Festivities at the Coronation of Napoleon in 1.804

This place is a detail of one of the finest balloon prints, drawn by Le Coeur. The scene is the Place de la Concorde on 03 december 1.804, when Napoleon was crowned by the Pope in Paris. It is possible that Garnerin was the pilot of the large balloon with the great eagle decoration. The small balloons, with red and white gores, were pilotless. in the evening of 16 december Garnerin let off a large pilotless balloon which bore an illuminated crown. This balloon caused a great fuss, as it ultimately drifted to Italy and crashed on Nero´s tomb before finally ending up in Lake Bracciano. The obvious remarks in the Italian newspapers about the resemblance between the two dictators thoroughly upset Napoleon.

Military reconnaissance from the air was firts carried out from the French balloon Entreprenant on 02 june 1.794 at Maubeuge. Napoleon formed two companies of "aerostiers", which were of some military, and considerable psychological, value. Plate shows the Entreprenant at the siege of Mainz in 1.795. The balloons were spherical and were held captive at firts with one cable, then with two; they were inflated with hydrogen made in the field. Standard equipment also included the tent-abri, a portable cover and wind-break which was stretched over the balloon and pegged down.

Military ballooning has been carried on, for one purpose or another, ever since. Among the many military ballooning events of the nineteenth century was the bombing of Venice in 1.849 by pilotless Montgolfieres with time fuzes, sent over by the Austrians; the ascents by Lowe and others in the American Civil War, 1.861-63; and the dramatic balloon service out of besieged Paris, 1.870-71. Captive observation balloons have been used all over the world and in practically every war to date. Until 1.896 these craft were spherical, but in that year the Germans introduced the sausage balloon (Drachen) and started the long line of captive balloons which has ended with the barrage balloon of our own day.

Another job carried out in wartime was the dropping of propaganda leaflets, either from manned or pilotless balloons.

A curious repetition of the Venice bombing idea was seen in the recent war, when the Japanese sent some 9.000 drifting hydrogen balloons carrying bombs and incendiaries againts the American west coast. They were not successful.