Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-09-17
WORK Of PIGEONS
IS WATCHED WITH
GREAT INTEREST
Little Crates of These Birds
Are Kept in Many a Front
Line Dugouti They Do In
portant Work in War


Behind British Lines in France,
Sept. 16.--For the American soldier
newly arrived in the lines in France,
there is always a great interest at
taching 10 the now widespread use
of carrier pigeons. Little crates of
the birds are found in many front
line dugout, and they become great
pets Of The men, who watch their work
with close interest.
Normally infinormation 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 pre-
pared for such an emergency. SO the
pigeons are always kept ready for
their work.
The pigeons quickly become accus-
toned TO shell fire and they win carry
important messages thromh q heavy
artillery barrage and through gas
clouds when no other method of com
munication is practicable.
First Used by British.
Pigeons were first employed by the
British army in October, 1914, when
an experimental shipmenft of fiftN
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 emploNed 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 intan-
try, Generally speaking n l0O-milo
flight is the outside limit for military
purposes, even when messages are sent
iii duplicate. For distances Of ten
miles, single birds are relied on con-
Stantly, and there are very few ram
uTes.
In war mobile lofts must take the
place of stationary ones, These are
usually small automobile trucks ana
contain from sixty to seventy birds,
An important feature Of the trucks
is a good lookout cage" on top so that
the birds can easily learn the topog-
raphy of the neighborhood before be-
ing liberated for their work.
In the battle of the Somme in 1916,
about 4,500 operation messages were
brought in by carrier pigeons over .
period of three months.
How They Are Released.
Carrier pigeons are very successful
" used In connection with aircraft ~
flight. ard for distances up to twenty
or thirty miles in fine weather can be
relied upon to reach home with 'hait
message They are released IN such
a manner that they will first move
with the wind. the airman throwing
the bird forcibly downwards and side
Ways i'm the direction the wind is blow
ing so that the wind will assist II TO
clear the machine. With seaplanes, q
number of cases have occurred where
pilots In distress have been rescued as
the result of pigeon messages
There are several cases on record IN
which a bird has successfully deliy-
evered his message even when severe
" wounded. In the British army lofts,
the inquisitive American soldiers have
found several birds still at work who
bear the marks of battle, including
several veterans who are still flyina
regularly though minus leg lost IN
action.
The British pigeon officers tell OF
an histofic pigeon, known in the serv-
ice as the 'V. c. bird" which arrived
torn and bleeding and with cylinder
containing his message actually forced
into his breast by the force of an OK
ploding shell. The stout -hearted flyer
fell dead when his message was deliv-
cred.