【01/28更新】日軍在台灣使用的防空氣球
[Updated] Japanese Barrage Balloon on Formosa

NARA via Fold3.com

上圖取自美國海軍航艦胡蜂號（USS Wasp, CV-18）1944年10月2日至27日的航空作戰報告，拍攝日期是10月13日。注意右下角有個飛船狀的物體，美軍認為這是日軍在測試的防空阻攔氣球（barrage balloon），這也是美軍首次在台灣地區拍到此種氣球的照片。由於作戰報告這張照片只顯示局部，看不出來確實的拍攝地點，我在前一天同樣是由胡蜂號艦載機拍攝的偵察照片中找到同樣的氣球（下圖的正中央），因此確認了地點。而從下圖也可以看出氣球旁的建築物其實是個沒有外牆的棚廠：
The above photo can be found in the Action Report of WASP and Carrier Air Group FOURTEEN during the period October 2, 1944, through October 27, 1944. Note the airship-like object in the lower-right corner. This photo, taken on October 13, is the first evidence that Japanese were experimenting with barrage balloons at that time. Following an extensive search on the reconnaissance photos taken by WASP’s aircraft on the previous day, I found the same balloon in the following photo, which also shows that the building next to the balloon is in fact a hangar without walls:

中央研究院海外歷史圖資與典藏 (Via Academia Sinica)

下圖黃色圖釘所指的就是防空氣球和棚廠的位置：
The location of the balloon and hangar is highlighted in the following area photo:

中央研究院海外歷史圖資與典藏 (Via Academia Sinica)

對照現代的Google衛星照片，就發現這正是位於現在的海軍旗津營區裡：
A comparison with the modern Google satellite image reveals that the hangar was located in what is now the Qijin Naval Base in Kaohsiung:

在較大的地圖上查看日軍阻絕氣球發現地點 Location of Japanese Barrage Balloon

【2014/01/28更新】：我在美軍太平洋第2航艦特遣隊（Second Carrier Task Force, Pacific Fleet）於1944年12月15日完成的一份報告裡找到下面這張照片，很明顯的跟本篇最上面那張是一樣的照片，但是下面的文字卻說是10月10日在沖繩的那霸拍到的。假如我先看到的是這份報告，很可能就不會去管這張照片，而且大概也不會有這篇文章的出現了。這再次說明了戰時日期記錄混亂所造成的問題。
[2014/01/28 Update]: The following photo was found in a report filed by the Second Carrier Task Force, Pacific Fleet on December 15, 1944. Obviously it is the same as the photo on the top. However, the caption says it was photoed at Naha, Okinawa on October 10. Had I read this report first, chances are I would have dismissed this photo because I would have thought it was not related to Formosa and this post would not have materialized.

NARA via Fold3.com

另外，我在1945年6月的一張空照裡找到同位置的照片（如下），營區裡多了好幾個大型彈坑，原來的棚廠也有損壞，但不見氣球蹤影。
I also found the following aerial photo of the same area taken in June 1945. Bomb craters are worth noting. The hangar was slightly damaged but no balloon can be found.

中央研究院海外歷史圖資與典藏 (Via Academia Sinica)

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