On the bookshelf I have some Popular Science magazines from the
early 1930's that are fascinating to pick up now and then and browse
through.
These days, one can browse these magazines on
Google books.
For all the weird and wonderful and often whacky inventions from that
era they would report on, now and then you encounter one that stops you
dead and you recognize its later importance.
Such was the case when I encountered last night a short snippet in the
July 1931 issue about the invention of a Dr Gustav Rasmus of San Diego
of what might well be the first guided surface to air missile (SAM).
Googling further,
a Wikipedia article cites that this may well be the
first reference to the invention of a SAM.
Guided by the sound of the aircraft's engine, the obvious countermeasure
would have been to cut the engine, glide and drop a loud bomb on the
enemy position and the SAM might then hit those who launched it.
Nevertheless, it was ahead of its time -
World's first guided Surface To Air Missile?
