Which specific military application drove the Royal Navy's adoption of the Obry apparatus in 1896?
Answer
Torpedo guidance control
The immediate utility of Ludwig Obry's refined gimbaled instrument, the Obry apparatus (1895), was swiftly recognized by the military. By 1896, the Royal Navy had adopted this precision instrument specifically for use in torpedo guidance control. This adoption was driven by military necessity, as the ability to accurately guide a projectile like a torpedo without relying solely on visual line-of-sight or easily disruptible radio signals provided a significant strategic advantage during the naval buildup occurring in the late nineteenth century. This success paved the way for later navigational applications.
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