Balloon busters were military pilots known for destroying enemy observation balloons. These pilots were noted for their fearlessness, as balloons were stationary targets able to receive heavy defenses, from the ground and the air. Seventy-seven flying aces in World War I were each credited with destroying five or more balloons, and thus were balloon aces.

The crucial role of observation balloons

An observation balloon was both a vulnerable and a valuable target: the balloon was moored in a stationary position and was lifted by flammable hydrogen gas, whose use was necessitated by the scarcity of helium reserves among European powers. The artillery observer, suspended in the wicker basket beneath, typically had a wireless transmitter, binoculars and/or a long-range camera. His job was to observe actions on the front-line and behind it, to spot enemy troop movements or unusual activity of any sort, and to call down artillery fire onto any worthwhile targets.

Balloon observers were consequently targets of great importance to both sides, especially before any sort of infantry action or offensive, so individual pilots, flights or whole squadrons were frequently ordered to attack balloons, to destroy them or at least disrupt their observation activities. Pilots on both sides tried to attack from a height that could enable them to fire without getting too close to the hydrogen and pull away fast. They were also cautioned not to go below in order to avoid machine gun and AA fire.

Due to their importance, balloons were usually given heavy defenses in the form of machine gun positions on the ground, anti-aircraft artillery, and standing fighter patrols stationed overhead. Other defenses included surrounding the main balloon with barrage balloons; stringing cables in the air in the vicinity of the balloons; equipping observers with machine guns; and flying balloons booby-trapped with explosives that could be remotely detonated from the ground. These measures made balloons very dangerous targets to approach.

Although balloons were occasionally shot down by small-arms fire, generally it was difficult to shoot down a balloon with solid bullets, particularly at the distances and altitude involved. Ordinary bullets would pass relatively harmlessly through the hydrogen gas bag, merely holing the fabric. Hits on the wicker car could however kill the observer.

One method employed was the solid-fuel Le Prieur rocket invented by Frenchman Lt. Yves Le Prieur and first used in April 1916. Rockets were attached to each outboard strut of a biplane fighter aircraft and fired through steel tubes using an electrical trigger. The rockets' inaccuracy was such that pilots had to fly very close to their target before firing.

It was not until special Pomeroy incendiary bullets and Buckingham flat-nosed incendiary bullets became available on the Western Front in 1917 that any consistent degree of success was achieved. Le Prieur rockets were withdrawn from service in 1918 once incendiary bullets had become available.

