Last week the people of Venice noted the 100th anniversary of what they believed to be the first air raid in the history of war. Unlike the people of Hiroshima in 1945, the Venetians of 1849 had plenty of warning that something bizarre was coming off. The Austrians, who perpetrated the deed, allowed rumors of a "secret weapon" to reach Venice in advance, and one Venetian artist drew a picture of what he thought would happen (see cut) and peddled it in the streets.
Venice, which had revolted against Austrian rule and proclaimed a republic, was under Austrian blockade by land & sea, almost demoralized by hunger, disease and heavy artillery bombardments. A young Austrian officer is said to have persuaded his superiors to let him try a balloon attack. Launched in favoring winds from a warship in the bay, the bags were filled with hot air from suspended straw fires and carried 28-lb. explosive charges equipped with primitive rope fuses.
Not all the bombs went off according to plan. According to one eyewitness, "the balloons appeared to rise to about 4,500 ft. Then they exploded in midair or fell into the water, or, blown by a sudden southeast wind, sped over the city and dropped on the besiegers. Venetians, abandoning their homes, crowded into the streets and squares to enjoy the strange spectacle . . . When a cloud of smoke appeared in the air to make an explosion, all clapped and shouted. Applause was greatest when the balloons blew over the Austrian forces and exploded, and in such cases the Venetians added cries of 'Bravo!' and 'Good appetite!'"