Originally Posted by
harbour cotter
We all know that the Chinese play the long game. I doubt anything of value would be found in the wreckage. The balloon could have served many functions, but perhaps one of them is merely a trial to test the potential of future Balloon raids using prevailing winds. The Japanese ineffective fire raids are well known, but what is less well known is the successful British Balloon raids on Germany during World War ii. Certainly the most cost effective bombing campaign of the war. Balloons with wire attachments, sometimes with a small charge. They caused a lot of damage to crops during the summer as well as bringing down power and telephone lines and even destroying a power station on one occasion. There were numerous German forces (civilian and military) tied down in trying to contain and mitigate the damage. They were dispatched by WAAF's (I may be incorrect on this but it was certainly women from one of the Forces) of whom I think at least one died. The damage caused was out of all proportion to the effort and cost involved. They simply used prevailing winds. I think Churchill urged caution in case the Germans retaliated, but it would be very rare indeed for this to occur simply because there were few, if any, prevailing winds toward the U.K. from Germany. Even the Germans were surprised that Britain did not make more use of them. Obviously they could not be directed and many found their way to neutral Switzerland and beyond who complained bitterly. But if China were to use them on a widespread campaign, for example releasing a million simultaneously, then I am sure it would cause chaos and yet be comparatively cheap to undertake without the need of modern weaponry. Just speculation of course, but it is a possibility. Would any country be prepared for that?
Project was called Operation Outward and was run by the Royal Navy. The Balloons were obsolete weather balloons from RN Stocks that would have otherwise been scrapped. Most of the ordnance carried. the altitude control system and weapon release systems were very Heath Robinson. The only real explosive ordnance used were left over small mines for the Airborne Minefield systems pushed by Lindermann (Mutton and alike),The incendiary weapons were made out of beer bottles and large socks (sealed with tar) which were filled with incendiary material and an impact detonator. The wire weapon was 700ft of light hemp twine with 300 feet of piano wire at the end in a can with some water ballast in another can. The balloon climbed to around 18000ft after release at which point a rope affixed around expanded circumference of the balloon pulled taught and opened the gas release valve. Also at launch a time fuse was lit which burnt for around 24 hours. At that point, the Balloon should be around 1000 feet up and descending. The wire was released with one end of the twine still attached to the balloon and the wire touching the ground. The ballast release was also activated which would release the water at a rate that would keep the balloon at 1000 feet and allow the balloon to drift far enough to ensure some form of electrical transmission line got shorted to either the ground or to another phase line on the same gird line. The project was stopped in 1944 as the British needed the Hydrogen for other things like Barrage Balloons for D-Day and V-1 defence. The launch crews were mostly WRENS.
Why Ukraine are not using these types of weapon is beyond me..
On a lighter note.....
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