Heads in the clouds
By 1798, pre-eminence in air warfare rested with the French, who by then had two ´balloon companies` attached to the Republican Army. But one man put an end to military ballooning and that was Napoleon Bonaparte himself. The problem was that the gallant French aeronauts were regarded as the ´glamour boys` of the French army and the French hot air balloons were used less and less for military purposes and more for amorous ones.
When not on duty the ´daring young men in their floating machines` took their girlfriends to heaven and back. Bottles of champagne and hampers of food were often taken before each flight. When one of the French aeronaut, Lieutnent Beauchamp, was hauled down to the ground with his femal compantion, he could only stammer out an apology to his commander and express a willingness to marry the youbg lady. In 1799, Napoleon suppressed his aerial corps on the grounds that it was unneccessary and immoral.
When not on duty the ´daring young men in their floating machines` took their girlfriends to heaven and back. Bottles of champagne and hampers of food were often taken before each flight. When one of the French aeronaut, Lieutnent Beauchamp, was hauled down to the ground with his femal compantion, he could only stammer out an apology to his commander and express a willingness to marry the youbg lady. In 1799, Napoleon suppressed his aerial corps on the grounds that it was unneccessary and immoral.
Werbung