German Empire (1898)
Captive Observation Balloon

 

The Parseval-Sigsfeld Drachenballon was a German observation balloon designed to replace the older spherical-type balloons used for nearly a century. The balloon would be designed in such a way that it would face into the wind, and be much more stable over its predecessor, using design attributes similar to kites. The Drachenballon would be used in several wars over its lifetime, including widespread use during the First World War. Here, it saw service on almost all fronts, and would even be copied by the Allies. The type would eventually be replaced by the much more stable Caquot/Type Ae 800 observation balloons in 1916, but despite this would continue to see service until the 1920s.

The Spherical Balloon: An Outdated Design

The idea of using balloons as a means of observation in war dates back nearly to their initial conception in the late 1700s. An aerial observer allowed an army excellent view of the battlefield below, offering a strategic advantage over your enemies. The first time a balloon would be used in war for this purpose would be at the Battle of Fleurus in 1794 during the French Revolution. Balloons would continue being used in several smaller roles in later wars, such as the American Civil War and the Boer Wars, but would never see widespread use in large numbers. Beginning in the late 1800s, balloon corps began forming in sufficient numbers, all using the same type of spherical tethered balloon design that had been used for nearly a century without design changes. While it allowed observers to be elevated to altitudes sufficient to observe the battle, it was not the most stable of designs. Spherical balloons, when encountering even a light wind, would be thrown about. This severely limited when the balloon could operate, as even slightly windy days could prevent the aircraft from operating efficiently. The swaying from the wind also made it difficult for the operators to observe the battle and would oftentimes make them very air sick. Despite this, the design was the only type of observation balloon used for nearly a century.

The Parseval-Sigsfeld Drachenballon

The German Empire was no exception in this field and had their own balloon corps formed after seeing the success of observation balloons in the American Civil War. Like the rest of the world, they too would use the simple spherical balloon type until the 1890s. In the early 1890s, two German officials; Major August Von Parseval and Captain H Bartsch von Sigsfeld began working together to create a new type of balloon to address the problems associated with spherical balloons. The two had extensive experience with designing and using balloons for military applications. Attempts to remedy the old spherical balloon had been attempted in the past, but none of these would ever be successful. Parseval and Sigsfeld would use the knowledge gained from these past attempts to develop their own replacement. Testing of the new type began in 1893. Many different shapes, sizes and layouts were tested over several years, until in 1898, the final design for their observation balloon was completed. The new design was named the Drachenballon, literally ‘kite balloon,’ as it would glide with the wind, with the German spelling ‘ballon.’ The balloon was designed in such a way that it would face into the wind, instead of being blown around by it. Balloons designed in this way would from then on be called kite balloons. The Drachenballon would mostly serve as a captive balloon, or one that was connected to the ground via a cable. With the design proving to be a major improvement over the old spherical balloons, mass production soon commenced. Production of the type initially began at the August Ridinger plant in Augsburg, Germany. Here the balloons would be produced as well as the vehicles necessary to transport and support the balloons. The type quickly became the mainstay for the German Military for aerial observation duties, both by the German Army and the German Navy. For the Navy, Drachenballons would be carried aboard large warships and sent up for rangefinding and battle observation. Despite being superior to the spherical balloons, the two types were still used together in balloon companies until the early 1900s when the Drachenballon completely replaced the older spherical type.

Design

The Drachenballon was a captive observation balloon developed for the German Empire. The main body consisted of a large cylinder shape made out of rubberized fabric that was filled with hydrogen gas. Gas pressure and release was regulated by a valve in the nose of the balloon. It could do so automatically, or manually via rope. At the rear of the body was an internal air bag, or ballonet, that was filled with air via the wind to keep the balloon’s shape if the hydrogen gas bag was not fully filled yet. Underneath the ballonet was an air inlet that was fed directly by the wind. On the underside of the front of the balloon was its neck, where the hydrogen gas would be pumped into the gas bag while it was on the ground. Two valves placed on each side of the gas bag/ballonet could be opened to quickly release the gas/air and descend. On each side of the balloon’s body was a small stabilizing fin. Early examples of these were triangular in shape, but they became rectangular near the outbreak of World War I. At the back of the body was a steering bag that was sewn on. The steering bag was made of regular fabric and was designed to keep the balloon stable and facing into the wind. The steering bag was inflated by wind via a large intake at the bottom of the bag facing forward, and a smaller intake located on the bag itself. At the top of the steering bag was a safety valve that permitted excess air to escape. The steering bag was held together via rigging to the main body. Connected to the steering bag was the tail of the balloon, which was a long cable with up to 6 removable tail cups, resembling small parachutes which trailed behind the main balloon, that helped with stabilization. The balloon would face towards the wind at an angle of 30-40 degrees. Slightly below the equator of the balloon was the balloon girdle. This was made of rubber and served as the attachment point for all of the balloon’s rigging. Various ropes were used for the rigging, which kept the different parts of the balloon together. Three colors of rope were used to differentiate their specific sections; white, red and blue. Blue rope was rigging for the steering bag, white rope was for cable rigging and red ropes connected to the observer’s basket. It is unknown if rope colors were used throughout its service or if the copies used by the Allies also used colored ropes. The cable that connected the balloon to the ground and the ropes that connected the basket were different ropes and were not connected together. On the ground, the steel mooring line was connected to a pulley that prevented the balloon from moving and could lower or raise the balloon at will.

