For the military historians out there-This question relates to the very first hostile combat use of guided missiles by a United States of America military force.
1. What was the time period of first hostile usage? Exact month/s and year needed.
2. Exact full name of first guided missile used by USA in combat?
3. How many missiles were launched? By which US military branch?
4. Where used and against what USA enemy defended emplacements?
Several months have gone by with over 300 views, so this puppy won't hunt. Here are the answers, which may surprise and also predate most of the viewers.
1. September and October, 1944, in World War II.
2. ASSAULT DRONE
3. Forty-Six guided missiles were launched. By US Naval Aviators.
4. At Rabaul on New Britain Island in the Bismarck Sea and at Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands, both in the Pacific Ocean against Japanese-defended emplacements.
The US Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics had used some pilot-less radio-controlled drones for aviator target practice starting in 1937 research.The first successful NOLO (NO Live Operator) drone was a modified JH-1 Utility craft, while a piloted TG-2 trainer exercised control from the air. This took place at the Coast Guard Station, Cape May, New Jersey on December 15, 1937. The Great Lakes Aircraft Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio built the US Navy TG-2, a Torpedo Bomber Scout biplane with wingspan of 53 feet powered by one Wright R-1820-86 radial of 620 Hp. A portable field unit (Fox Cart), developed concurrently with the drone and control aircraft, was used for takeoff and landing operations.
Early US military radio-controlled target practice drones for anti-aircraft training were a design by Al Mooney, the modified Culver NR-D (PQ-14) powered by a Franklin O-300-11 150 Hp engine for the USAAF as the PQ-14A & B, and for the US Navy as the TDC2-1 with 150 Hp Franklin 6ACT-298-J5.
The early American guided missiles used names rather than official nomenclatures. Some examples were the GARGOYLE, GORGON, LARK and ASSAULT DRONE. Early post-war missile developments included the SPARROW, REGULUS and BULLPUP. Eventually as many as three different nomenclature schemes were assigned, depending on the life of a developed guided missile design. A couple of examples: the REGULUS was SSM-N-8/RGM-6/BQM-6 REGULUS I successively and then the supersonic nuclear warhead version was SSM-N-9/RGM-15/MQM-15 REGULUS II successively.
See many guided missile photographs with all nomenclatures and uses in my Airports section here under NTD, where I worked for many years.