In communications electronics, World War II was in one sense similar to World War I: the most extravagant prewar estimates of military requirements soon proved to represent only a fraction of the actual demand. The need for all kinds of communication equipment and for improved quality and quantity of communications pyramided beyond the immediate capabilities of industry. An increase in manufacturing plant became vital, and research and development in the communications–electronics field was unprecedented. The early German blitzkrieg, with tank and armoured formations, placed a new order of importance on reliable radio communication. The development of the air, infantry, artillery, ...(100 of 3460 words)