Military use History of ballooning

the union army balloon intrepid being inflated gas generators battle of fair oaks

the first military use of aircraft in europe took place during french revolutionary wars, when french used tethered hydrogen balloon observe movements of austrian army during battle of fleurus (1794).

in 1811 franz leppich went napoleon , claimed build hydrogen balloon enable french attack air. napoleon ordered removed french territory. in 1812 secret service russia got leppich passports name schmidt , , secret undercover person went moscow count rostopchin. near moscow werft set , 50 other german-speaking mechanics, , started build air bouts . when balloon tried out, worked unable move against wind . leppich did final work after burning of moscow, on year longer near st. petersburg , left germany again. there worked on subject 1817. in 1818 received patent in , brothers name in vienna making nails punch.

in tolstoy s novel, war , peace, count pyótr kiríllovich bezúkhov (pierre) makes excursion see balloon though not see it. tolstoy includes letter sovereign emperor alexander count rostopchin concerning balloon.

french emperor napoleon iii employed corps of observation balloons, led eugène godard, aerial reconnaissance on battlefields both in franco-austrian war of 1859, , in 1870 during franco-prussian war , siege of paris.

gas balloons in 1919.

hot air balloons employed during american civil war. military balloons used union army balloon corps under command of prof. thaddeus s. c. lowe limp silk envelopes inflated coal gas (town gas) or hydrogen.