RAF Balloon Barrage
Lorries towing hydrogen cylinders on trailers were used for launching. Low flying planes made difficult targets. Balloons forced enemy pilots to fly higher into concentrated anti-aircraft fire. The combination of balloons and spitfires made enemy planes vulnerable when dive bombing. Some balloons carried small explosive charges that got pulled towards the aircraft to ensure its destruction. The weight of long cables made barrage balloons impractical against the high-level bombers that replaced the dive bombers. However, balloons were still made and nearly 3,000 existed in 1944. Picture is from a Valentine's postcard showing the balloon defences. http://www.hainaultforest.net/raf-chigwell
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