Samuel David Dealey (September 13, 1906 – August 24, 1944) was the commanding officer of a United States Navy submarine killed in action with his crew during World War II.

His mother moved the family temporarily to Santa Monica, California, following his father's death in 1912, returning in time for Sam Dealey to graduate high school in Dallas.

Dealey was commissioned an ensign and reported for sea duty aboard the battleship USS Nevada, where he was promoted in June 1933 to lieutenant (junior grade).

In April 1941, he reported to Experimental Division One for duty as the prospective commanding officer (PCO) of USS S-20 to support at-sea experiments off New London.

[3] When war broke out, Dealey's practical qualifications led to assignment as commanding officer of the new-construction Gato-class submarine USS Harder, which he commissioned on December 2, 1942, less than a year after the Attack on Pearl Harbor.

After a shakedown off the East Coast, Dealey survived a "blue-on-blue" attack by a Navy patrol bomber in the Caribbean Sea to bring Harder to the Pacific in the spring of 1943.

After some hasty repairs and bearing a generous inventory of spare engine parts, Harder returned to sea for a second war patrol off Honshu in late August.

Thus, shortly after the submarine arrived at Hawaii on November 30, Harder was sent back to Mare Island to be re-engined with General Motors diesel engines.

Dealey brought Harder back to Pearl Harbor in late February 1944 and took her out for her fourth war patrol on March 16, 1944, accompanied by USS Seahorse.

Under an umbrella of friendly air cover, Dealey nosed Harder toward the beach until he could ground the bow up against the encircling reef and hold it there by working both screws.

Then, in the face of Japanese sniper fire only partially suppressed by the circling aircraft, a rubber boat was sent in to retrieve the navy pilot, Ensign John Galvin, who was brought to safety in what soon became a legendary rescue.

[4] As Blair describes it: By the time Harder got to the reported position, the aviator, Ensign John R. Galvin, was already stranded high and dry on the beach.

Four days later, Dealey also sank Matsue Maru (7,000 tons) near Woleai – then surfaced again near the island on April 20 to bombard the beleaguered Japanese garrison with his submarine's 4 in (100 mm) deck gun.

Dealey sent three torpedoes "down the throat", heard several explosions, and thought he had scored another kill, before diving to avoid two hours of relentless depth-charging.

Dealey returned to Darwin, Australia on June 21 after an outstanding patrol that firmly established his reputation as the "Destroyer Killer," with what was then thought to be a total of six to his credit.

[4] In a curious incident, Rear Admiral Ralph Waldo Christie, who commanded U.S. submarines at Fremantle, ordered Harder back to sea on the day she arrived, ostensibly to seek out and attack a Japanese cargo ship that carried nickel ore from Celebes to the homeland once a month – but also to give Christie an opportunity to participate personally in a short war patrol.

Of the four victims, two were credited to Haddo, and one to Guitarro, while Dealey failed to score, after Kinsella's attack (the informal pack's first) caused the convoy to steer away from Harder.

[11] Dealey and Nimitz then moved northward to Manila Bay, arriving that same evening, and shortly after midnight picked up three small targets on radar.

[11] The two submarines then moved northward along Luzon to rendezvous with Hake, but on the morning of 23 August, Nimitz expended his last torpedoes in sinking the destroyer Asakaze.

Indeed, after the war, Japanese records showed an antisubmarine attack that morning off Caiman Point had resulted in oil, wood chips, and cork floating in the vicinity.

In addition, Christie's attempt to nominate Dealey for a Medal of Honor was thwarted by Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid, who argued the award of an Army Distinguished Service Cross for the patrol precluded any Navy decoration.

[15] In the final analysis, Dealey had sunk 16[16] enemy ships, with total tonnage of 54,002 tons (according to the postwar accounting) – enough to make him number five among U.S. submarine skippers in World War II.

Dealey quickly dived to periscope depth and waited for the pursuer to close range, then opened fire, sending the target and all aboard down in flames with his third torpedo.

Plunging deep to avoid fierce depth charges, he again surfaced and, within 9 minutes after sighting another destroyer, had sent the enemy down tail first with a hit directly amidship.

With his ship heeled over by concussion from the first exploding target and the second vessel nose-diving in a blinding detonation, he cleared the area at high speed.

This remarkable record of 5 vital Japanese destroyers sunk in 5 short-range torpedo attacks attests the valiant fighting spirit of Comdr.

Christie then returned to Washington, finally receiving MacArthur's support for the Medal of Honor which was presented posthumously to Dealey's wife, Edwina, on August 29, 1945.