BALLOON AS TARGET.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8894, 14 August 1907, Page 4

BALLOON AS TARGET.

Some sensational experiments respecting the value of war balloons aucl man-lifting kites in warfare were being carried out in June at Lydd Camp, on Romney Marshes, by the Royal Engineers from Aldershot, and the Royal Artillery from Dover. The Engineers are also testing powerful explosives in land mines. A war balloon was sent up three miles from where the guns were in action, and when the balloon was at a height of about 400 yards / ■the artillery opened flre on it with shrapnel. The first shell just missed the balloon, but the second caught it squarely and brought it down a mass of wreckage. The experiments in heavv wind with captive balloons , and mau-lifting kites for observation I purposes showed the kites to be the | steadiest. The balloon.-* were so swaved about that the occupants of Che "cars were nearly thrown our, iaurl some came down with all tiie symptoms of sea-sickness. The kites wore comparatively steady. An extraordinary accident happened while a howitzer battery was iu action. The shell burst in the gun and smashed the muzzle. Several soldiers had hairbreadth escapes from heavy pieces of the flying metal. A series of land mines exploded at the camp with what is stated to be a new highly powerful explosive g.-„ve all the effects of an earthquake for several miles around.