with 17 battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation The O'Bannon Crew was awarded a commemorative Plaque
from the potato growers of maine
“For their ingenuity in using our now proud potato to ‘sink’ a Jap submarine in the spring of 1943.”

How a destroyer won a World War II battle with only potatoes

By Blake Stilwell

...As the destroyer careened toward the submarine that was half its size, ready to send it to the bottom, someone aboard the U.S. destroyer surmised the sub could be a minelayer and take the O'Bannon to the bottom of the ocean in the resulting explosion. The ship turned rudder in a hurry, only to find itself now alongside its determined enemy. They were too close to use that buttload of weapons – or even their sidearms. Read on​

Sea Stories can have elements of truth that tend to be embellished...

The “Lucky O” as she was affectionately called by her crew amassed a nearly unmatched 17 battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation.

In one particular encounter with a Japanese submarine, the O’Bannon was reduced to fighting an action close aboard with POTATOES.

One account says the Japanese thought the potatoes were hand grenades and threw their guns overboard. Another holds the submariners panicked and submerged the sub and it sank. And yet another holds that the potatoes kept Japanese at bay until depth charges were readied. A less romantic version says the POTATOES were just thrown by the Americans in anger.