The basket of the Drachenballon was made of willow and bamboo and was secured to the balloon by four ropes. These ropes were adjustable by the crew to prevent the basket from swinging around. Accommodations for the observer were located in the basket. A telephone could be placed in the basket and would have its cable connected to the ground via an internal wire that went through the mooring cable. Two pockets were located inside the basket to store equipment, as well as ten metal cases to protect valuable reports. Once a report was finished, it was put into a case and dropped from the balloon to the ground. Flags were put on the cases to help the ground crew find them more easily. Standard operating height for captive observation balloons were 500m, but if the weather was rough, the balloon would be raised to 300m instead. The larger Drachenballon variants created during the First World War would be able to achieve a maximum height of 2,000 meters. Inflation of the balloon would take 15 minutes, with ascension taking 10 minutes and descent taking 5 minutes. Equipment used by the observer included maps, notebooks, two signal flags (one red, one white), a barometer, a knife, two looking glasses of varying magnification, and a signal disk to show what commands could be done with the flags. Later on during the First World War, parachutes would also become standard onboard equipment. Additional equipment that could be carried included signal flares, a flare gun, or a camera. On Drachenballons used by the Navy or aboard ships, life preservers were standard issue. A single observer would remain in the basket during operations but up to 48 men made up the ground crew that would handle moving, inflating, deflating, and transporting the balloon and its associated equipment.

The Drachenballon would be used for observation of enemy troop positions and movements, and would report on the current situation of the battle. Gun sighting and fire correction were also reported during battle to adjust the accuracy of artillery used near the balloon. Aboard ships, the Drachenballon was used for rangefinding purposes. During the First World War, submarine spotting was an additional duty naval Drachenballons were used for.

Drachenballons of the German Army were standard tan or dark green in color. On the sides and on the underside was an Iron Cross emblem to identify its operator. Allied countries would not have these emblems on their balloons and their exact colors are unknown. Russian Drachenballons were known to be white.

The 1900s: The Drachenballon Goes To War

The Drachenballon would see its first operational use in wartime in 1904 during the Russo-Japanese war. Imperial Russia had acquired several Drachenballons from Germany around the outbreak of the war, and would use them in the conflict. The first battle Drachenballons would be used in would be the Battle of Port Arthur. Aside from land usage, the balloons were also used by the Russian Navy, one such Drachenballon was used aboard the Armored Cruiser Rossia for observational duties and for directing fire of the main guns. The balloons would be used through the war until the final battle at Mukden.

In 1909, Sweden would purchase five Drachenballons from Germany to use for their military. The type would be named the Drakballong m/09, with three going to the Royal Swedish Army and two going to the Royal Swedish Navy. Two m/09s would be sent to the Swedish Balloon Corp stationed in Frosunda for training. The Swedish Royal Navy would purchase a barge from Britain and convert it into a balloon carrier. The ship would be designed to house and operate the two m/09s the navy operated and was named Ballongfartyget No 1. Sweden would continue to use the m/09 until 1926.

Also in 1909, Spain would use a Drachenballon they built from purchased plans during the Campaign of Millela.

In 1912, the Italians would use the Drachenballon during the Italian-Turkish War for observing Turkish positions. These were purchased from Germany. The Italian-Turkish War was a major stepping stone in regards to aviation, being the first use of combat aircraft in war, and would serve as a prelude to what was to come in only a few years. Italian Drachenballons would also be used during their involvement in the First Balkan War. Aside from Italy, Bulgaria would also use Drachenballons during this war.

