The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
A distant view of HMAS Yarra, showing the kite balloon lowered. Kite balloons carried observers in a suspended basket. The observers were trained to look for shadows that suggested the presence of submarines; any submarine thus detected could then be attacked by a second destroyer. An aerofoil device enabled the balloon to maintain height at high speeds. During their period of patrol duty around the Adriatic Sea, the six Australian destroyers were primarily engaged in searching for enemy submarines and escorting Italian troop transports. See EN0283.
Distant view of the destroyer HMAS Parramatta towing a kite balloon at a speed of 25 knots. Kite balloons carried observers in a suspended basket. The observers were trained to look for shadows that
A kite balloon ascending from a ship. Kite balloons carried observers in a suspended basket. The observers were trained to look for shadows that suggested the presence of submarines; any submarine th
Observers prepare to go aloft with the observation balloon attached to the destroyer HMAS Yarra. The trained observers looked for shadows that could indicate the presence of submarines; any submarine
View from HMAS Yarra of the observation balloon attached to her fellow destroyer HMAS Torrens. Just visible is the basket suspended from the balloon; it carried the observers who looked for shadows t
HMAS Yarra with a kite balloon moored to her after deck, on patrol duty near the Strait of Otranto. Trained observers stood in a basket suspended from the balloon and searched for shadows that could
The kite balloon attached to HMAS Huon for observation purposes. Trained observers looked for shadows that might indicate the presence of enemy submarines, standing in a suspended basket (visible to
