- Balloon carrier
A Balloon carrier, or Balloon tender was a
ship equipped with aballoon (usually captive, and usually used for observations). During the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century these ships were build to have as broad as possible a vision of the surrounding waters. After several experiments, the type became formalized in the early 1900s, but was soon to be superseded by the developments ofseaplane carrier s and regularaircraft carriers at the beginning ofWorld War I .Early history
The first known usage of balloons from a ships goes back to July 12, 1849, when the Austrian Navy ship "Vulcano" launched a manned hot air balloon in order to drop bombs on
Venice , although the attempt failed due to contrary winds. [ [http://www.sandcastlevi.com/sea/carriers/cvchap1a.htm Reference] ]Later, during the
American Civil War , about the time of thePeninsula Campaign , gas-filledballoon s were being used to perform reconnaissance on Confederate positions, the battles turned inland into the heavily forested areas of the Peninsula where balloons could not travel. A coal barge, the George Washington Parke Custis, was cleared of all deck rigging to accommodate the gas generators and apparatus of balloons. From the GWP Prof.Thaddeus S. C. Lowe , Chief Aeronaut of theUnion Army Balloon Corps , made his first ascents over thePotomac River and telegraphed claims of the success of the first aerial venture ever made from a water-borne vessel. Other barges were converted to assist with the other military balloons transported about the eastern waterways. It is only fair to point out in deference to modern aircraft carriers that none of these Civil War crafts had ever taken to the high seas.Types
Balloons launched from ships led to the formal development of balloon carriers, or balloon tenders, during the
World War I , by the navies of Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Sweden.About 10 such "balloon tenders" were built, their main objective were being aerial observation posts. These ships were either decommissioned or converted to
seaplane tender s after the War.References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
