The U.S. used potatoes to attack a submarine during World War II.
Starchy vegetables aren’t usually top of mind when thinking of weapons of war, but potatoes played a vital role in a World War II battle — and not by feeding soldiers. Everyone’s favorite tuber took a break from being boiled, mashed, and stuck in a stew on April 5, 1943, when the crew of the USS O’Bannon was alarmed to see a Japanese submarine approaching. According to U.S. Navy Commander Donald J. MacDonald — who wrote that, prior to the incident, “the sea was calm; there was no moon; the night was very dark; the sky was overcast and there were intermittent squalls” — the vessel was first spotted at a distance of 7,000 yards traveling at a speed of 10 or 11 knots.
After initially engaging with depth charges and 20 mm guns, the O’Bannon was eventually close enough to its target for sailors to begin throwing objects at it — including, for lack of a better option, potatoes recovered from their deck lockers. One version of the story suggests the Japanese soldiers on the deck of the submarine, believing the spuds were actually hand grenades, panicked by throwing them both overboard and back at their attackers. Their efforts were for naught: The submarine sank and the Americans were victorious. Because the potatoes used were from Maine, the Maine Potato Growers Association presented the O’Bannon with a plaque “for their ingenuity in using our now proud potato” to sink an enemy vessel. The plaque remained on the ship until it was decommissioned in 1970.
