On April 5, 1943, Bath-built USS O’Bannon (DD-450) won a battle thanks to a well-known Maine product. DD-450 found itself parallel to a Japanese submarine. It was in danger because the sub was too close to train the ship’s guns on it. To prevent the Japanese from manning the sub’s deck guns and firing on the ship, the DD-450 crew began chucking potatoes at them. The Japanese sailors were so preoccupied with throwing these potato “grenades” overboard that DD-450 was able to move away to a distance where it could fire its guns and ultimately win the battle. The Association of Potato Growers of Maine sent the ship a plaque to commemorate the event.
