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jaa101 t1_je4ljjc wrote

Reply to comment by JetScootr in TIL Early drones were developed during the First World War. These radio controlled planes were primarily for target practice but by 1942 a drone with a built in TV camera was capable of delivering a torpedo to a ship 20 miles from the controller. by jamescookenotthatone

Another amazing technology that helped beat the kamakazi attacks was the proximity fuse. Without that, you have to set your AA shells to explode at some fixed time from firing which is hard to get right against incoming aircraft. Proximity-fused shells would automatically explode when they got near something—a huge advantage—but it involved having vacuum tubes survive being fired from a gun.

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Meior t1_je55ugt wrote

Holy shit that engineering is incredible. I have to read up on that tonight.

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WanderingCamper t1_je5wpaw wrote

It was one of the most closely guarded Allied technologies during the war. Similar in importance to radar, cracking enigma, and the Manhattan project.

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kelldricked t1_je9wwh2 wrote

Its insane how much technology progressed during the war. Especially once you start reading up to all the non deployed develop weapons, shit that was working but just not practicle or to expensive.

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