Weaponizing Balloons

Would it be possible to use the balloons in a more offensive way by equipping them with something like the Henschel Hs 293 glide-bomb https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henschel_Hs_293,or the Fritz X used during WW2? I know they they were deployed from aircraft mainly,but would it be possible to adapt them for launch from a balloon,without destroying the balloon in the process?

Michae wrote:Would it be possible to use the balloons in a more offensive way by equipping them with something like the Henschel Hs 293 glide-bomb https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henschel_Hs_293,or the Fritz X used during WW2? I know they they were deployed from aircraft mainly,but would it be possible to adapt them for launch from a balloon,without destroying the balloon in the process?

The very first paragraph of your link:

The Henschel Hs 293 was a World War II German anti-ship guided missile: a radio controlled glide bomb with a rocket engine slung underneath it. It was designed by Herbert A. Wagner.

On Safehold, there are the Proscriptions to consider. Strongest of all the Proscriptions is the ban of electricity or anything related to electricity -- like Radio.

From a strictly technical perspective, without regard to the limitations of Safehold, Glide Bombs/missiles, like those pioneered by Germany in WWII, could certainly be launched from hot-air balloons. How effective they might be is debatable, and if they can be built, heavier-than-air vehicles to launch them from can also be built.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_strategic_bombing_during_World_War_I

Consider that Zeppelin raids against cities without electric lighting would be much safer. There would be no way to concentrate the massive amounts of lumens searchlights would need to be effective against derigibles at night. The same applies to bombng fixed defenses. Targeting fixed defenses that are prepared for a night attack would also be tough.

Still those are options made available by derigibles.

PeterZ wrote:Consider that Zeppelin raids against cities without electric lighting would be much safer. There would be no way to concentrate the massive amounts of lumens searchlights would need to be effective against derigibles at night. The same applies to bombng fixed defenses.

Actually, limelights don't need electricity and provide very bright light.

See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limelight

Thanks, totally forgot about that.

dobriennm wrote:

PeterZ wrote:Consider that Zeppelin raids against cities without electric lighting would be much safer. There would be no way to concentrate the massive amounts of lumens searchlights would need to be effective against derigibles at night. The same applies to bombng fixed defenses.

Actually, limelights don't need electricity and provide very bright light.

See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limelight

Weird Harold wrote:The very first paragraph of your link:

The Henschel Hs 293 was a World War II German anti-ship guided missile: a radio controlled glide bomb with a rocket engine slung underneath it. It was designed by Herbert A. Wagner.

On Safehold, there are the Proscriptions to consider. Strongest of all the Proscriptions is the ban of electricity or anything related to electricity -- like Radio.

Doesn't utterly preclude a pigeon-guided bomb.

Nano-upgraded pigeons controlled by OWL to pilot a glider?
Yeah, that works and won't remind anyone of potential demonic influence.

PeterZ wrote:Nano-upgraded pigeons controlled by OWL to pilot a glider?
Yeah, that works and won't remind anyone of potential demonic influence.

Especially since I can't recall any mention of Pigeons on Safehold.

While we're being silly, why not a Safehold version of the Bat-bomb incendiaries?

On a more serious note, something like the Kettering Bug is entirely possible and permitted under the Proscriptions as I understand them. Small two-stroke Deisel engines have been used on model airplanes for years. They run just fine on lighter fluid or rubbing alcohol and are well within Safehold's metallurgy tech.

The Kettering Bug used a four cylinder gasoline engine but otherwise used no electricity for guidance. Replace the gas engine with a couple of Model Airplane Deisel engine and Bob's your Uncle.

ETA: The Bug did have an electrical component to its guidance system, but I don't think it was really necessary.

I seem to recall a mention of pigeon guided bombs being an actual thing in WW2

Dauntless wrote:I seem to recall a mention of pigeon guided bombs being an actual thing in WW2

Yes they were, along with "bat bomb" incendiaries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Pigeon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat_bomb

There is also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_balloon for those inclined to silly suggestions.

There is also:

[quote=][urlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olga_of_Kiev]Drevlian Uprising[/url]

The following account is taken from the Primary Chronicle. Princess Olga was the wife of Igor of Kiev, who was killed by the Drevlians. At the time of her husband's death, their son Svyatoslav was three years old, making Olga the official ruler of Kievan Rus' until he reached adulthood. The Drevlians wanted Olga to marry their Prince Mal, making him the ruler of Kievan Rus', but Olga was determined to remain in power and preserve it for her son.

The Drevlians sent twenty of their best men to persuade Olga to marry their Prince Mal and give up her rule of Kievan Rus'. She had them buried alive. Then she sent word to Prince Mal that she accepted the proposal, but required their most distinguished men to accompany her on the journey in order for her people to accept the offer of marriage. The Drevlians sent the best men who governed their land. Upon their arrival, she offered them a warm welcome and an invitation to clean up after their long journey in a bathhouse. After they entered, she locked the doors and set fire to the building, burning them alive.

With the best and wisest men out of the way, she planned to destroy the remaining Drevlians. She invited them to a funeral feast so she could mourn over her husband's grave. Her servants waited on them, and after the Drevlians were drunk, Olga's soldiers killed over 5,000 of them.[2] She then placed the city under siege.[2] She asked for three pigeons and three sparrows from each house; she claimed she did not want to burden the villagers any further after the siege.[2] They were happy to comply with the request.

Now Olga gave to each soldier in her army a pigeon or a sparrow, and ordered them to attach by thread to each bird a piece of sulfur bound with small pieces of cloth. When night fell, Olga bade her soldiers release the pigeons and the sparrows. So the birds flew to their nests, the pigeons to the cotes, and the sparrows under the eaves. The dove-cotes, the coops, the porches, and the haymows were set on fire. There was not a house that was not consumed, and it was impossible to extinguish the flames because all the houses caught on fire at once. The people fled from the city, and Olga ordered her soldiers to catch them. Thus she took the city and burned it, and captured the elders of the city. Some of the other captives she killed, while some she gave as slaves to her followers. The remnant she left to pay tribute.[5]

The story, however, is most likely a myth.[2][/quote]