The history of invention and development of autodyne proximity fuzes

Historical information regarding invention of the autodyne and further development of autodyne proximity fuzes for the artillery shells is presented. Objective circumstances of proximity fuze invention by the British scientist W.A.S. Butement are given. The role of a famous American physicist M.A. Tuve in the organization of the invention and production of proximity fuzes for artillery shells is shown. The aspects of acquisition and further development of this subject in the Soviet Union are considered.