A German observation balloon fitted with a long-distance camera. 1916. They were employed as an aerial platform for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting. The balloons were filled with hydrogen gas, whose flammable nature led to the destruction of hundreds of balloons on both sides. Typically, balloons were tethered to a steel cable attached to a winch that reeled the gasbag to its desired height (usually 1,000-1,500 metres) and retrieved it at the end of an observation session.

---

Size: 3200px × 2256px
Location: France/Flanders
Photo credit: © De Luan / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1, 1914-1918, 20th, aerial, archival, army, artillery, balloon, balloons, basket, black, camera, century, command, crew, culture, deutshes, distance, early, france, front, gathering, german, ground, heer, heritage, history, iconic, image, imperial, intelligence, kite, lens, line, lines, long, military, monochrome, photo, photograph, photographer, photography, pic, picture, reconnaissance, sepia, soldiers, spotting, telephoto, troops, vintage, war, western, white, world, ww1, wwi, yesteryear