German Balloon Markings

Rinahe · 31 August 2006, 03:03 AM

Just for curiosity,

Looking for pictures and drawings of german Draachen and Caquot-type observation balloons, I notice that everyone of them shows just the Iron-cross as national marking, even at the end of the war.

Could anyone explain me why the germans didn't change that crosses to balkenkreuz as for the rest of their aircrafts, please?

Thank you very much (and excuse me for my poor english...)

Best regards from Spain,

Rinahe

Roundel · 20 September 2006, 07:13 PM

I once saw a photograph of an attempt to use a German WWI observation balloon as a movie camera platform at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. It still had the earlier style cross insignia.

Romani · 21 September 2006, 04:55 AM

Ricardo, I see at least two different styles of Iron Cross in the balloons, reference Osprey's Balloon Busting Aces pages 8 and 88

My theory is that unlike airplane crosses, that were painted with stencils on top of the stretched fabric surface, the crosses in balloons were made of fabric and sewn on top the balloon fabric. On the photo on page 8, if the cross was painted on the wing fabric, the stitched line should show trough.. it looks like being superimposed.

If I am correct, then it was not worth the trouble to change the cutting patterns at the balloons factories, the change to the beam cross was mainly to save man hours. Or maybe it was just sloppy bureaucracy and nobody told the balloon workshops to change it.