From Torpedogleiter to Fledermaus. Siemens and the Development of Remotely Controlled Aircraft, 1915-1918

The outbreak of war caused in Germany attempts to develop remotely guided vehicles. In 1915 electrical firm Siemens started to work with the wire-controlled bombs dropped from aircraft. In 1916 year inspection of the German Air Force, Siemens and Mannesmann Companies have decided to jointly develop the project "Fledermaus" with the desire to create a remotely controlled drones to bomb. By the end of the war after a series of experiments, the Germans began to prepare serial production of unmanned bombers.