Early Balloons Used in Air Bombardments?

[Jopa79]

A balloon is an unpowered aerostat, which remains aloft or floats due to its buoyancy. This balloon, however has crashed. Andree's Arctic Expedition, to reach the North Pole and further, to travel to North America along the Russian coast at the Arctic Sea in1897 ended in a disaster, the whole expedition crew perished. Later, the crew was found dead during the 1930's.

I was thinking one day about a WWI air warfare movie which I saw as being a kid. I cannot recall the name of the movie, but an open bar cage was attached to the side of a two-seat-plane. The cage was filled with hand grenades and the 2nd pilot mechanically controlled the cage and a hatch which was opened using a lever.

So, about 35 years it took from me To think, did they already use same kind of air bombardments during the age of the early balloons?

 

[newtlord]

I can't think of any cases of bombardment from balloons. You would only be able to move over the enemy lines if the wind was blowing in the right direction- and, in the unlikely case that the wind was blowing directly towards the enemy, it would then continue to blow the balloon onward behind enemy lines, resulting in the loss of the balloon and likely capture of the balloonist when it finally came down. In fact, 19th century military balloons (used for artillery spotting) were almost universally tethered- kept tied to a very long rope as they went up- so they wouldn't drift away.

Zeppelins, being powered and therefore steerable, were of course used for bombing in World War 1, but the period between the development of capable airships for this purpose and the development of airplanes powerful enough to easily shoot them down was fairly short.

 

[Jopa79]

I can't think of any cases of bombardment from balloons. You would only be able to move over the enemy lines if the wind was blowing in the right direction- and, in the unlikely case that the wind was blowing directly towards the enemy, it would then continue to blow the balloon onward behind enemy lines, resulting in the loss of the balloon and likely capture of the balloonist when it finally came down. In fact, 19th century military balloons (used for artillery spotting) were almost universally tethered- kept tied to a very long rope as they went up- so they wouldn't drift away.

Zeppelins, being powered and therefore steerable, were of course used for bombing in World War 1, but the period between the development of capable airships for this purpose and the development of airplanes powerful enough to easily shoot them down was fairly short.

Steering is a problem, of course. Still, I've heard, the balloons were used on reconnaissance missions, as early as in the early 1800's.

 

[newtlord]

Steering is a problem, of course. Still, I've heard, the balloons were used on reconnaissance missions, as early as in the early 1800's.

"Reconnaissance" generally meant "go up (usually tethered, as I mentioned) so you can see farther and the trees and hills don't block your view so much".

 

[Jopa79]

"Reconnaissance" generally meant "go up (usually tethered, as I mentioned) so you can see farther and the trees and hills don't block your view so much".

Yes. I agree. However, during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, balloon(s) were used, among the "important" people, to flee Paris, the capital of France, during the Siege of Paris.

 

[newtlord]

Yes. I agree. However, during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, balloon(s) were used, among the "important" people, to flee Paris, the capital of France, during the Siege of Paris.

Yes, and to carry messages. That was a rather special case since, with the German lines drawn around the city and France beyond them, one didn't have to go in exactly the right direction to get where one wanted.

 

[Jopa79]

So, bombing from balloons has never occured?

 

[newtlord]

So, bombing from balloons has never occured?

The Japanese Fu-Go balloons in WWII were unmanned balloons carrying small firebombs that were released to drift over the American west coast. They caused a small amount of property damage, and in one case caused a few fatalities when a family of curious picnickers investigated one which had failed to immediately go off, but, in the final analysis, were of minimal effect.

Ultimately, delivering explosives against a target is already hard enough in aircraft that can actually steer.

 

[Jopa79]

The Japanese Fu-Go balloons in WWII were unmanned balloons carrying small firebombs that were released to drift over the American west coast. They caused a small amount of property damage, and in one case caused a few fatalities when a family of curious picnickers investigated one which had failed to immediately go off, but, in the final analysis, were of minimal effect.

Yea...but, but still. No aerial bombing ever happened by manned ballooning?

 

[newtlord]

Yea...but, but still. No aerial bombing ever happened by manned ballooning?

I don't know of any, and a google search doesn't reveal any. When it gets right down to it, a vehicle that cannot be made to reliably move towards the enemy is not one that is well adapted for attacking.

 

[Jopa79]

I don't know of any, and a google search doesn't reveal any. When it gets right down to it, a vehicle that cannot be made to reliably move towards the enemy is not one that is well adapted for attacking.

Okay. Thanks for your effort. I still keep looking on the matter.

 

[newtlord]

Okay. Thanks for your effort. I still keep looking on the matter.

If you find any cases, do post about them here.

 

[Graf Zeppelin]

There been lots of bombings from ballons actually, the most early afaik in 1849 by the Austrians. They just been not very successfull in general. The idea itself to use them for bombing even came up in Napoleonic times already.

Also incendiary balloons been used alot if that counts, even today.

 

[Jopa79]

There been lots of bombings from ballons actually, the most early afaik in 1849 by the Austrians. They just been not very successfull in general. The idea itself to use them for bombing even came up in Napoleonic times already.

