How do barrage balloons work?

Barrage balloons worked as both a passive and active means of aerial defense. Floating barrage balloons over a specific area prevented enemy aircraft from flying close enough to target the area from directly overhead with bombs or strafing fire.

What are barrage balloons and how were they used?

A barrage balloon is a large uncrewed tethered kite balloon used to defend ground targets against aircraft attack, by raising aloft steel cables which pose a severe collision risk to aircraft, making the attacker’s approach more difficult.

How were barrage balloons tethered?

By 1939, a new type of cable-cutting device had been put into production. Balloons were tethered by a single cable containing cutting links to either a winch or an anchorage point.

How big is a barrage balloon?

A barrage balloon is defined as a bag filled with lighter than air gas, that is attached to a steel cable, which is anchored to the ground. Their approximate measurements were a length of 64 feet, a height of 31 feet, a diameter of 25 feet and a total weight of 600 pounds.

What is the purpose of a barrage balloon?

in: Barrage Balloon. A barrage balloon is a large balloon tethered with metal cables, used to defend against aircraft attack by damaging the aircraft on collision with the cables, or at least making the attacker’s approach more difficult.

How tall was the barrage balloon in WW1?

During the last years of World War I, the British employed the barrage balloon in response to attacks by German Gotha bombers on London. Called an “apron,” the barrage consisted of three balloons 500 yards apart joined together by a heavy steel cable. These balloons had an operational height of 7,000 to 10,000 feet, and

How did Germany cut the barrage balloon cables?

Many bombers were equipped with devices to cut barrage balloon cables. Britain used large numbers of balloons, so Germany developed the most capable cable-cutters. Their systems consisted of small C-shaped devices attached to the leading edge of the wing.

How does a barrage balloon work in Firestorm?

Barrage Balloons are used in the Firestorm gamemode to mark the sites of possible Resupply Points – objectives that can be captured for the reward of rare loot. Only three points are active at one time, with a balloon being raised by a cable indicating a point is becoming active. These objectives work similarly to the flags in Conquest.