In 1914, Europe would be plunged into the First World War, with most armies across Europe participating in combat. Germany would enter the war only days after its start, first declaring war on Russia on August 1st, then against France on the 3rd. Despite declaring war in August, the first balloon companies wouldn’t see action until October. On the fronts, the Drachenballons were used as observation balloons and rangefinding for artillery. Each balloon company would be its own division in the army it was attached to. By the end of 1915, over 80 Drachenballons were in service with the German Army. The majority of the balloons used at this point were still 600 m³ volume, but newer 800 m³ and 1000 m³ volume models had begun production. The increase in size was to improve overall stability, and to allow greater altitude to be achieved. The largest type would be 1200 m³ volume. Austria-Hungary would receive several Drachenballons from Germany for their own armies to use. These balloons would be used on the Italian Front and several would be lost to enemy fighters. The Austria-Hungarian Navy would also use Drachenballons aboard ships. German Drachenballons saw mass deployment during the Battle of the Verdun in February of 1916, directing the large number of artillery regiment on the German side. Due to their success at Verdun, more balloon divisions were formed.

The shape of the Drachenballon became iconic in World War One, earning itself many nicknames. The most common was “sausage” in reference to its overall shape, and maybe its German origin. Many other nicknames were spawned from its overall shape, most of them phallic references. Overall, Allied countries would simply refer to them as kite balloons or shorten the name to just “Drachen”

During the Battle of Flers, the first battle to use tanks operationally, the Mark I tank D17 “Dinnaken” fired once upon a German Drachenballon as it charged Flers. The shot is noted as either closely missing or hitting the kite balloon, but not destroying it. In response, the balloon was likely lowered by the observers and ground crew to avoid being fired upon again. The diary of the tank reported that Gunner Reiffer claimed that the balloon was brought down manually and that Gunner Boult was the one to claim the hit. This was later claimed by Reiffer as himself shooting down the balloon and destroying it in a 1963 book. This incident could be cited as the first “kill” of a tank in combat, but the balloon itself was not destroyed, making this claim untrue.

At the outset of the war, most Allied countries would still be using spherical balloons. France in particular had large numbers of the type in service, and Russia would still have their Drachenballons they had purchased from Germany in the early 1900s. Italy would also continue to use their Drachenballons from the previous war once they entered the fray. Belgium would start the war off with a single 800 m³ Drachenballon they had purchased from Germany years before. In late 1914, France would copy the Belgian Drachenballoon’s design and would begin mass producing the type under the name Ballon Captif Type H. The French would also begin selling the Type H to other allied nations. In February of 1915, British officials would do a test flight of a French Type H and would soon after make a purchase of an unknown amount of these balloons for their empire. After this, they would produce their own copied versions of this craft. Britain would make heavy use of Drachenballons on several of their fronts in the Royal Army, and with the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy would have several specially designed ships created solely for the purpose of carrying kite balloons during fleet operations. The early ships of this type would use Drachenballons. Several examples of these ships include the HMS Manica, HMS Hector and HMS City of Oxford, all of which were designed to carry and operate the Drachenballon. These balloons were used to not only observe and direct guns, but as the threat of submarines became more prevalent, the balloon operators began looking for submarines as well. Minesweeping also became a common use for RNAS (Royal Naval Air Service) Drachenballons, where the balloon would be raised to detect incoming mines from the air. Several other nations would end up using the Drachenballon, but the details of their acquisition and use are lacking. Romania and Switzerland are two such examples.

As the war went on, the use of combat airplanes increased. In particular, fighters began being produced in larger numbers. This posed a problem to the Drachenballon, as these large and stationary balloons became easy targets. Taking down a balloon was considered the same as shooting down an enemy plane, so the Drachenballon became a prime target for aviators. Many of the special weapons employed against airships were used against observation balloons, such as incendiary rounds designed to ignite the flammable hydrogen gas, or the fabric skin of the balloon. It therefore became imperative that the balloons be protected and defensive measures be developed. German Drachenballons began to be defended by a number of anti-aircraft guns and patrolling fighters, to protect the observers as they did their duty. Another improvement made was enhancing the performance of the electric winches which lowered the balloons, allowing the balloon to be brought closer to its defensive guns more quickly. These countermeasures made ‘balloon busting’ a much more hazardous job than before, as pilots had to get in close to the balloon to avoid encountering enemy defenses, as defenders would likely stop shooting at close range to avoid friendly fire on their balloons. Despite these improvements to defenses, balloon busting was still a job many pilots had to undertake, and for some pilots this was their only duty. A handful of pilots would be given the title of ace on destroying observation balloons alone. Interestingly, Drachenballon observers were the first on all sides to use parachutes in war, starting with Germany in 1915.

