From Dinner To Projectile: How Potatoes Helped Sink An Enemy Sub During WWII

It can be said that a notable connection exists between military record and food. In one corner of seafaring lore, an account exists of the United States Ship O'Bannon and its unusual victory against an enemy seacraft. In a moment of, admittedly, madcap ingenuity, projectile potatoes assisted the decorated warship in sinking its opponent. As unbelievable as this sounds, the event took place in 1943 and is counted among the annals of naval legend. While it's certainly an entertaining tale, the account of what actually happened on the decks of the opposing ships is the source of some debate, namely, from the ship's skipper, who insists that it's simply another one of the false facts about potatoes people think are true.

The USS O'Bannon was a Naval destroyer with a reputation for standing its ground in seaside warfare. Throughout its time, the O'Bannon received the Presidential Unit Citation and 20 battle stars for its service in World War II and the Korean War. One of its most remarkable feats involved the April 1943 potato-flinging encounter that resulted in its crew defeating an enemy submarine. Put briefly, the O'Bannon was escorting supply ships when it encountered a Japanese RO-34 submarine above the ocean depths. The opposing seacrafts had gotten too close to one another for either to use its guns, so the O'Bannon's crew began grabbing and hurling anything they could — including potatoes. Ultimately, the O'Bannon was able to utilize the strength of its artillery, including depth charges, eventually sinking the sub. 

The truth of what happened during the U.S.S. O'Bannon's spud attack is a bit murky. According to the lore, some of the Japanese RO-34's crew mistook the O'Bannon's onslaught of potatoes for grenades, throwing them back to the O'Bannon in a panic. There are differences between potato types, but many of them are vaguely grenade-shaped. The ensuing food fight between provided the distraction needed for the O'Bannon to create enough berth to regain the use of its artillery. The O'Bannon took out the sub's conning tower and hit it with a final round of depth charges, sinking it. Upon returning, the Association of Potato Growers of Maine presented the O'Bannon's crew with an honorary plaque for their spud-slinging efforts. However, the O'Bannon's skipper, Lt. Commander Donald McDonald, told a different story.

While McDonald didn't deny that it sank the RO-34, he alleged that the boats' distance was too great and that the fable stemmed from the ship's cook, who exaggerated that he could throw a potato to the sub. Furthermore, the honorary plaque presented to the O'Bannon, which was displayed at the Maine Maritime Museum in the 1970s, has apparently been missing since at least 1984. Certainly, the story's accuracy may be lost to time. That said, it's an incredible chapter of lesser-known potato history, and a moment where soldiers creatively utilized an old-school military food staple that was otherwise used to fuel them.