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Show Feathered Gobs i 1 piPvv'. ::'--'Mm: r..:M mmMmmmm wmMjri& -v, ... mm&mm :mm ms m:. ? MMMm mM4SilSsi,jii-;h AfmMB$i When accidents, mechan- - , i ical failure, or the presence pllllil&fiftySSS f enemy craft silence radio llSSiliii&Riiill activity, our navy has an-piSlSft'i.SSPli an-piSlSft'i.SSPli other dependable means of i,,,,,, A&.,m-, . si wireless communication homing pigeons. These birds, guided unerringly by instinct, have been released as far as 500 miles from the home station. Their average speed on a flight home is 50 miles an hour. In top picture a flock of pigeons is released far out at sea for a practice flight to the Homing Pigeon service at Lakehurst, N. J. I s f ' I v jl Above: Two crates of pig- f' eons are carried to a blimp fe v 'KT I about to leave on anti-subma- h , i j I sV 1 rine patrol duty. k LVictory rtflj ;;'t ; ' t'-S- 4 The pigeons are placed aboard This is how pigeons are re- the blimp. Our navy breeds its leased. The bird will find its own birds for the dispatch car- way home regardless of how rier flock. rough the weather is. pl y ; f - r I SEHS3 i L-.r,...-, wwinw,.,. . .-, Thig ig a carrier's caTg0. It is Messages are fastened to the written in code so if the enemy bird's leg with a tiny leather shoots down the bird no infor- strap as is shown here. mation is revealed. i I' "I i - i Ml j i r;'7V'4 j iJ L . - M 41 J '' j:r4- &rs.s Seaman Don ' I Adams feeds his J with the ideal job. JlkAlXlSLJ ' i ', ' ' ' ' ; ' '' -4j .V ' . ' " . ' i . i . - W hen holding the bird, the attendant gently but firmly gathers in wingtips and tail so bird cannot be hurt if it struggles. |