Death at a Distance

Only seven US submariners earned the Medal of Honor in World War II. Sam Dealey, the USS Harder’s commander, was one of them. His award was made posthumously after the entire crew was lost off Bataan in a depth-charge attack by a Japanese convoy in August 1944. The Harder’s fighting spirit is legendary, and its record of sinking a total of eighteen enemy ships (with a tonnage in excess of 55,000) made Dealey one of the top five submarine skippers in the war. During a single patrol his crew sank five enemy destroyers in five short-range torpedo attacks– an unprecedented feat. In addition, the Harder played an important role in rescue missions, extracting secret operatives deep in enemy territory and saving downed pilots. Drawing on previously untapped sources, the author details several daring missions, and puts the Harder’s action in the context of the overall Pacific campaign. In doing so, the author adds not only significant information to the Harder’s story but also provides a fresh perspective on the submarine war. Michael Sturma is Chair of the History Program at Murdoch University in Western Australia. He is the author of several books, including Western Fantasy and Sexual Politics in the South Pacific.