In World War I, balloons posed a deadly advantage
 

In World War I, balloons posed a deadly advantage
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1915

A balloon apron is suspended to defend London from air attacks.

Image: Henry Guttmann/Getty Images

Hot air balloons and dirigibles were first used for military reconnaissance in the French Revolutionary Wars, and were deployed in numerous conflicts of the 19th century

Observation balloons were critical assets to both sides in World War I. Newly developed oblong dirigibles were more maneuverable and hardy than traditional hot air balloons, and were a constant sight above the trenches of the Western Front.

An observation balloon would typically be floated to a great height behind the front lines, where an observer could locate distant enemy targets and relay their positions to artillery on the ground Read more...

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