strange but true

[ninjabear]

In the pre-dawn hours of April 5, 1943, the Fletcher-class destroyer USS O'Bannon found themselves in such close proximity to a Japanese submarine, that they could not bring their weapons to bear. As both combatants raced to their battle stations and maneuvered to firing position, some of the O'Bannon's crew used what they had at hand:
they threw potatoes at the enemy.

As it was dark the Japanese sailors, thinking these were grenades, took the time to throw the potatoes back. The delay kept them from manning their gunnery stations as the O'Bannon moved into firing position. The enemy submarine was sunk, and the crew of the O'Bannon was honored for their bravery and ingenuity with a plaque from the Maine potato growers association.

You know this is what I love about the History Channel!
If I hadn't had the tape to show my friends, they would havce never believed me.
Anyone else have a "strange but true" story to tell?