A US Navy Destroyer Sunk A Japanese Submarine With The Help Of Potatoes During World War II
During World War II and the Korean War, the USS O’Bannon served as a destroyer in the United States Navy.
In 1943, the vessel took down a Japanese submarine with a large pile of potatoes instead of using all the weapons the crew had at their disposal. Here’s why the starchy root vegetable was the choice of weapon that day.
The O’Bannon was built in Maine in 1941 and was launched the very next year. It became the most decorated American destroyer during WWII.
It earned 17 battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation by the end of its career. The O’Bannon was decked out with anti-aircraft guns, torpedo tubes, and guns for use on land.
In April 1943, the crew of the O’Bannon faced a threat while stationed in the Pacific. As they returned to base in Nouméa, New Caledonia, in the early morning, they spotted the Ro-34, a large Japanese submarine.
Commander Edwin R. Wilkinson of the O’Bannon ordered his men to speed up and crash into the submarine as it cruised on the water’s surface.
However, they were concerned the submarine could be planting mines, so at the last minute, they avoided a collision by making a sharp turn. As a result, they ended up floating alongside the submarine.
The American sailors couldn’t shoot at the enemy because none of the O’Bannon’s weapons were suited for combat in close quarters.
The Japanese submariners were also unarmed, but they were prepared for close combat. The Ro-34 had a deck gun, and the captain ordered his men to use it.
tawatchai1990 – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
Before the Japanese could start firing, the American crew threw as many potatoes as they could at them in an attempt to prevent them from reaching the deck gun.
The potatoes were the only weapons they had. The American sailors thought the effort would prove to be useless, but they were wrong.
The Japanese submarine crew panicked. Some of the crew members picked up the potatoes and quickly tossed them overboard.
Others threw them at the Americans, who hurled them back at the Japanese. It took a little while for the Americans to realize why the Japanese were behaving in such a chaotic and fearful manner—the Japanese most likely thought the potatoes were hand grenades.
The O’Bannon took the opportunity to get away from the submarine. Once the destroyer was at a safe distance, it used its deck guns to take out the Ro-34’s conning tower.
The submarine dove underwater, so the O’Bannon fired depth charges that eventually sank the Japanese vessel.
The potato war spared the lives of 300 American soldiers. The O’Bannon even received a plaque from the Maine Potato Growers’ Association commemorating the event.
The ship went on to serve in the Korean War. When it was decommissioned in 1970, the plaque was still onboard.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings