsui Maru, the only survivor of Takao's convoy, would be sunk (instead of Hiyodori) on 17 November 1944 by USS Gunnel.
With the losses of Asashimo and Naganami to USS Harder, US carrier planes would finish off the Ushio, Shimakaze, Hamanami and Wakatsuki on 11 November 1944. On 5, 13 and 25 November, strikes against Manila Bay proceed as in otl, except for Ushio's crippling by bombs being replaced by Hatsushimo's crippling by bombs. Having left Fremantle on 3 December 1944 for its 8th war patrol, USS Harder would stumble into crippled Hatsushimo on 14 December 1944, escorting a crippled by USS Bergall the previous day Myoko and sinking both Myoko and Hatsushimo on 14 December 1944. The USS Harder's further successes on patrol saw it destroying the destroyer Shigure and the carrier Ryuho when escorting Convoy HI-87 on the morning of 7 January 1945. Regarding the carrier Ryuho, the Japanese should have learned not to send it after the losses of all its completed by 1944 escort carriers excluding Kaiyo to submarine attacks in 1943 and 1944, but those escort carriers' losses (as in otl) and the only remaining Japanese escort carriers by 1945 being incomplete (the Shimane Maru class), Army owned and not easily available for Navy oriented and commanded HI convoys and Kaiyo having to escort the inbound Convoy HI-84 would result in Ryuho's fate.
The USS Harder would proceed to Saipan (reaching there on 17 January 1945) and Pearl Harbor (reaching there on 28 January 1945) for a refit. The USS Harder would leave Pearl Harbor on 5 May 1945. During the refit, USS Blackfin would finish off the kaibokan Kanju on 24 January 1945 instead of Shigure, resulting in kaibokan Hotaka's fatal mining on 15 August 1945 instead of Kanju's fatal mining that day. USS Blower, without the USS Bergall after it sank following a shell hit from the Hatsushimo on 13 December 1944, shortly before Hatsushimo's and Myoko's destruction, would finish off the destroyer Kasumi with a "down the throat" shot and the battleship Ise (making it 1 out of 2 Japanese battleship losses to US Submarines, the other being the Kongo) on 13 February 1945. On 20 February 1945, the USS Picuda would finish off the Japanese destroyer Nokaze, but at a further north location than the otl location of the event.
On 7 April 1945, during Operation Ten Go, the Yamato and Yahagi would be sunk as in otl. Without the Asashimo, the Kamikaze would be sunk in Asashimo's place, causing the deactivation of Japanese Destroyer Division 1 when combined with the losses of Numakaze and Nokaze. Isokaze and Hamakaze are lost as in otl. Without the Kasumi, Hibiki would be sunk in Kasumi's place. Without the Hatsushimo and after the operation, on 30 July 1945, US aircraft which attacked and caused the Hatsushimo's mining would destroy Yukikaze that way.
On 5 May 1945, after USS Harder's refit, it departed from Pearl Harbor and proceeded south to Southeast Asia despite being warned of a lack of targets to replicate its successes there for its 9th war patrol. On 8 June 1945, after losing Ashigara to HMS Trenchant's submarine attack earlier that day, the torpedo boat Kiji would be hit by a "down the throat" torpedo salvo. The torpedo boat Kari, having rushed to escort a tanker convoy carrying fuel from Surabaya to Saigon, would share the same fate on 18 June 1945, followed by the patrol boat PB-109 and the patrol boat PB-36. USS Harder reached Manila on 28 June 1945, having expended its torpedoes against the escorts.
Departing on 13 July 1945 from Manila on its 10th war patrol, USS Harder could sink an unidentified escort on 19 July 1945 and could only find a convoy of Fuyo Maru, Seiha Maru and an unidentified escort on 4 August 1945 after losing Tencho Maru the previous day and sank the convoy. It would follow up its findings with their sinking and return to Manila on 14 August 1945, with Japan surrendering the next day. In the meantime, HMS Spark and Stygian were no longer needed to carry midget submarines. USS Harder would serve until 1958 and its commander would live on until 1990. USS Harder contributed to the losses of at least 8 destroyers, not counting torpedo boats and patrol boats.
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