Balloon busting aces

NameNationalityBalloon victoriesAircraft victoriesTotal Reference Willy Coppens Belgian 35 2 37 Franks et al. 1997, pp. 98–99. Léon Bourjade French 27 1 28 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 122–123. Michel Coiffard French 24 10 34 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 133–134. Maurice Boyau French 21 14 35 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 124–125. Friedrich Ritter von Röth German 20 8 28 Franks et al. 1993, pp. 192–193. Jacques Ehrlich French 18 1 19 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 157–158. Heinrich Gontermann German 18 21 39 Franks et al. 1993, p. 116. Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor South African 16 38 54 Shores et al. 1990, pp. 68–69. Frank Luke American 14 4 18 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 58–59. Karl Schlegel German 14 8 22 Franks et al. 1993, p. 199. Oskar Hennrich German 13 7 20 Franks et al. 1993, p. 128. Marcel Haegelen French 12 11 23 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 172–173. Marius Ambrogi French 11 3 14 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 112–113. Friedrich Friedrichs German 11 10 21 Franks et al. 1993, p. 110. Henry Woollett British 11 24 35 Shores et al. 1990, pp. 389–390. Tom F. Hazell British 10 33 43 Shores et al. 1990, p. 190. Fritz Höhn German 10 11 21 Franks et al. 1993, pp. 130–131. Max Näther German 10 16 26 Franks et al. 1993, pp. 172–173. Erich Thomas German 10 0 10 Franks et al. 1993, p. 216. William George Barker Canadian 9 50 59 Shores et al. 1990, pp. 62–64. Louis Bennett Jr. American 9 3 12 Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 23. Théophile Henri Condemine French 9 0 9 Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 135. Hans von Freden German 9 11 20 Franks et al. 1993, p. 109. Sidney Highwood British 9 7 16 Shores et al. 1990, p. 194. Erich Löwenhardt German 9 45 54 Franks et al. 1993, pp. 158–160. Jean Andre Pezon French 9 1 10 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 205–206. Armand Pinsard French 9 18 27 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 206–207 Erich Thomas German 9 1 10 Paul Barbreau French 8 0 8 Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 116. Josef Jacobs German 8 40 48 Franks et al. 1993, pp. 135–136. Max Kuhn German 8 4 12 Franks et al. 1993, p. 151. Charles J. V. Macé French 8 4 12 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 187–188. Ernest Maunoury French 8 3 11 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 193–194. Friedrich T. Noltenius German 8 13 21 Franks et al. 1993, pp. 174–175. Fritz Pütter German 8 17 25 Franks et al. 1993, p. 183. Otto Schmidt German 8 12 20 Franks et al. 1993, pp. 202–203. Maurice Bizot French 7 3 10 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 119–120. Oskar Freiherr von Boenigk German 7 19 26 Franks et al. 1993, p. 77. Julius Buckler German 7 29 36 Franks et al. 1993, pp. 87–88. Siegfried Büttner German 7 6 13 Franks et al. 1993, pp. 91–92. Harry King Goode British 7 8 15 Shores et al. 1990, pp. 171–172. Harold B. Hudson Canadian 7 6 13 Shores et al. 1990, p. 203. Hans Nülle German 7 4 11 Franks et al. 1993, p. 175. Charles Nungesser French 7 36 43 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 198–199. Hans Martin Pippart German 7 15 22 Franks et al. 1993, p. 180. Paul Santelli French 7 0 7 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 216–217. Eugen Bönsch Austro-Hungarian 6 10 16 Franks et al. 1997, pp. 174–175. Hans KleinFranks et al. 1993, pp. 145–146. German 6 16 22 Antoine Laplasse French 6 2 8 Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 182. Donald Roderick MacLaren Canadian 6 48 54 Shores et al. 1990, pp. 249–250. Georg Meyer German 6 18 24 Franks et al. 1993, pp. 166–167. Marcel Bloch French 5 0 5 Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 120. Heinrich Bongartz German 5 28 33 Franks et al. 1993, pp. 81–82. Fernand Bonneton French 5 4 9 Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 121. Godwin Brumowski Austro-Hungarian 5 30 35 Franks et al. 1997, pp. 175–176. William Charles Campbell British 5 18 23 Shores et al. 1990, pp. 96–97. Pierre Cardon French 5 0 5 Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 128. Sydney Carlin British 5 5 10 Shores et al. 1990, p. 98. Arthur Cobby Australian 5 24 29 Shores et al. 1990, pp. 110. Martin Dehmisch German 5 5 10 Franks et al. 1993, p. 97. Pierre Ducornet French 5 2 7 Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 156. Wilhelm Frickart German 5 7 12 Franks et al. 1993, pp. 109–110. Louis Prosper Gros French 5 4 9 Franks, Bailey 1992, pp. 166–167. Francis Guerrier French 5 0 5 Franks, Bailey 1992, p. 168. Heinrich HaaseFranks et al. 1993, p. 121. German 5 1 6 Lansing HoldenFranks, Bailey 1992, pp. 44–45. American 5 2 7 Adrien L. J. LepsFranks, Bailey 1992, pp. 184–185. French 5 7 12 Richard Burnard MundayShores et al. 1990, p. 287. British 5 4 9 Marcel NoguesFranks, Bailey 1992, p. 197. French 5 8 13 Eddie RickenbackerFranks, Bailey 1992, pp. 67–68. American 5 21 26 George R. RileyShores et al. 1990, pp. 321–322. British 5 8 13 Gilbert SardierFranks, Bailey 1992, p. 217. French 5 10 15 William Ernest ShieldsShores et al. 1990, p. 336. Canadian 5 19 24 Walter SoutheyShores et al. 1990, pp. 346–347. South African 5 15 20 Paul Y. R. WaddingtonFranks, Bailey 1992, pp. 225–226. French 5 7 12 Joseph WehnerFranks, Bailey 1992, p. 80. American 5 1 6 Hans WeissFranks et al. 1993, pp. 227–228. German 5 11 16

Aces with four balloon victories NameOriginBalloon victoriesAircraft victoriesTotal Heinrich Arntzen German 4 7 11 Otto Brauneck German 4 6 10 Harvey Weir Cook American 4 3 7 Gustave Daladier French 4 8 12 Benno Fiala Ritter von Fernbrugg Austro-Hungarian 4Includes the Italian airship M4. 24 28 Elwyn King Australian 4 22 26 Wilhelm Kühne German 4 3 7 Georges Lachmann French 4 5 9 Auguste Lahoulle French 4 6 10 Edgar McCloughry Australian 4 17 21 Paul Petit French 4 3 7 Maurice Rousselle French 4 1 5 Karl Schattauer German 4 5 9 Leonard Taplin Australian 4 8 12 Edgar Taylor American 4 1 5 Guy Wareing English 4 5 9

