BuOrd,
May 1 1944:
Report from Fire Control Section Re4...
4. When Re4 was formed in April 1941, the status of navy fire control could be summarized briefly as follows:
(a) We had an excellent main battery fire control system in our modern ships
(b) We had an excellent 5" antiaircraft fire control system for defence against horizontal and glide bombers .
(c) We had an adequate torpedo control system for our surface ships and submarines
(d)We had a good bombsight for high level bombing.
On the other side of the ledger:
(e) We had no machine gun director in the Fleet, or developed.
(f) We had no fire control radar, except in the design stage.
(g) We had no 3"/50 gun director, even under design, and no 5"/38 gun director suitable for small ships.
(h) We had virtually no government owned fire control development and test facilities.
Taken from the BuOrd confidential history volume. Re4 was a navy counterpart to the NDRC and interfaced with it.
