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It's spring, 1943. The United States Navy, still reeling from the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, is clawing its way back into the fight against the formidable Japanese Imperial Navy in the Pacific. Among the ships on the front lines is the USS O'Bannon, a Fletcher-class destroyer that has seen its fair share of action.
The O'Bannon and its crew have been tirelessly patrolling the Pacific, engaging in fierce battles and enduring grueling conditions. The tide of the war is slowly turning in favor of the Americans, but the fight is far from over.
On April 5th, 1943, the O'Bannon is returning from a mission bombarding Japanese installations in the Solomon Islands. As the ship cuts through the waves, its radar picks up a blip – a single contact near the Russell Islands. The crew, ever vigilant, springs into action, suspecting a Japanese ship attempting to run the American blockade.
As the O'Bannon closes in on the contact, the lookouts on deck confirm it's a Japanese submarine, cruising on the surface, seemingly unaware of the approaching danger. The submarine's crew is nowhere to be seen, either failing to post lookouts or desperately conserving battery by keeping the vessel surfaced.
The O'Bannon's captain, Lieutenant Commander Donald MacDonald, sees an opportunity to deliver a decisive blow. He orders the destroyer to increase speed, setting a collision course with the unsuspecting submarine. The plan is simple: ram the smaller vessel, sending it to the bottom of the ocean.
But as the O'Bannon bears down on the submarine, a shocking sight greets the American sailors. Over a dozen Japanese crewmen are sprawled out on the submarine's deck, seemingly taking a midday nap! The element of surprise is complete.
Concerned that the submarine might be a trap rigged with mines, MacDonald orders a last-second course change. The O'Bannon narrowly avoids a catastrophic collision, instead coming alongside the submarine, close enough for the two crews to see each other clearly.
The Japanese sailors, startled awake by the near miss, scramble to their feet in a panic. They begin to man their 3-inch deck gun, aiming it at the O'Bannon. The American destroyer, however, is too close to effectively bring its own guns to bear. The situation is tense, a stalemate with the potential for disaster.
It's at this moment that the legend of the Great Potato Battle is born.
The O'Bannon's crew, realizing the urgency of the situation, grab whatever they can find to throw at the Japanese sailors, hoping to delay them long enough to maneuver the ship out of danger. The only readily available ammunition? Barrels of potatoes intended for the crew's meals.
And so, in a scene almost too bizarre to believe, the American sailors begin pelting the Japanese crew with potatoes. The Japanese, perhaps confused or disoriented by the sudden barrage of flying spuds, respond in kind, hurling the potatoes right back at the Americans.
This unlikely food fight, a moment of absurdity in the midst of a brutal war, has gone down in naval history. The Japanese, preoccupied with the potato battle, never manage to get off a shot. The O'Bannon pulls away to a safe distance, finally able to bring its guns to bear on the submarine.
The submarine begins to submerge, but it's too late. The O'Bannon opens fire, its shells slamming into the sub's conning tower. To ensure the kill, the destroyer delivers a final blow, dropping depth charges on the submarine's position. Japanese records later confirm the submarine's sinking, a victim of the O'Bannon and its potato-wielding crew.
The story of the Great Potato Battle, though likely embellished over time, became a national sensation. The crew of the O'Bannon even received a commemorative plaque from the Maine Potato Growers Association, celebrating their ingenuity in using the humble potato to defeat an enemy submarine.
While the accuracy of the potato-throwing details is debated, the encounter highlights the unpredictable and often surreal nature of war. It's a reminder that even in the darkest of times, moments of humor and absurdity can emerge, becoming legends passed down through generations.
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