| October 1942 Popular Mechanics |
 [Table of Contents]
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early
mechanics and electronics. See articles from
Popular Mechanics,
published continuously since 1902. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.
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If you think this Zenith
Radio advertisement looks familiar, it could be because you recently saw it on the
October 1942 Popular Mechanics magazine table of contents page. Or not.
Nearly a year after the United States of America shifted industry production to
a wartime footing, no factories were turning out new radio sets for domestic use.
The only new radios being made were for Army and Navy use in fighting to defeat
Axis forces in Europe, North Africa, and the South Pacific. The ad quotes General
(a mere Lt. Colonel prior to the raid) Doolittle's radio broadcast following his
air group's raid of Japan's capital city, Tokyo, on April 18th of that year. The
Doolittle Raid, as it
is known, was the first attack on the Japanese homeland since the surprise attack
by their navy on Pearl Harbor. Doolittle's Raiders managed to launch sixteen Mitchell
B-25 bombers from the deck of the USS Hornet carrier - a feat never before attempted.
Zenith also extolls the superiority of radio communications over wired comms due
to its potential worldwide reach without the need of cumbersome and vulnerable landlines.
Zenith Radio Ad
 1917 War Run by Telephone
1942 War Run by Radio
For Instance ...
"We would like to have tarried (over Tokyo) and watched the later developments
of fire and explosion, but even so we were fortunate to receive a fairly detailed
report from the excited Japanese radio broadcasts. It took them several hours to
calm down to deception and accusation.
(Brig. Gen. James H. Doolittle in news reports of Tokyo bombing)
Interesting!
Watch for radio use in the war news - you'll find it in the air - on
the ground - and at home!
Without radio, the movement of war would still be anchored by telephone lines
- the physical hazards of the courier and visual signals.
Now war moves swiftly over the whole face of the earth - instantaneous radio
communication thru the ether instead of over copper wires has blasted the barriers
of space and time.
So today all our radio production centers on war use.
But what of tomorrow - what effect will this have upon the future - after victory?
One thing is certain - it will revolutionize and speed the great new future form
of transportation.
Radio has never been universally necessary in transportation before. In automobiles
- on trains - it has been entertainment - in boats it has been a great aid but not
an essential.
But today for the future, in that great, new universal transportation that is
forming itself - the airplane - radio is essential as the engine itself.
And - mark this well - airplanes and radio are two of the four great industries
destined to lead this country back to business normalcy after the peace is won.
Zenith's leadership in the radio industry has been established by a constant
achievement of "firsts." Repeatedly. ideas "brand new" when Zenith "first" introduced
them. later became essentials on all radios. And that same "forward thinking" of
engineers and factory and organization now concentrates on war production of the
thing we know - radio - exclusively radio. We are progressing - we learn every day
- and this new experience will inevitably reflect itself when Zenith again produces
for peace.
- a Zenith Radio Dealer near you is giving reliable service on all radios - regardless
of make.
Zenith Radio Corporation - Chicago
Zenith
Long Distance Radio
Radio Products Exclusively
World's Leading Manufacturer
Posted May 1, 2024
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