Evening star., 1941-09-05
Pigeons Are Taught
By Army 70 Carry
Messages Two Ways
Secret Process Used
To Train Birds to
Make Return Trips
BY NORMAN WALKER,
Fhe Q1ar's SDecial News Service

THIRD ARMY FIELD HEAD
QUARTERS IN LOUISIANA. Sept.
5.-Pigeons with an unerring in
stinct for flying home have carried
messages for armies through the
ages, but now Uncle Sans Army
Signal Corps boasts two-Way pig
cons!
An important new discovery-a
military secrets training the
stout-hearted birds to fly two ways
bring a message from a beleag-
Hered outfit or reconnaissance unit
10 headquarters and then fly back
with fresh advice.
Never before in history, the Sig
nal Corps says, have men succeeded
IN teaching racing pigeons to leave
one home to fly to another Always
m the past pigeons have ranged
only from single loft.
Signal Corps experiments at Fort
Monmouth, N. j., recently develop
ed the secret exercise and feeding
process necessary for training the
speedy couriers in two-Way work.
but the plan was first carried into
actual operation in the realistically
simulated warfare being fought in
Louisiana's pineWoods battle zones.
Already the Army's only pigeon
signal company, commanded by
Capt. J. B. Boltz of Chicago, has
sleek grey and blue racing birds
streaking through the sky for dis
tances exceeding SO miles and re-
turning The unique army outfit.
the 280th Signal Company based
at Camp Claiborne near Alexan-
dria, La, has been dubbed the Pig
eoneers" and is one of the most
Interesting units in the Army.
Pigeons have saved thousands of
lives in battle by getting through de-
spite freezing cold, blistering heat,
storms of withering shell fire" Capt.
Boltz says. They get through many
times where all other types of COM
munications have failed.
They've become absolutely indis-
penSable to fighting army and now
that they can fly two ways. they will
be inestimately more useful"
Wounded Pigeon Gets Through.
Pigeons have tremendous courage
and already in the Louisiana ma
neuvers birds have carried on and
brought in their messages on sched-
ale even though mortally wounded,
apparently by hunters, since only
blank ammunition is used in the war
games. One had been shot through
the breast, but nevertheless he
reached his home station.
They are ready for effective Serv-
ice over battlefields of so to 100
miles. although pigeons have been
known to fly as far as 5000 miles.
The birds now ride into battle
In tanks, Capt. Boltz said. because
the Signal Corps found short wave
radio equipment installed in heavy
mechanical machines often was
Jared out of adjustment. Anywhere
along the battle line bird can
be released and in a few minutes
be back at headquarters with often
vital information. A two-way bird
could return with additional in
structions for advance units.
Pigeon lofts located at several
points throughout the 10000
square-mile Louisiana maneuver
area, where 100000 men of the op-
posing I'd and Sd Field Armies soon
will battle in the Nations greatest
war games, give constant communl-
cation service. Of course. radio,
telephone and other types of relay
ing intelligence between units also
are in use.
1000 Pigeons Ready.
Probably more than 1000 pigeons
will be ready for service in the NAM
moth maneuvers, but afterward,
Capt. Boltz said the Camp Clal-
borne lofts soon would house 5000
TO 5000 birds to become the Army
principal pigeon courier station.
These include the tWo-way BIRDS
and the night-fying type, both re-
curing special training, in addition
10 the regular one-way pigeons, all
reliable in their particular fields
of flight Just as there are different
types of airplanes for fighting, re-
connaissance and bombing.
The night flying birds are kept
In darkenedS lofts during daylight
hours so their eyes become accus-
toned to darkness and give maxi
mum vision at night. Some Signal
Corps officers, intensely interested
In their work, believe pigeons are
bestowed with some particular mag
netic wave receptive ability but
most agree it's sheer instinct which
guides them to their destination.
Birds are selected for assignments
according to speed, stamina and
build.
Hawks are dangerous foes of the
carrier pigeons but only a relatively
few fall victim to this enemy. In
the World War; when the Allies
had 100000 pigeons, in service and
the Central Powers 10000. better
than 81 per cent of pigeons, released
carried their messages through shot
and shell.
More imperative messages are
duplicated, with several birds re-
leased at intervals with the same
message so one, at least, will always
reach its goal.
All birds carry bands on their
legs with their registration num-
bers. Some especially meritorious
ones have pet names, such as
Crankcase, pigeon who got
tangled with an oil well, probably
while resting on we'll derrick, dur
ing the current maneuvers.