*** World War I -- communications technology








World War I Military Communications: Technology--Radio

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Figure 1.--

World War I armies had a half century to adjust to the telegram. While national cable systems were relartively secure. The wireless (radio) was an entirely different matter. It had enormous military potential far beyound the telegtam. But it was very new and still being developed. Wireless first came to the public conciouness with the RMS Titanic Disaster (1912). Only modernships and naval vessels had wireless at the time. Wireless was also very insecure. Unlike telegrams. Beligerant nations could receive radio eneny messages at some distance from the battlefield. World War I armies and navies operated largely independently in World War I. This is one reason that navies formed infantry forces (marines). The codes used by combatant armies and navies were different. A naval ship could have a small easily secured wireless and coding message center. Army field units, especially mobile units, faced a more difficult challenge. And there was a need to develop new codes with the deployment of the new wireless. Telegraph codes were relarively secure. While little progress was made in battle-field commsnd and control, the appearance of radio sets just before the War did revolutionize military communications, both art sea and on land. The fact that signals naval and and army commanders were transmitted for the first time meant that interception was possible on a large scale for the first time. Wireless communications were insecure because they could be easily picked up by the enemy. It took some time for the military forces to adjust to this new reality through several years of fighting. The American Expeditionary Force (AEF) was unprepared for this when it arrived in France. Experimentation brought major advances. In America, AT&T developed two-way voice communication with airplanes, although this would only become practical after the War. The U.S. Army installed the first operational two-way radios in planes, prior to U.S. involvement. This development began in 1915 at San Diego, and by 1916 technicians could send a radio telegraph over a distance of 140 miles. Radio telegraph messages were also exchanged between planes in flight. And finally in 1917, a human voice was transmitted by radio from a plane in flight to an operator on the ground for the first time. These developments were, however, not incorporated in World War I combat. It did mean that the technology would be available for World War II.

Invention

The invention of wireless or radio was the next step in two related 19th century technological developments--the telegraph and the telephone. All three technologies involving electricity are related. And radio at first was known as wireless telegraphy because it first involving sending Morse Code telegraphic messages. The key step in radio was moving beyond the copper wire. And for this, scientists had to disciver radio or electro-magbetic waves which like eletrical pulses over wivers were capable of transmitting information. The first step was taken by Scottish physicist, James Clerk Maxwell, who predicted the existence of radio waves (early-1860s). At the same time, Mahlon Loomis, an American dentist, demonstrated 'wireless telegraphy' for the first time (1866). Loomis connected a meter to a kite and was able to move a meter connctd to another kite (1866). This was the first known instance of wireless aerial communication. German physicist, Heinrich Rudolph Hertz provided the theoretical construct foe radio science. He demonstrated that very rapid variations in electric current could be projected into the air as radio waves, similar to light and heat (1886). Up to this point, radio was essentially a scientific curiosity. Italian scietist, Guglielmo Marconi, invented a practical use for radio. He demostrated the feasibility of radio communication. He was the first person to sen and receive a radio signal. He did this in Italy (1895). He then sent the first wireless signal across the English Channel (1899). At then sent the letter 'S' across the Atlantic from England to Newfoundland (1901). This was followed by the first transatlantic radiotelegraph message (1902). Others were working on radio communications. Nikola Tesla and Nathan Stufflefield took out patents for wireless radio transmitters. Tesla is now credited with being the first person to patent radio technology. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Marconi's patent in favor of Tesla (1943).

Early Usage

Wireless first came to the public conciouness with the RMS Titanic Disaster (1912). Only modernships and naval vessels had wireless at the time.

Pre-War Military Usage

World War I armies had a half century to adjust to the telegram. While national cable systems were relartively secure. The wireless (radio) was an entirely different matter. It had enormous military potential far beyound the telegtam. But it was very new and still being developed. Wireless was also very insecure. Unlike telegrams. Beligerant nations could receive radio eneny messages at some distance from the battlefield.

Code Systems

World War I armies and navies operated largely independently in World War I. This is one reason that navies formed infantry forces (marines). The codes used by combatant armies and navies were different.

Naval Usage

A naval ship could have a small easily secured wireless and coding message center.

Army Usage

Army field units, especially mobile units, faced a more difficult challenge. And there was a need to develop new codes with the deployment of the new wireless. Telegraph codes were relarively secure. While little progress was made in battle-field command and control, the appearance of radio sets just before the War did revolutionize military communications, both art sea and on land.

Security Problem

The fact that signals naval and and army commanders were transmitted for the first time meant that interception was possible on a large scale for the first time. Wireless communications were insecure because they could be easily picked up by the enemy.

Country Trends

It took some time for the military forces to adjust to this new reality through several years of fighting. The American Expeditionary Force (AEF) was unprepared for this when it arrived in France.

Technological Advances

Experimentation brought major advances. In America, AT&T developed two-way voice communication with airplanes, although this would only become practical after the War. The U.S. Army installed the first operational two-way radios in planes, prior to U.S. involvement. This development began in 1915 at San Diego, and by 1916 technicians could send a radio telegraph over a distance of 140 miles. Radio telegraph messages were also exchanged between planes in flight. And finally in 1917, a human voice was transmitted by radio from a plane in flight to an operator on the ground for the first time. These developments were, however, not incorporated in World War I combat. We note American mobile Signal Corps radio units by the end of World War I. It did mean that the technology would be available for World War II.






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Created: 12:32 AM 3/9/2015
Last updated: 12:52 AM 4/28/2022