Barrage balloons were used in WWII to deter low-flying enemy aircraft. They were made of sturdy materials and anchored to the ground with long lines. Their main objective was to discourage low flying aircraft and reduce accuracy in bombers. However, they had serious flaws and drawbacks, and were replaced by other defensive technologies after the war.
A barrage balloon is a large balloon filled with a lighter-than-air gas and then anchored in a strategic position to deter low-flying enemy aircraft. The barrage balloon was developed in the years leading up to World War II and rarely used after the war, as the design had a number of serious flaws and drawbacks. However, there were a few instances in warfare where barrage balloons proved very useful and balloons became a common sight in the air over potential military targets, especially in Britain.
Barrage balloons were made of sturdy materials and anchored to the ground with the use of long lines. The cables could be hoisted to vary the height of the balloon, and in some cases, barrage balloons were mobile, designed to be moved as needed. Some included nets attached, while others were sent airborne with cables only, and some were rigged with explosives so that approaching aircraft would be destroyed if they ran into a field of barrage balloons.
There were several functions for a barrage balloon. The main objective was to discourage low flying aircraft, making it more difficult for the enemy to access an area. By forcing aircraft to fly high, barrage balloons also reduced accuracy in World War II bombers and tended to take away some of the element of surprise from attacking aircraft. Barrage balloons rarely caught aircraft in their wires and nets, serving as a psychological rather than a physical barrier. German aircraft were also equipped with cable shears which were used to cut the barrage balloon cables.
The tether limited the functionality of the barrage balloons making it impossible to fly a barrage balloon at high altitudes. As a result, many air forces have simply begun ordering high-altitude flights, assuming that the barrage balloons are present near their targets and flying above their range. Sometimes, the balloons would also escape, wreaking havoc as they coiled their cables around utility lines and buildings, and this was a major drawback to the barrage balloon design. Barrage balloons also reduced the accuracy of land defenses such as anti-aircraft guns, making it difficult for communities to defend themselves when friendly air forces weren’t present.
After World War II, barrage balloons were retired and replaced by other defensive technologies. Today bombers can fly at very high altitudes and still deliver very accurate payloads, and weapons can also be remotely detonated, rendering a barrage balloon field largely useless against enemy attack.
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