London Balloon Apron, c.1917
Here we see a Balloon Apron, one of the measures taken to try and defend London against German air raids during the First World War. This system was developed when Major General E. R. Ashmore was in command of the London Air Defence Area (from August 1917) and had a series of steel wires suspended from cables hanging between observation balloons. These nets could be raised up to 15,000ft, so were able to catch most operational German bombers. London was defended by 50 miles of these nets by the end of the war, and they appear to have had a significant impact on the morale of German pilots.
The First Blitz - Bombing London in the First World War, Ian Castle.
A detailed raid-by-raid study of the German bombing offensive against London in the First World War, looking at the nine Zeppelin raids and eighteen aircraft raids that reached the capital. Follows the story from both sides, tracing the development of the German units, the British response to the raids and the details of each of the individual raids. [
read full review]
How to cite this article:
Rickard, J (6 December 2024), London Balloon Apron, c.1917 , https://www.historyofwar.org/Pictures/pictures_balloon_apron_1917.html
