Kite balloon

[1] The Parseval's perceived resemblance to an erect phallus led to the nickname in German service of Die Freude der Mädchen (Maiden's joy).

[1] Parseval balloons most often operated at an altitudes between 1,000 and 2,000 m (3,300 and 6,600 ft), could handle winds of up to 65 km/h (40 mph) and were equipped with an engine-driven winch to lower them quickly in the event of an attack.

Initially the French and British used copies of the German Parseval Drachen balloons but the French captain Albert Caquot, for whom it was named, developed a much-improved design that replaced the tubular sausage shaped envelope with a more aerodynamic teardrop shape and replaced the sock with three fins, which were also held rigid by the wind blowing past it.

The Parseval was in widespread use from the end of the 1800s in large numbers by the German Army to direct gunfire from heavy artillery.

[7] This panicked the German high command into lowering all their balloons along the entire front and blinding their Army to a French counter-attack on Fort Douaumont.

[3] During the Atlantic U-boat campaign of World War I, Caquot balloons were used by American destroyers escorting merchant ship convoys.

[6] The availability of an elevated visual observation platform significantly enhanced the ability of destroyers to find and attack U-boats prior to the invention of sonar.

A shortage of crews prevented more widespread use of kite balloons even after the United States Navy established a training program in October 1917, at Goodyear in Akron, Ohio.

During a stormy evening, the balloon alternately plunged port and starboard as the tether was shortened, dipping the basket into the water on each dive.