America at some point would acquire or build their own versions of Drachenballons, however they also had their own kite balloon design. Ralph H. Upson, a balloon pioneer and engineer at Goodyear, designed his own improved kite balloon based on the Drachenballon. It would use his own stabilizing fin design, as well as remove the steering bag altogether, instead replacing it with an aerodynamic keel shaped bag that he thought would better flow with the wind. Two versions of this balloon exist, with the first essentially being a slightly modified Drachenballon. Despite this original design in use, America still operated a number of the standard Drachenballon copies. Two were stationed at the Fort Omaha Balloon school for training purposes. The first was nicknamed “Old Dutch” and its design differs from the standard appearance with it having an apparently different method of construction, and the side wings being much thicker. The second one stationed at Fort Omaha resembles the standard design of the Drachenballon. No evidence has been found that America’s Drachenballons were used in the First World War. By the time of their entry in the war, more advanced types had already been fielded, and the remaining Drachenballons would be used for training of the various balloon corps. Exactly how many Drachenballons were either built or used by the USA is unknown, as details are lacking.

The End of an Era: The Caquot and Type Ae 800

Despite its success replacing the spherical balloon, the Drachenballon didn’t fix all of the issues of its predecessor. Although it was designed to face the wind, it was found that at higher altitudes, winds would still move the balloon around to an extent that would limit the maximum effective altitude. No attempts from the Germans would be made to address this problem, instead it would be the French who would come up with an improvement to the design. In 1916, a French officer by the name of Albert Caquot began working on an intended replacement. Using the Drachenballon as a base, Caquot would come up with a new, much more stable design, the Ballon Type L. The Type L resembled the Drachenballon but had a much bigger steering bag that wrapped all the way around the rear of the aircraft in a single big fin. The type was further improved on with the Caquot Ballon Type M. The Type M balloon would have a much rounder shape than the Drachenballon. Instead of a single large fin at the bottom and two smaller stabilizer fins on each side, Caquot’s balloon would instead have 3 large, air-inflated fins placed 120 degrees apart from each other at the rear of the balloon. Caquot’s new balloon design was found to be completely superior to the Drachenballon in terms of stability. The placement of the fins helped keep the balloon steady in high winds, allowing the type to be much more stable and able to fly much higher. In due time, Caquot balloons entered mass production and were sent to the frontlines, replacing both the spherical balloons still in service and the Drachenballons. Soon, Britain and other Allied countries like Romania, began operating Caquot balloons as well. America would start their entrance to the war using Goodyear-built Caquots for their observation role.

In the later months of 1916, the German Army would capture a British Type M balloon. Coming loose due to a broken mooring cable, the balloon managed to drift behind German lines where it was captured. The German Army was quick to study the new design, and like the Allies, found it a much more stable design over the Drachen. The Germans would copy the Caquot design under the name Type Ae 800 (English Type, 800m³ volume) and would begin mass producing the type to replace their older Drachenballons. The Type Ae 800 became the standard observation balloon from this point forward for the German Army, and the Drachenballon would be slowly retired from service. During the Second World War, Germany would use a derivative design of the Type Ae 800 in the early stages of the war, as well as on the Eastern Front against the USSR. No further work on the Drachenballon was done by Germany after this point.

The Aftermath: Postwar Use-1920s

A total of 1,870 German balloons of both types were delivered to the front by the end of the war. With the signing of the armistice in 1918, all German observation balloons were ordered to be destroyed by the Allies under the Treaty of Versailles.With the primary user of the aircraft no longer able to operate it, and it already being replaced by a new type, one would think the story of the Drachenballon would end with the First World War. However, it would continue to be used in several countries for nearly a decade.

America would continue to operate their Drachenballons until at least 1919. By this point they had already been widely replaced years prior by the Caquot types. Because of this they were only used for training. Interestingly, at the Fort Omaha Balloon School, every type of balloon then in service was used, Drachenballons, Caquot, Goodyear/Upson, the Italian Avorio-Prassone, and even spherical balloons were still being operated until its closure in 1919.

In 1919, Poland would acquire a Drachenballon from a former German facility in Winiary, Poland. This Drachenballon would be used for training purposes for only a few months before being given to a museum in 1920.

After the fall of Imperial Russia and the rise of the USSR in 1922, the Drachenballons operated by the former Empire would end up in the hands of the Soviets. These Drachenballons were used until at least 1925, and would be seen in parades and other exercises. The USSR would use the Drachenballon for a very interesting purpose. On several of their armored trains, a Drachenballon would be deployed from the train and would direct its artillery from above. These were eventually phased out of service.

