2 
A-balloon placed at 1400™ from the guns and at an altitude of 400™ was struck 
in the course of several rounds and fell rapidly. 
Two other balloons placed at an elevation of 100™ to 250™ and at 5000™ distant 
from the battery fell, the one after 10 shots, the other after 26, each of them 
pierced with 20 holes. 
In 1891, at the fortress of Oust-Ijora, in Russia, a battery of 4 light field-guns 
fired shell loaded with bullets at a captive balloon at a horizontal range of 650™ 
and at a vertical height of 200™. An-observer, placed at about 1000™ on one 
side, transmitted by telephone the corrections to be made in the range and 
elevation. 
The weather was calm and clear and the balloon oscillated irae through 
about 20™. Ten single rounds were fired and afterwards salvoes. ~~ = 
After 30 rounds (the 5th salvo) the balloon began to descend slowly ; it had 
been pierced by 5 splinters and 25 balls. 
The author of an article which appeared in the Rousskit Invalid concludes 
from this that firing at a captive balloon does not, as a general rule, present any 
serious difficulties when a lateral post of observation is available. 
He estimates that the balloon will not be able to remain in the air for more 
than a quarter of an hour at the most. 
In 1894 a series of experiments were made in Austria with the following 
results :— 
(1). Fire against a balloon at an elevation of 400™. 
After 16 rounds the balloon sank slowly. It had been struck 10 times. 
(2). The same target under the same conditions. 
The balloon not having fallen at the end of 20 rounds it was lowered by the 
ropes. It had been struck by 18 splinters. 
(3). Fire at the same balloon, which had been repaired and sent up to an 
elevation of 400™. 
After 40 rounds, the balloon, which had only been hit once, but seriously, fell 
with great rapidity. 
(4). Fire at 3000™ against a balloon at an elevation of 300™. 
After being struck by 9 splinters or bullets, the balloon still retained its 
ascending power. . 
(5). Fire at 3750™ against a balloon at an elevation of 800™. 
The wind was fresh and the balloon oscillated violently ; after the 65th round 
it fell rapidly. The projectiles had made two large rents in it. 
It was as a sequel to this series of experiments that the new trials, of which we 
have mentioned, were carried out at the fortress of Steinfeld on the 10th of July 
last. 
This time the point of departure was different. In the experiments made before, 
whether in Austria or elsewhere, the special object had been to determine the 
number of hits necessary to bring down the balloon and to study the manner in 
which fire against a target of this kind should be directed. But in these last 
experiments the Austrian officers seem to have acted on a different principle. 
The balloon has only one enemy, namely the cannon. It is desirable, therefore, 
to endeavour to secure it against the artillery projectiles aimed at it, by studying 
altitude, distance, and movement. 
The difficulty of laying the gun increases with the altitude of the balloon. 
Sometimes even it is necessary to dig a hole for the trail, which makes the service 
of the piece slow and difficult, especially when direction has to be changed. The 
balloon therefore should be as high as possible. But, as observation is the first 
essential, the elevation to be given to the balloon is limited, 
