Editing Sonar (section)

=== US Navy Underwater Sound Laboratory ===
In 1917, the US Navy acquired [[J. Warren Horton]]'s services for the first time. On leave from [[Bell Labs]], he served the government as a technical expert, first at the experimental station at [[Nahant, Massachusetts]], and later at US Naval Headquarters, in [[London]], England. At Nahant he applied the newly developed [[vacuum tube]], then associated with the formative stages of the field of applied science now known as [[electronics]], to the detection of underwater signals. As a result, the [[carbon microphone|carbon button microphone]], which had been used in earlier detection equipment, was replaced by the precursor of the modern [[hydrophone]]. Also during this period, he experimented with methods for towing detection. This was due to the increased sensitivity of his device. The principles are still used in modern [[Towed array sonar|towed sonar]] systems.

To meet the defense needs of Great Britain, he was sent to England to install in the [[Irish Sea]] bottom-mounted hydrophones connected to a shore listening post by submarine cable. While this equipment was being loaded on the cable-laying vessel, World War I ended and Horton returned home.

During World War II, he continued to develop sonar systems that could detect submarines, mines, and torpedoes. He published ''Fundamentals of Sonar'' in 1957 as chief research consultant at the [[Underwater Sound Laboratory|US Navy Underwater Sound Laboratory]]. He held this position until 1959 when he became technical director, a position he held until mandatory retirement in 1963.<ref>from Dr. Horton's autobiographical sketch and US Department of the Navy Undersea Warfare Center</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Horton|first=J. Warren|title=Fundamentals of Sonar| publisher=U. S. Naval Institute, Annapolis, MD.|year=1957|pages=387}}</ref>