Aces with three balloon victories NameOriginBalloon victoriesAircraft victoriesTotal Giovanni Ancillotto Italian 3 811 Yves F. Barbaza French 3 2 5 Hans Böhning German 3 14 17 Karl Bohny German 3 5 8 Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp German 3 25 28 Hamilton Coolidge American 3 5 8 Pierre Delage French 3 4 7 Rudolf von Eschwege German 3 17 20 Henri Hay De Slade French 3 16 19 Francis W. Gillet American 3 17 20 Max Gossner German 3 5 8 Justus Grassmann German 3 7 10 Robert Hall South African 3 2 5 Ludwig Hanstein German 3 13 16 William Frederick James Harvey English 3 23 26 Albert Haussmann German 3 12 15 Heinrich Henkel German 3 5 8 Adolf Heyrowsky Austro-Hungarian 3 9 12 Camille Lagesse Canadian 3 17 20 Friedrich Manschott German 3 9 12 George McElroy Irish 3 44 47 Maurice Newnham English 3 15 18 John Steele Ralston Scottish 3 9 12 Paul Rothe German 3 2 5 Franz Rudorfer German 3 8 11 Cecil Thompson South African 3 3 6 Remington Vernam American 3 3 6 Hans Waldhausen German 3 3 6 Herbert Gilles Watson New Zealander 3 11 14

Aces with two balloon victories NameOriginBalloonvictoriesAircraftvictoriesTotal Edgar O. Amm South African 2 5 7 Maurice Arnoux French 2 3 5 Horace Barton South African 2 17 19 John Courade Bateman English 2 5 7 Douglas John Bell South African 2 17 19 Armond J. Berthelot French 2 9 11 Billy Bishop Canadian 2 70 72 Konrad Brendle German 2 7 9 Jean Casale French 2 11 13 William Gordon Claxton Canadian 2 35 37 Edwin Cole English 2 6 8 James Connelly American 2 5 7 Charles Cudemore English 2 13 15 Gilbert de Guingand French 2 6 8 Armand de Turenne French 2 13 15 Pierre Dufaur de Gavardie French 2 4 6 Eduard Ritter von Dostler German 2 24 26 Otto Fitzner German 2 7 9 Willi Gabriel German 2 9 11 Karl Gallwitz German 2 8 10 George Gates English 2 7 9 Frederick Stanley Gordon New Zealander 2 7 9 Franz Gräser Austro-Hungarian 2 16 18 Fernand Guyou French 2 10 12 Erich Hahn German 2 4 6 Georges Halberger French 2 3 5 Lloyd Hamilton American 2 8 10 Thomas Sinclair Harrison South African 2 20 22 Robert Heibert German 2 11 13 Albert Hets German 2 4 6 Ernest Charles Hoy Canadian 2 11 13 Frederick Hunt English 2 7 9 Albert Leslie Jones English 2 5 7 Erich Just German 2 4 6 Arthur Korff German 2 6 8 James Latta English 2 3 5 Pierre Leroy de Boiseaumarie French 2 3 5 Frederick Luff American 2 3 5 John Mackereth English 2 5 7 Malcolm Plaw MacLeod Canadian 2 5 7 Rudolf Matthaei German 2 8 10 Maurice Mealing English 2 12 14 Zenos Miller American 2 3 5 Hans Karl Müller German 2 7 9 Edmund Nathanael German 2 13 15 Otto Parschau German 2 6 8 Andre Petit-Delchet French 2 3 5 Croye Pithey South African 2 8 10 Arthur Rahn German 2 4 6 Hervey Rhodes English 2 8 10 Cyril Ridley English 2 9 11 Charles G. Ross South African 2 18 20 Hugh Saunders South African 2 13 15 Gustav Schneidewind German 2 5 7 Wilhelm Schwartz German 2 6 8 Kurt Schönfelder German 2 11 13 Sumner Sewall American 2 5 7 Langley Smith Canadian 2 6 8 Werner Steinhauser German 2 8 10 Francis S. Symondson English 2 11 13 Mathieu Tenant de la Tour French 2 7 9 Renatus Theiller German 2 10 12 Bernhard Ultsch German 2 10 12 Gilbert J. Uteau French 2 3 5 Clive W. Warman American 2 10 12 Paul Wenzl German 2 8 10

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