As you know, World War I began in 1914, and ended only in 1918. In the beginning America had not joined this Great War, but there was at least one American whose mind was already part of it – Thomas Alva Edison, of course! He believed in being prepared to meet any possible threat against the United States of America.
Edison dedicated himself to naval research, conducting experiments on camouflaging ships and detecting torpedoes. The U.S. entered the war in 1917. Edison spent eighteen months in the field, and conceived 48 projects including a hydrogen-detecting alarm to avoid undersea explosions, antirust coating of vaseline zinc for submarine guns, and an antiroll platform for ships to ensure accurate shooting even in rough seas. He also worked on other ideas, like an anchor that could turn a ship quickly to avoid a torpedo, and a highly sensitive listening device that could hear a far-away submarine bell even during a storm.
Edison, however, was unhappy with the Navy because they failed to implement any of his ideas. None of his 48 wartime inventions went beyond the prototype stage.
Picture Credit : Google
