Evening star., 1932-03-13
ROBOT BATTlESH|P
WILL SAIL IN APRIL
Condemned Utah Also to Be
Used as Target for New
Naval Bombs,
BY MARTIN CODEL.

stoned pattleshlp Utah, con-
~ demned under the London
naval treaty, but kept afloat
for radio experimental purposes, will
steam out of the Norfolk Navy Yard
early in April for trial runs which will
precede her assignment to the feet in
Pacific waters.
One Of the earliest American ships
Of the dreadnaught or all big-gun type,
the vessel has been stripped of her
armaments and equipped with a COM
plete system of radio control that will
enable naval observers to maneuver her
from a distance without the aid of a
crew aboard. She has been outfitted
by naval radio experts to be operated
as a robot" man o. war from another
vessel or even from an airplane.
VIII Be Used as Target.
Repeating similar radio control ex-
periments conducted with the battleship
Iowa during feet maneuvers off
Panama in 1928, the Navy will use the
Utah as a target vessel to test its latest
developments in bombs, guns and fire
control. Ultimately, like the Iowa, she
will be sunk.
Preliminary to tests without men
| aboard, the Utah will leave Norfolk
with crew now being assigned to the
command Of Comdr. Randall Jacobs.
| now on duty at the Navy Department
in Washington. Radio experts from
the Naval Research Laboratories. who
| outf1tted the ship with the most mod
ern radio control devices, will be as
signed to watch the working of the
apparatus. The ship probably will pro-
coed to San Diego some time next
Autumn, If not earlier
The relay control of a battleship bv
radio is completely practicable, accord
ing to naval experts, but much remains
| to be learned from the Utah expert
ments, which will involve the newest
types of radio impulses sent out by a
controlling ship using a special keying
system on regular radio transmitter.
1t is possible to use this same Switch
board" arrangement aboard an airplane
to control the movements of the
robot"
Provision Is made for Steaming the
radio-controlled ship at varying rates
Of speed, changing its course, laying
smoke screens, and in fact maneuver-
ing 1t nearly in all respects like an
enemy ship in battle. The Utah's cleo
trio motors, operated by signals sent
out from the controlling ship, will open
and close the throttle valves, move the
rudder and regulate the supply Of oil
to the boilers for smoke screens. The
Sperry metal mike" or gyro pilot, will
keep the ship on its course.
1t is simple matter to install the
switchboard" control apparatus on a
snip or airplane. In the target prac-
tlce, the Utah will often be out of sight
OF the controlling craft but an air
plane will observe the effects Of bombs
or gunf1re and will radio the informa-
tion back to those in control.
Product Of Hammond Genius,
For the most part, the radio and
relay control apparatus just installed
on the Utah is the product of the
genius OF John Hays Hammond. jr.,
radio inventor of Gloucester, Mass,
whose radio-controlled torpedoes were
introduced during the war. Similar
apparatus developed both by Mr.. Ham
mond and by research scientists of the
Naval Research Laboratories is also
available for operating "pilotless" air.
planes, but practical tests in this work,
already carried out with an airplane in
night, but kept a closely guarded Navy
secret, have been retarded Of late due
to lack Of equipment and funds.
The junior Hammond, it will be re-
a rum-running syndicate with a pro-
posal that he outfit a fleet of radio
controlled rum boats. He was offered
S50,000 for specifications as to how re-
lay controls could be installed and
operated and was told he could name
his own figure If he would act as tech
nical adviser Of the syndicate He re-
fused OF course, and Immediately di-
vulged the proposal to the authorities.
The radio rum-running project is en-
tirely feasible, according to experts, but
the highest skill is needed in the in
stallation and operation. Outside the
military and its associated civilians.
there are practically none In this
country who could do the work. Other
nations have been working along SINH
lar lines and several demonstrations
have been given in Japan and Ger
many. Besides the Utah, the Navy
also has a destroyer, the Stoddert, now
based at San Diego, similarly equipped.
Plans are also being made to install
radio control apparatus on the destroy
ers Kitty and Boggs.