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Show Newly Arrived American Boys Deeply Interested in Work of Front Line Carriers. BEHIND BRITISH LINES IN FRANCE, Sept. 3. (Correspondence of Tho Associated Press) For tho American Amer-ican soldier newly arrived in the lines In Franco, thero is always a great interest in-terest attaching to the now widespread wide-spread uso 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 interesL Normally information in warlimo Is transmitted by wire, but sometimes occasion arise when the wires prove insufficient or break down altoglhcr. Every front Jlne unit must be prepared pre-pared for sucii an emergency. So tho pigeons arc always kept handy, and from time to time are "tried out" to bo sure that they are ready for their work. Tho pigeons quickly become accustomed accus-tomed to shell fire and they will carry car-ry Important messages through a heavy hea-vy artillery barrage and through gas clouds when no other method of communication com-munication is practicable. Pigeons were first employed by tho British army in October, 1914, when an experimental shipment of fifty fif-ty birds was brought to France. Thclr valuo was immediately recognized and the service rapidly grow to enormous proportions. Birds Used for Two Purposes Under present war conditions, the pigoons are most largely employed for two purposes to bring back information informa-tion from the front lino trenches, and during an advance to bring messages from the advancing tanks and infantry. infan-try. Generally speaking a 100-milo flight is tho outside limit for military purposes, even when messages aro sent in duplicate. For dlsLmces of ten miles, single birds are relied on constantly, and there are very few fail ares. In war, mobile lofts must taku the, ; place of Stationary ones. These are usually small automobile trucks and contain from 60 to 70 birds. An ira portant feature of the trucks is a good "lopkout cage" on top so that the birds can easily learn the topography of tho neighborhood before being liberated for their work. In the battle of the Sommc in 1914. about 1,500 operation messages were brought in by carrier pigeons over a period of three months. Used With Aircraft Carrier pigeons arc very sucressful- ty useu in connection wnn aircrau in flight, and for distances up to 20 or 30 miles In flno weather can be relied re-lied upon to reach home with their message. They are released in such a manner that they will first move with the wind, the airman throwing the bird forcibly downward and sideways side-ways in the .direction the wind is I blowing so that tho wind will assist it to clear tho machine. With seaplanes a number of cases have occurred where pilots In distress have been rescued as tho result of pigeon messages. mes-sages. There are several cases on record In which a bird has. successfully delivered de-livered his message even when severely severe-ly wounded. In the British army lofts tho inquisitive American soldiers have found several birds still at work who bear the marks of battle, including, several veterans who are still flying regularly though minus a leg lost in action. Tho British pigeon officers tell of an historic pigeon, known in tho service ser-vice as the "V. C. Bird." which arrived torn and bleading and with the cylinder cylin-der containing his message actually forced into his breast by the force of an exploding shell. This stout-hearted flyer fell dead when his message was delivered. |