aeroplanes and dirigibles of war-第2章

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reconnoitring　the　German　positions　around　the　beleaguered　city。　　

But　this　was　not　the　first　military　application　of　the　aerial

vessel；　it　was　used　by　the　French　against　the　Austrians　in　the

battle　of　Fleurus；　and　also　during　the　American　Civil　War。　　These

operations；　however；　were　of　a　sporadic　character；　they　were　not

part　and　parcel　of　an　organised　military　section。



It　is　not　generally　known　that　the　British　War　office　virtually

pioneered　the　military　use　of　balloons；　and　subsequently　the

methods　perfected　in　Britain　became　recognised　as　a　kind　of

〃standard〃　and　were　adopted　generally　by　the　Powers　with　such

modifications　as　local　exigencies　seemed　to　demand。



The　British　military　balloon　department　was　inaugurated　at

Chatham　under　Captain　Templer　in　1879。　　It　was　devoted

essentially　to　the　employ　ment　of　captive　balloons　in　war；　and　in

1880　a　company　of　the　Royal　Engineers　was　detailed　to　the　care　of

this　work　in　the　field。　　Six　years　previously　the　French　military

department　had　adopted　the　captive　balloon　under　Colonel

Laussedat；　who　was　assisted　among　others　by　the　well…known

Captain　Renard。　　Germany　was　somewhat　later　in　the　field；　the

military　value　of　captive　balloons　was　not　appreciated　and　taken

into　serious　consideration　here　until　1884。　　But　although　British

efforts　were　preceded　by　the　French　the　latter　did　not　develop

the　idea　upon　accepted　military　lines。



The　British　authorities　were　confronted　with　many　searching

problems。　　One　of　the　earliest　and　greatest　difficulties

encountered　was　in　connection　with　the　gas　for　inflation。　　Coal

gas　was　not　always　readily　available；　so　that　hydrogen　had　to　be

depended　upon　for　the　most　part。　　But　then　another　difficulty

arose。　　This　was　the　manufacture　of　the　requisite　gas。　　Various

methods　were　tested；　such　as　the　electrolytic　decomposition　of

water；　the　decomposition　of　sulphuric　acid　by　means　of　iron；　the

reaction　between　slaked　lime　and　zinc；　and　so　forth。



But　the　drawbacks　to　every　process；　especially　upon　the　field　of

battle；　when　operations　have　to　be　conducted　under　extreme

difficulties　and　at　high　pressure；　were　speedily　recognised。

While　other　nations　concentrated　their　energies　upon　the

simplification　of　hydrogen…manufacturing　apparatus　for　use　upon

the　battle…field；　Great　Britain　abandoned　all　such　processes　in

toto。　　Our　military　organisation　preferred　to　carry　out　the

production　of　the　necessary　gas　at　a　convenient　manufacturing

centre　and　to　transport　it；　stored　in　steel　cylinders　under

pressure；　to　the　actual　scene　of　operations。　　The　method　proved　a

great　success；　and　in　this　way　it　was　found　possible　to　inflate　a

military　balloon　in　the　short　space　of　20　minutes；　whereas；　under

the　conditions　of　making　gas　upon　the　spot；　a　period　of　four

hours　or　more　was　necessary；　owing　to　the　fact　that　the

manufacturing　process　is　relatively　slow　and　intricate。　　The

practicability　of　the　British　idea　and　its　perfection　served　to

establish　the　captive　balloon　as　a　military　unit。



The　British　military　ballooning　department　has　always　ranked　as

the　foremost　of　its　type　among　the　Powers；　although　its　work　has

been　carried　out　so　unostentatiously　that　the　outside　world　has

gleaned　very　little　information　concerning　its　operations。　　

Captain　Templer　was　an　indefatigable　worker　and　he　brought　the

ballooning　section　to　a　high　degree　of　efficiency　from　the

military　point　of　view。



But　the　British　Government　was　peculiarly　favoured；　if　such　a

term　may　be　used。　　Our　little　wars　in　various　parts　of　the　world

contributed　valuable　information　and　experience　which　was　fully

turned　to　account。　　Captive　balloons　for　reconnoitring　purposes

were　used　by　the　British　army　for　the　first　time　at　Suakim　in

1885；　and　the　section　established　its　value　very　convincingly。　　

The　French　military　balloon　department　gained　its　first

experience　in　this　field　in　the　previous　year；　a　balloon

