When things were first used or invented and they worked.

[jlckansas]

I was talking to some students the other day and went over some items of when they were first invented and used successfully.

1880's Self propelled torpedo
1898 Remote control by radio
1918 Cruise missile, Kettering Bug
1940's Precision guided munitions, Fritz X
1944 Liquid fueled long range rockets.
1945 Atomic bomb
1957 ICBM

None of these instances are the best product, only that they worked as advertised. How much would we see if they were able to match things together like the Kettering Bug with remote control between the wars to have a more accurate cruise missile at the start of WW2

 

[Hoplophile]

An earlier development of cruise missiles would have had a profound effect on naval combat, and, as a result, naval strategy, in the Second World War.

Launched from land, they would have made it harder for surface ships to operate in narrow waters. Launched from submarines, they would have both reduced the freedom of movement of capital ships and forced them to devote a great deal of deck space, storage space, and manpower to anti-aircraft missiles. Launched from converted merchantmen, they would have allowed powers with relatively small navies to "punch above their weight."