Conclusion

Parseval and Sigfeld’s Drachenballon was an important evolutionary step in the design of the observation balloon, but it wasn’t the last. Although slightly mending the issue it was designed to solve, it would never completely overcome its stability problems, and was eventually replaced by a more advanced successor. Despite this, it served a crucial role in militaries across the world for the purpose of observation and artillery rangefinding for several decades, on land and sea.

After creating the balloon back in 1898, the two creators August Von Parseval and H Bartsch von Sigsfeld would continue to work with each other designing lighter-than-air aircraft. The two began working on an airship together until von Sigsfeld’s death in 1902 due to a ballooning accident involving a Drachenballon. Parseval would continue creating and building airships, some would rival even the larger Zeppelin airships in size, but they did not capture the same level of success.

Variants

• Parseval-Sigsfeld Drachenballon – The standard Parseval-Sigsfeld Drachenballon came in several volumes/sizes, but all retained the same shape and overall design.
• Copied Drachenballon – The Drachenballon was copied by several countries without license. The designs of these copies may be consistent with the German design but some of these appear with details differing from the German version. The American “Old Dutch” Balloon appears to be one such example.
• Ballon Captif Type H – French-built Drachenballons were given this designation.
• Drakballong m/09 – Name given to five Drachenballons bought by Sweden.

Operators

• German Empire – The Drachenballon was created by and widely used by the German Empire as a replacement for the spherical type. These would be produced through the 1890s until 1916 when the type would be replaced by the Type Ae 800 balloon.
• Austro-Hungarian Empire – Austria-Hungary would use the Drachenballon as their main observation balloon during the First World War, being given to them by Germany.
• British Empire – The United Kingdom would copy the Drachenballon for their own use. The type would be used by the British Royal Army and the British Royal Navy during the First World War. Several of the Empire’s Dominions would use the balloon as well, such as Canada.
• France – France would begin copying the design in 1914 as the Ballon Captif Type H and would be used until 1916 in the First World War. These were tested to find out what could be improved on the design, which led to the creation of the Caquot balloons.
• United States of America – The USA would operate Drachenballons until at least 1919. Several would be used during the Mexican Border War. The Drachenballon would serve as the basis of the Upson kite balloon.
• Belgium – Belgium would operate a number of Drachenballons for observation use against the Germans in the First World War. They would purchase one years prior from Germany.
• Romania – Romania would operate a number of Drachenballons during the Romanian campaign of the First World War.
• Italy – Italy would use the Drachenballon during the Italian-Turkish War, First Balkan War and First World War.
• Russian Empire – Imperial Russia would operate the Drachenballon by the White Army and the Imperial Navy. These would see combat operations during the Russo-Japanese War and the First World War.
• Soviet Union – After the October Revolution, the USSR would use the Drachenballons used by the former Russian Empire for their own balloon corps. These would be used until at least 1925 when they were replaced by more advanced models.
• Sweden –Sweden would purchase five Drachenballons from Germany in the early 1900s. These were given the designation of Drakballong m/09. Three would go to the Swedish Royal Army and two would go to the Swedish Royal Navy.
• Poland – Poland would capture a single Drachenballon in 1919 and would use it for training purposes until 1920.
• Spain –Spain would license build a single Drachenballon. It was used during the Campaign of Millelan.
• Bulgaria – Bulgaria would operate the Drachenballon during the First Balkan War.
• Switzerland – Switzerland operated an unknown amount of Drachenballons around the time of the First World War

Due to it being copied, several other countries could have ended up building their own versions or received some from the Allies or Germans.

Parseval-Sigsfeld Drachenballon Specifications
Diameter	22.4 ft / 6.8 m (800 m³ type)
Length	89.6 ft / 27.3 m (800 m³ type)
Height	65 ft / 19.8 m (800 m³ type)
Volumes	21188.8 ft³ (600 m³) 26486 ft³ (750 m³) 28251.7 ft³ (800 m³) 35314.7 ft³ (1,000 m³) 42377.6 ft³ (1,200 m³)
Gas Type	Hydrogen
Material	Rubber-infused and non-infused cotton fabric
Standard Service Ceiling	1640 ft / 500 m (Clear Weather) 984 ft / 300 m (Rough Weather)
Maximum Service Ceiling	6561.7 ft / 2000 m
Crew	1 Observer 48 Ground crew
Equipment	2x Signal flags 1x Telephone 1x Notebook Maps 2x Magnifying lens 10x Metal cases 1x Barometer 1x Signal Disk Parachutes (During WWI) Life Preservers (Naval use) Signal flares(Optional) Camera (Optional)

Gallery

Illustrations by Ed Jackson

Credits

• Written by Medicman11
• Edited by Stan L. & Henry H.
• Illustrations by Ed Jackson

Sources

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