The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-17
CARRIER PIGEONS
 PLAY IMPORTANT
 PART IN FIGHTING

Behind the British Lines in France, Sept. 17-For the American soldier newly arrived in the lines in France, there is always a great interest at taching to the now widespread use of carrier pigeons. Little crates of the birds are found in many a front line dugout, and they become great pets of the men, who watch their work with close interest.
 Normally information in wartime is transmitted by wire, but sometimes occasions arise when the wires prove insufficient or break down altogether. Every front line unit must be prepar- ed for such an emergency. So the pigeons are always kept handy, and 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 through a heavy artillery barrage and through gas clouds when no other method of communication is practicable.
 Pigeons were first employed by the British army in October, 1914, when an experimental shipment of 50 birds was brought to France. Their value was immediately recognized and the service rapidly grew to enormous proportions.
 Under present war conditions, the pigeons are most largely employed for two purposes--to bring back informa- ton from the front line trenches, and during an advance to bring messages from the advancing tanks and in- fantry. Generally speaking a 100- mile flight is the outside limit fo1 military purposes, even when mess ages are sent in duplicate. For dis | tances of ten miles, single birds are relied on constantly, and there are very few failures
 | In war mobile lofts must take the 1 place of stationary ones. These are usually small automobile trucks anC contain from 60 to 70 birds. An i'm 1 portant feature of the trucks is { 1 good lookout cage" on tp> so that the 1 birds can easily learn the topograph! l of the neighborhood before being lib 1 erated for their work.
 l In the Battle of the Somme in 1916 about 4,5O0 operation messages were brought in by carrier pigeons over { l period of three months.
 Carrier pigeons are very success l fully userd in connection with aircraf in flight, and for distances up to 2 or 30 miles in fine weather can b' relied upon to reach home with thei message. They are released in sucl manner that they will first mov' with the wind, the airman throwing the bird forcibly downward and side l ways in the direction the wind f 1 blowing so that the wind will assist | to clear the machine. With sea planes, a number of cases have oc cured where pilots in distress hay
 been rescued as the result of pigeol | messages.
 There are several cases on record il
 which bird has successfully deliver
 ed his message even when severel
 wounded. In the British army lofts
 the inquisitive American soldiers hay
 found several birds still at work wh
 bear the marks of battle, includin
 several veterans who are still f1yin
 regularly though minus a leg lost i
 action.
 The British pigeon officers tell of a
 historic pigeon, known in the servic
 as the "V. c. bird,' which arrive
 torn and bleeding and with the cylin
 der containing his message actual
 forced into his breast by the force c
 an exploding shell. This stout hear
 ed flyer fell dead when his messa g
 was delivered.