Also incendiary balloons been used alot if that counts, even today.

Thanks,

I have strong thoughts, it probably has happened (bombing from the balloons). Do you have any accurate information about the bombs? A fuse and lighted by lighting matches? Or how did it work?

 

[Graf Zeppelin]

Thanks,

I have strong thoughts, it probably has happened (bombing from the balloons). Do you have any accurate information about the bombs? A fuse and lighted by lighting matches? Or how did it work?

I doubt special amunition was made for these atempts so I asume they used whatever explosives they had at hand at the time.

The Fu-Go Balloons made by Japan been loaded with small bombs and had a barometric sensor for altitude control.

 

[demanvanwezel]

Thanks,

I have strong thoughts, it probably has happened (bombing from the balloons). Do you have any accurate information about the bombs? A fuse and lighted by lighting matches? Or how did it work?

considering the italian airplanes dropped handgrenades during the italo-turkish war and zepelins dropped straight-up artillery shells during WW1 I don't think dedicated air warfare bombs were being developed, hell I've read that during WW1 pilots hand-dropped iron spikes over the enemy in the early stages

 

[Kovax]

Thanks,

I have strong thoughts, it probably has happened (bombing from the balloons). Do you have any accurate information about the bombs? A fuse and lighted by lighting matches? Or how did it work?

I forget the details, but one source I read decades ago mentioned dropping metal "arrows" (probably cut or stamped from a sheet of iron) from a tethered balloon which was allowed to drift over enemy lines in the late 19th Century. Such a method required wind in the right direction with a tether point close to the front. The casualties among the balloon crews from small-arms fire must have been horrendous, and the effect of the arrows minimal, but it was at least tried. Metal "arrows" were also dropped at a later period from a few early airplanes, before proper "bombs" were produced.

 

[elektrizikekswerk]

Here's the German wikipedia text about the balloon bombs @Graf Zeppelin mentioned:

Ballonbombe – Wikipedia

de.wikipedia.org

Die ersten Ballonbomben wurden 1848–1849 von den österreichischen Artillerieoffizieren Franz und Josef Uchatius unter der Leitung von Generalmajor Franz von Hauslab entwickelt. Die Ballons waren mit Wasserstoff gefüllt, eine langsam abbrennende Zündschnur löste das Abwerfen der Sprengladung aus.

Als österreichische Truppen im Sommer 1849 Venedig belagerten, erwies es sich als unmöglich, die Stadt zur Kapitulation zu zwingen, da keine ausreichend weittragenden Geschütze vorhanden waren, um die Inseln vom Festland aus zu beschießen. Feldmarschall Radetzky forderte daher am 2. Juni 1849 die ersten 14 Ballonbomben an.[1]

Die ersten Angriffe scheiterten, da die Ballons durch ständig wechselnde Winde von der Stadt weggetragen wurden. Am 2. Juli 1849 schließlich explodierte die erste Bombe in Murano. Dadurch ermutigt, wurden in den nächsten acht Wochen laufend weitere Angriffe durchgeführt. Der angerichtete Schaden der jeweils mit 15 kg (30 Pfund) Sprengstoff beladenen Ballonbomben[2] war zwar sehr gering, die psychologische Wirkung jedoch beträchtlich. Am 2. August 1849 kapitulierte Venedig. Die Trefferquote war so gering, dass die K.K.-Armee von einem weiteren Einsatz von Ballonbomben absah.

Translation by Google:
The first balloon bombs were developed in 1848–1849 by Austrian artillery officers Franz and Josef Uchatius, led by Major General Franz von Hauslab. The balloons were filled with hydrogen, and a slow-burning fuse released the explosive charge.

When Austrian troops besieged Venice in the summer of 1849, it proved impossible to force the city to surrender, as there weren't enough long-range guns to shell the islands from the mainland. Field Marshal Radetzky therefore requested the first 14 balloon bombs on June 2, 1849.[1]

The first attacks failed as the balloons were carried away from the city by constantly changing winds. Finally, on July 2, 1849, the first bomb exploded in Murano. Encouraged by this, further attacks were carried out continuously over the next eight weeks. Although the damage done by the balloon bombs[2] loaded with 15 kg (30 pounds) of explosives each was very small, the psychological impact was significant. On August 2, 1849, Venice surrendered. The hit rate was so low that the KuK Army refrained from further use of balloon bombs.

 

[Acheron]

Something to consider: you go up in a balloon with lots of bombs to throw onto the enemy. But the wind instead blos you upon your own lines or cities. Now you are up there with all these bombs, do you a) let them go to waste or abandon the missions or b) bomb away, they all look like ants form up here anyway?

Before you answer, remember, you are someone who willingly flew in a 19th century balloon. Into war.

 

[Jopa79]

Something to consider: you go up in a balloon with lots of bombs to throw onto the enemy. But the wind instead blos you upon your own lines or cities. Now you are up there with all these bombs, do you a) let them go to waste or abandon the missions or b) bomb away, they all look like ants form up here anyway?

Before you answer, remember, you are someone who willingly flew in a 19th century balloon. Into war.

'Well, boys!!! Let's leave the ship. Mission abandoned!'