Figure 1.--Here we see an early American Signal Corps mobil radio unit, operating from the Rhinelandd in Germany, after the end of Woirkd war I. The photograph was takn in 1919. Tragically, it would be pimarily snother generation of Germans that would introduce this technology into modern warfare.

Nikola Tesla was on the verge of inventing radio (radio telegraphy) when his lab burnedd down. Thus Italian experminenter Guglielmo Marconi got the first pantent (1903) and the honor of inventing radio--at first called wireless. It was the world's navies and commercial shipping that made the greatest use of of the new technogy at first. RMS Titantic was warned about icebergs but the captain intent on a recoid Atlantic crossing chose to ignore those messages. Rescue ships arrived because of messages sent by Titanic's wireless operator. Armies were a different matter. Ships had powerful engunes generated te elecrrity needed for radio. Armies were different. Headquaters units could be equipped with radio as well as substantial units in fixed positions. But small units, especially if they were moving could not opertate radio sets. Wires coild be strung for telephones, but they were still not always relaiable and again this was not possible with units on the move, especially during a major offensive. This meant that headquarters units lost contact with units and command and control broke down. War is, however a power engine for tecnological invention and advancement. World War I was the first major war that was able to utiizes the new developing radio technologies. Radio became an critical part of naval operation. Armies were less able to use the new technologies. And perhaps the most important was the transmission of voice rather than code. Thius was made possible by the electron tube, as oscillator. and amplifier. A major function for aircraft, invented in the same year as radio, during World War I was reconisance, but the minute a pilot took off off, he was out of touch and was not back in touch until he returned and landed. There were no radio system developed that could be installed in aircraft. The major issue was weight and electrical generating power. Early aircraft were flimisy contraptions. The first radion communication from a plsn was not achieved until near the end of the War (1917). We also see land based mobil units. By the end of the War, the world's armies were on the verrge of developing much more effective tactical comunications systems, including mobile radio units. We see some early units in 1919 (figure 1). Radio was not the only electricalevice. Surely it was the most impotsabnt, but eklectricity resi=lted in a wide range of innovstioins, especilly at sea. One source tivks them off, "... electric signaling lamps, an electric helm indicator, electric fire alarms, remote control—from the bridge—of bulkhead doors, electrically controlled whistles, and remote reading of water level in the boilers. Electric power turned guns and turrets and raised ammunition from the magazines up to the guns. Searchlights—both incandescent and carbon-arc—became vital for nighttime navigation, for long-range daytime signaling, and for illuminating enemy ships in night engagements." At this does not even include the elctrical engines thst made submsrines possible.

Created: 5:04 AM 8/13/2021
Last updated: 12:17 AM 4/28/2022