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To get the testing as close to wartime conditions as possible, the USS Iowa was converted into a radio-controlled target ship, the first in US Naval History. Later in 1932 the obsolete USS Utah was converted to the same radio control standard.[1]

In 1934 the US Navy destroyer USS Boggs (DD-136) became the world's first radio controlled target ship in history to become operational, allowing aircraft to attack a ship under real war conditions.

So... which was first? Boggs in 1934, or Iowa/Utah sometime before 1932. This article is starting to look silly. Make your minds up, people! Catsmeat (talk) 09:43, 18 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It is neither. I should read my own links "fully" I post. The one on the Utah pages tells the truth. And that USN officer who claims he was in the Popular Mechanics article on the Boggs wasn't the inventor of the radio control unit either! The first radio control ship it seems according to the Popular Science link On the Utah is the destroyer Stoddert. I will do some more reading as the Utah PopSc link gives another article in a 1931 issue and correct everything. Talk about a general mess up! But in my defence that is what the extremely large Popular Mechanics article on the Boggs stated. Thanks for catching it. Jack - Jackehammond (talk) 18:55, 18 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It is not even the Stoddert. It was the Iowa. The Stoddert was the destroyer used to test radio control equipment that became standard from experience from the earlier Iowa test. Talk about a general mess up by the writers and editors of that day! Jackehammond (talk) 19:10, 18 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]