Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-16
PIGEONS PART IN WAR.
Birds Most Important When Other
Communication Fails.

Correspondence Associated PreSs.J
Behind British Lines in France. Aug
|22.-For the American soldier newly
arrived in the lines in/Franace there sis
always a great interest attaching te
the now widespread use Of carrier pig
cons. Little crates Of the birds arc
found in many front line dugout and
they become great pets of the men VINO
watch their work with close interest
Normally information in wartime Is
transmitted by wire but sometimes oc-
casions arise when the wires prove in
sufficient or break down altogether
Every front line unit must be prepared
for such an emergency. So the pigeons
are always kept handy aand from time
to time are tried OUT to be sure that
they are ready for their work.
The pigeons quickly become accus-
toned to shell fire and they will carry
important messages thru heavy ar
tillery barrage and thru gas clouds
when no other method of communica-
ton isNpracticable.
Pigeons were first employed by tho
British army in October, 1914 when ar
experimental shipment OF fifty birds
was brought to France. Their value
was Immediately recognized and the
service rapidly grew to enormous pro.
portions.
Under present war conditions the
pigeons are most largely employed Tor
two purposes.-to bring back informa,
ton from the front line trenches ant
during an advance to bring messages
from the advancing tanks and infan-
try Generally speaking a 1oo-mile
flight is the outside limit for military
purposes, even when messages are sent
in duplicate. For distances Of ten miles
single birds are relied on constantly
and there are very few failures.
In war mobile lofts must take the
place Of stationary ones. These are
usually small automobile trucks and
contain from sixty to seventy birds. AT
important feature Of the trucks is
good lookout cage" on-top SO that tho
birds can easily learn the Topographic
Of the neighborhood before being liber.
ated for their work.
In the battle>of the Somme in 1916
about $500 operation messages were
brought in by carrier pigeons over {
period Of three months.
! Carrier pigeons are very successfully
used in connection with aircraft in
flight and for distances up to 20 or thir-
| ty miles in fine weather can be reliet
upon to reach home with their message
They are released. in such a manner
that they will first move with the wind
! the airmen throwing the bird forciblI
downward and sideways in the direc.
ton the wind is blowing so that thu
wind will assist IL, to clear the machine
With seaplanes, a number Of cases have
occurred Whole pilots in, distress have
been rescued as the result Of pigeor
messages
! There are several cases on record IL
which bird has successfully delivered
/ his message even when severely wound
led. In the British army lofts the in.
iquisiiive American so;diiers hare toans
several birds still at work who bear thu
marks OF battle, including several vet
Grams who are still flying regularly
though minus a. leg lost in action.
The British pigeon officers tell Of al
historic pigeon. known in the servic,
as the Nv. c. bird" which arrived tori
and bleeding and with the cylinder
containing his message actually forced
into his breast by the force OF an ex.
lplodging shell. This stout hearted fy
er fell dead when his message was de-
livered. 5.