detachment　having　been　dispatched　to　Tonkin　in　1884。　　In　both　the

Tonkin　and　Soudan　campaigns；　invaluable　work　was　accomplished　by

the　balloon　sections；　with　the　result　that　this　aerial　vehicle

has　come　to　be　regarded　as　an　indispensable　military　adjunct。　　

Indeed　the　activity　of　the　German　military　ballooning　section　was

directly　attributable　to　the　Anglo…French　achievements　therewith。



In　this　work；　however；　the　British　force　speedily　displayed　its

superiority　and　initiative。　　The　use　of　compressed　hydrogen　was

adopted；　and　within　the　course　of　a　few　years　the　other　Powers；

realising　the　advantages　which　the　British　department　had　thus

obtained；　decided　to　follow　its　example。　　The　gas　is　stored　in

cylinders　under　a　pressure　varying　from　six　to　ten　or　more

atmospheres；　in　other　words　from　about　80　to　140　or　more　pounds　

per　square　inch。　　Special　military　wagons　have　been　designed　for

the　transport　of　these　cylinders；　and　they　are　attached　to　the

balloon　train。



The　balloon　itself　is　light；　and　made　of　such　materials　as　to

reduce　the　weight　thereof　to　the　minimum。　　The　British　balloons

are　probably　the　smallest　used　by　any　of　the　Powers；　but　at　the

same　time　they　are　the　most　expensive。　　They　are　made　of

goldbeater's　skin；　and　range　in　capacity　from　7；000　to　10；000

cubic　feet；　the　majority　being　of　the　former　capacity。　　The

French　balloon　on　the　other　hand　has　a　capacity　exceeding　18；000

cubic　feet；　although　a　smaller　vessel　of　9；000　cubic　feet

capacity；　known　as　an　auxiliary；　and　carrying　a　single　observer；

is　used。



The　Germans；　on　the　other　hand；　with　their　Teutonic　love　of　the

immense；　favour　far　larger　vessels。　　At　the　same　time　the

military　balloon　section　of　the　German　Army　eclipses　that　of　any

other　nations　is　attached　to　the　Intelligence　Department；　and　is

under　the　direct　control　of　the　General　Staff。　　Balloon　stations　

are　dotted　all　over　thecountry；　including　Heligoland　and　Kiel；

while　regular　sections　are　attached　to　the　Navy　for　operating

captive　balloons　from　warships。　　Although　the　Zeppelin　and

aeroplane　forces　have　come　to　the　front　in　Germany；　and　have

relegated　the　captive　balloon　somewhat　to　the　limbo　of　things

that　were；　the　latter　section　has　never　been　disbanded；　in　fact；

during　the　present　campaign　it　has　undergone　a　somewhat　spirited

revival。



The　South　African　campaign　emphasised　the　value　of　the　British

balloon　section　of　the　Army；　and　revealed　services　to　which　it

was　specially　adapted；　but　which　had　previously　more　or　less　been

ignored。　　The　British　Army　possessed　indifferent　maps　of　the

Orange　Free　State　and　the　Transvaal。　　This　lamentable　deficiency

was　remedied　in　great　measure　by　recourse　to　topographical

photographs　taken　from　the　captive　balloons。　　The　guides　thus

obtained　were　found　to　be　of　extreme　value。



During　the　early　stages　of　the　war　the　hydrogen　was　shipped　in

cylinders　from　the　homeland；　but　subsequently　a　manufacturing

plant　of　such　capacity　as　to　meet　all　requirements　was

established　in　South　Africa。　　The　cylinders　were　charged　at

this　point　and　dispatched　to　the　scene　of　action；　so　that　it

became　unnecessary　to　transport　the　commodity　from　Britain。　　The

captive　balloon　revealed　the　impregnability　of　Spion　Kop；　enabled

Lord　Roberts　to　ascertain　the　position　of　the　Boer　guns　at　the

Battle　of　Paardeburg；　and　proved　of　invaluable　assistance　to　the

forces　of　General　White　during　the　siege　of　Ladysmith。







CHAPTER　II

THE　MILITARY　USES　of　THE　CAPTIVE　BALLOON



Although　the　captive　balloon　is　recognised　as　indispensable　in

military　operations；　its　uses　are　somewhat　limited。　　It　can　be

employed　only　in　comparatively　still　weather。　　The　reason　is

obvious。　　It　is　essential　that　the　balloon　should　assume　a

vertical　line　in　relation　to　its　winding　plant　upon　the　ground

beneath；　so　that　it　may　attain　the　maximum　elevation　possible：　in

other　words；　the　balloon　should　be　directly　above　the　station

below；　so　that　if　100　yards　of　cable　are　paid　out　the　aerostat