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June 26, 2022

For your information - The secret WWI 'DCB Section' controlled the unmanned submarine S/M HMS C-4 from aircraft in 1917.
Extract from report by The Superintendent Signal Schools, Portsmouth, November 1917;
"Tests of the gear in motor launches complete with the gyro control were perfectly satisfactory, Sea-plane at a distance of about five miles. Frequent runs from Calshot to Portsmouth (12 miles) were made and no difficulty would be experienced in reproducing these tests."

Extract from the REPORT ON D.C.B. TRIALS AT DOVER, MAY 28th to 31st, 1918;
"Wireless controlling gear for steering a vessel from an aircraft, ship or shore station is an accomplished fact, and can probably be fitted to any type of vessel. Successful experiments have already been carried out with submarines, motor launches, and 40 foot coastal motor boats."

Below is the full text of John. K. im Thurn 1919 letter to Dr. A. M. Low.

ADMIRALTY
S. W. 1.
19th May 1919.
Dear Low,
Before your establishment is finally demobilised I wish to thank you and your able assistants for the work you have carried out for us at Feltham. It is a matter of great regret to me that the Armistice and consequent demobilisation came too soon for your enlarged establishment to fill the important place we had assigned to it, as an experimental offshoot of the Signal School, Portsmouth. I would like however to say that had the war continued I am satisfied your establishment would have been of great value to us. Your extraordinary ability and originality as a designer, combined with your sound scientific training will be a great loss to us. In a recent letter you kindly offered your services at any future date of which we will gladly avail our-selves. I hope you will call in here occasionally and tell us about yourself - in the meantime please accept my sincere good wishes for the future.

Yours sincerely,
SGD.... John. K. im Thurn
(at this time Assistant Director of Electrical Torpedo and Mining)

Regards,
Steve Mills
Author - The Dawn of the Drone