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Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> Miscellaneous -> German Cable Balloons - Help wanted
Post Info TOPIC: German Cable Balloons - Help wanted
Anonymous

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German Cable Balloons - Help wanted
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Gentlemen, As MGM is still in the business of compiling the information for the Paris Gun project (we have a useful lead now though!) Michael thought another stunning project to catch the imagination was called for. As a friendly German producer of resin aircraft models is planning the release of a “Fesselballon” (“Cable Balloon”), MGM thought it would be nice to release some of the vehicles needed for a Balloon unit, like the wagons for the basket, the Gaswagon, the Winchwagon etc. Useful resource for this is Waffen-Arsenal Band 149:


Not all questions are answered in this book though, so we want to ask for your help. First of all the exact types of Wagons are difficult to tell apart.


The text for example mentioned that the Gas- und Gerätewagen 95 was replaced by the Wagen 09 series starting in 1909, but the book is unclear as to which types are shown in the pictures. Does anyone have drawings of the different types that will help here? One of the vehicles intended for release is a Korbwagen (Basket wagon), and we think this is it:



but can anyone confirm this? Any additional information on this would be welcome, as this is a bit thin to base a model on… Also the vehicle on the extreme left of this picture: we think it is a Brieftauben-Wagen (Carrier pigeon wagon) but again we are not sure.


Some masters seem to be finished already, though I haven’t seen them myself. Amongst them are this Fahrbare Gaserzeuger (Moveable Gasproducer) and a Licht-Morsetrupp (Light-Morse Unit). Any additional information and extra pictures would be extremely welcome. Thanks in advance, on behalf of MGM,


Mario



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Mario Wens


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Very odd: I can see the text "Logged in as Mario Wens -- Posts: 25", yet the topic I just posted shows as "Anonymous". Anything wrong?

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Peter Kempf


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That's several pices of good news in once: good to hear that MGM are continuing to follow the WW1-trail so persistantly! And the Paris Gun - THAT is something worth waiting for!


Also, liked the news that someone is doing an Obeservation Balloon: what Producer, please tell us!!!


 



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Thomas Buecheler


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Hi!


My reply is a little OT but who knows, someone can use these informations!?


Last year I bought a "ROSEPLANE" vacu kit of a "CAQUOT WW I OBSERVATION BALLOON"  in 1/72 scale. The kit consists of three vacuformed sheets with the parts on it. There's a four page instruction: history, two pages with drawings, assembly instructions and colour sheme suggestions for British Naval Balloons, British Army B., German B., American B. and French Balloons. There are no decals or rods in the kit.


The history page says:


"At the beginning of WW I most of the waring nations were using the Parseval  kite balloon for observation duties. The Parseval designed in 1898  proved to be unstable in higher winds. A French officer, Capt. Albert Caquot, designed a new and better-shaped balloon equipped with three stabilizing fins. The new design  proved to be very stable in winds up to 70 mph. Most balloons were operated at altidudes of 1000 to 4000ft. At this altidude an observer could see up to 40 miles.


The French and British replaced all the Parseval balloons with this type in a matter of months. The Germans quickly copied the design (German designation type AB). By 1917 almost all front line balloons were of the Caquot design.


Caquot balloons were also used by the British and French Navys and were towed by battleships as well as destroyers.


Another interesting use of the Caquot was in the air defence of London. Lines of three or more balloons were alighted with ribbons of steel cables suspended below them. The idea behind that the German raiders would fly through them. At least one Gotha bomber was badly damaged. When the Luftwaffe began bombing London in WW II the Caquot was again used for this same purpose.


One Caquot balloon survives to this day at the US Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Manufactured in 1944 and used until the 1960s. It was located in 1975 and with the help of British and American WW I balloon veterans it was presented to the USAF Museum. The Caquot was restored by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. (whom did produce them in WW I ) and placed on display in 1979. Photos of this balloon can be viewed on the USAF Museum website. Barry Stettler"


There's a real nice (true) story of "Rags", the clever terrier who went to war: "A hungry and homeless stray is stumbled over one dark, foggy night in a Paris alleyway by a lost soldier A.W.O.L. The noise alerts the Military Police and the soldier, Donovan, quickly talks his way out of a tight spot by claiming he is on a mission to find his division's dog mascot, and as they were leaving next day for the Front he didn't have time to get a pass. As the canny dog co-operatively plays along, Donovan is believed, and the terrier he names "Rags" becomes mascot to the U.S. First Division..." One chapter describes how Rags and a balloonist bailed out from an observation balloon basket.


Hope this helps a little.


Kind regards


Thomas



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28juni14


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I believe the vehicle on the far left to be  a Sanitatswagen; often seen in period pics during the early war of movement ( Not to be confused with the ambulance version).


  I too have a keen interest in Fesselballone used during the Great War. Concerning the Windewagen, I have 5  photographs of the vehicle, all different.  It appears the standart production model ( 2 vehicle Limber & windewagen ) were not in sufficient numbers to support the early 1915 expanded FLA program (Feld-Luftschiffer Abteilung), and vehicles of various manufacture were pressed into service. 


  If I might add to Thomas's quote's below, the German adaptation of the Caquot is an interesting story.


Although the Drachen was license-built by several major powers before the war, only Germany had a high level of organization for balloon operations when hostilities began.  As consistant throughout the conflict, the allies remained three to four months behind every new German tactical developement, and played catch-up.


On May 5, 1916 strong winds broke the cables of many French balloons, and the drifted into German hands.  The Caquot was examined, and deemed superior to their Drachen type then in use.   However, the balloon wasn't simply copied, but rather improved upon.  It was larger with multiple gas ports and wind pockets.  Albeit not as well constructed as the German war industry had to use material substitutes because of the chronic shortage of rubber. 



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Mario Wens


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Peter Kempf wrote:

Also, liked the news that someone is doing an Obeservation Balloon: what Producer, please tell us!!!  

Modellbaustudio Rhein-Ruhr (http://www.classic-plane-mrr.de/), best known for their resin aircraft models (many WW1).


Mario



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