Palisadian., 1923-03-09

messages from the front to headquar-
ters and of these messages IS were
listed as urgent and important" The
record was perfect, every message was
delivered. War department files are
authority for the statement that mot
a single bird failed to return"
In the st. Mihiel drive. which fol-
lowed the Aisne- Marne," reads an Of
hcial document. 1857 American birds
were available for the use of the
American forces. Many of these birds
were assigned to the tanks, and al
though their training had been very
brief. and prevailing fog and rain
made flying difficult. 80 important
messages were received. OF the 202
birds operating with the tanks "a
were killed In action. OF the other
birds 384 were assigned to line duty
with the First and Fourth Army corps.
The number Of messages delivered by
these first-line pigeons Is not avail
able, but their work was such as to
call forth the general commentator
of the officers commanding the units
of these corps.
Ready for Next Action.
"On September 81, following the st.
Mihiel drive, the training of the
pigeons for use in the Argonne- Meuse
offensive was commenced. Because Of
the hurried notice of pending attack,
only five days were available In which
to condition the birds for their work
The number assigned for duty was
Az, and 4O3 important messages were
delivered by the pigeon division used
In that offensive. There Is no record
OF single important message going
astray. The casualties among the
pigeons totaled about 10 per cent of
the number engaged. between As and
80. The liaison work performed was
more than satisfying and individual
performances were nothing short of
marvellous"
Pigeons of the British and French
armies were just as efficient French
records state that the service they
rendered during the struggle about
Verdun was "inestimable" from the
beginning to the end of that bloody
engagement The French reports
state that the verdun pigeons oper-
ated under all onditions-"bombard-
ment, machine gun and rifle fire,
smoke and fog"
In the battle Of the Somme from
July to November 30, 1915, the
French pigeon force numbered 1000
birds. On the entire French front the
pigeon force operating in the Somme
and other battles totaled about 5000,
of which 5,107 were on first-line duty.
The casualties varied from 3 to Is per
cent, depending upon the section in
which the birds operated The eff
cheney Of the French pigeons has been
officially placed at SO per cent of the
number that went into action.
The same story of efficiency under
any and all battle conditions is to be
found in the British reports as well
as In the records of the birds that op-
Grated with the armies of the former
kaiser. Among the prisoners of war
captured in the St Mihiel drive was
a beautiful slate-cOlored German
pigeon courier. This bird lived to be-
come an important member of the
American pigeon army. His death
was comparatively recent.
Experiments prove that information
which Is not transmissble by radio,
such as maps or Is feet of moving pic
ture negative film. can be sent safely
from airplanes or observation balloons
by pigeons. 1t Is on record that in
more than one instance pigeons re-
leased from aircraft have returned to
their stations at speed of a mile a
minute The French are the pioneers
In the use of pigeons operating from
airplanes and balloons. 1t was the
French who used them in this service
with success during the war, one
pigeon loft in France reporting that
In 1916 it received "a pigeon mes
sages from airplanes which met dis
aster or were captured.