Digging around some old records, I've come across some interesting
references to a World War II weapon system project, and wonder if anyone has
any related info on it.
...........
I don't know if any of this is relevant or not. It may have been a
different project:
Just before WWII, my dad was a civilian employee of the Norfolk
(VA) Navy Yard, working as the yard photographer. He had taken
some night electronics classes, and was moved to the radio &
radar lab about the time the US entered the war. One of the
projects he worked on involved radio-controlled small boats.
I recall him talking about the odd looks their project boats
got from folks as they ran around the harbor with no one on
board. But I do not recall any mention of TV being involved.
I've always assumed that control was done line of sight. I
do distinctly recall that he mentioned that the project boats
were LCVP's, and have the strong impression from what he said
that the intent was to fill them with explosives, and use them
to destroy beach obstacles. But he was probably not highly-
placed in the project, so may not have been privy to all
details.
I don't know exactly when this was, but suspect that it was '43
or '44.
He later went to Bikini Atoll for the Able & Baker atomic bomb
tests, and I have his 'cruise book' from that somewhere around here.
I recall a picture in it of a 'pilot' operating a B-17 remotely
from a ground console. I'll see if I can find it, and look to see
if there's a TV screen on the console or mentioned in the caption.
Jim H.