French Military Ballooning During The Napoleonic Era

From OnAirpower.org

French Military Ballooning During the Napoleonic Era

The French military was the first to use observation balloons in combat, during their conflict with Austria.

After the French Revolution, the Committee for Public Safety appointed an advisory commission to study and make recommendations on the potential use of observation balloons to assist the French army^[1]. Their first balloon, L'Entrepremant, was built by Charles Coutelle in 1793 and first demonstrated in 1794.

L'Entrepremant was used at the battle of Mauberge in June, 1794, piloted by Coutelle and Cont. From the balloon Coutelle and Cont observed and reported on the composition and positions of Austrian and Dutch troops, and directed ground fire against them. The Austrians attempted to shoot the balloon down, but it was out of range of their guns^[1].

The balloon was then moved from Mauberge to Charleroi, dragged across country by a crew of twenty-four men manning ropes led by Coutelle^[1].

It took part in the Battle of Fleurus on June 26, 1794. Coutelle and French General Morlot stayed aloft in the balloon during the 10 hour battle, sending observation reports and directing ground operations.

L'Entrepremant being transported to Charleroi

L'Entrepremant at the Battle of Fleurus

Three more observation balloons were built, the Celeste, the Hercule, and the Intrepide, and used on different fronts in 1796^[1].

The balloon corps (Aérostiers) accompanied Napoleon to Egypt, but were not used to good effect and at the Battle of Aboukir in 1798 their equipment was destroyed by the British. After returning to France in 1799 an unimpressed Napoleon disbanded the French balloon corps^[1].

[edit] Timeline

March 29, 1794 The French military establishes the world's first military air unit, the Compagnie d'Aéronautiers, to man hydrogen-filled military observation balloons^[1].
June 26, 1794 The French defeat the Austrians in the Battle of Fleurus, with support from the hydrogen-filled observation balloon L'Entrepremant, piloted by Charles Coutelle. Coutelle and his passenger, French General Morlot, stayed aloft in the balloon for the duration of the 10 hour battle, sending observation reports and orders to the ground in a bag passed down the balloon's tether cable^[1].