Brave Dogs Of WWI And WW2 (34 pics)
War dogs of the First and Second World Wars played a major part in both saving soldier’s lives and helping them keep their moral sanity during the Hell of War.
“Man’s best friend” had many jobs on the battlefields of WWI and WW2…these are a few of the dangerous roles that they played in the trenches and…
...on the deadly area between lines known as “NO MAN’S LAND”.
"Paradogs were used by Airborne Forces during the Second World War. These included 'Para Dogs' trained to parachute alongside the troops. They were very important to the men after landing and were called upon to undertake guard, mine-detecting and patrol duties. Their acute senses provided an ‘early-warning system` which was of great comfort and undoubtedly saved many lives.
"A dog trained to search for wounded soldiers while under fire, 1915."
"Messenger and courier dogs - In the trenches, communication was often a problem. Heavy shelling destroyed telephone lines. Human runners were easy targets for enemy fire. Even close-range communication became difficult or impossible in the smoke and thunder of the artillery."
"A dog-handler reads a message brought by a messenger dog, who had just swum across a canal in France, during World War I."
A messenger dog with a spool attached to a harness for laying out new electric line in September of 1917 (in my opinion, one of the most interesting photos/War dog's tasks).
"Early in the war, dogs were trained to deliver messages in combat. Images from the time show them leaping over coils of barbed-wire fences and carrying messages tied to their collars. They also sometimes carried small packages of food, cigarettes, explosives, or other supplies to soldiers in the trenches. Their speed, size, and nimble feet helped them evade enemy fire over difficult and dangerous terrain."
"Dogs improved morale within the trenches by hunting rats" (small detail but I bet it was a big deal to the soldiers).
"Lifesaving ambulance dogs - Red Cross dogs or “mercy dogs” performed one of the most dangerous tasks on the battlefield: finding and assisting the wounded in the no-man’s land between the trenches."
"These ambulance dogs carried medical packs that men could use to treat themselves if they were able."
"Dogs would carry a wounded soldier’s cap back to the medics and then bring the medics to him. Compassionate canines even sat with the dying to comfort them."
Sentry Dogs traveled beyond the safety of their own soldiers to spy on the enemy's troop movement.
Even in the Arctic weather of Norway, they could sneak behind enemy lines.
"Sentry dog 1916 - Sentry dogs stayed with one soldier or guard and were taught to give a warning sound such as growling or barking when they sensed a stranger in the area or close to camp."
"War animals carrying war animals — at a carrier pigeon communication school at Namur, Belgium, a dispatch dog fitted with a pigeon basket for transporting carrier pigeons to the front line."
"About one million dogs were killed in action in World War I, a conflict which also saw the first large-scale use of chemical weapons, such as chlorine and mustard gas."
"After the first use of poison gas by German forces in April 1915, the British and American governments sent out a series of quickly designed masks to filter out the toxic gases and keep their soldiers alive."
"Because of the critical combat role played by dogs at the time, they also developed canine gas masks."
But both sides were prepared for chemical warfare in WWII. As were the dogs.
War dogs carried weapons of death to the frontline…
…but they also brought humanity to both sides of the battle lines. "German Red Cross Dogs head to the front."
"Belgian refugees leaving Brussels, their belongings in a wagon pulled by a dog, 1914."
THE NEXT 2 photos are heart wrenching BUT it was a reality of the HORROR and HELL that is WAR...
"Anti-tank dogs - ( Was sad adding this but this was the reality of War for dogs ) - dogs taught to carry explosives to tanks, armored vehicles and other military targets. They were intensively trained by the Soviet and Russian military forces between 1930 and 1996 and used in 1941–1942 against German tanks in World War II. Although the original dog training routine was to leave the bomb and retreat so that the bomb would be detonated by the timer, this routine failed and was replaced by an impact detonation procedure which killed the dog in the process. The U.S. military trained anti-tank dogs in 1943 for use against fortifications, but never deployed them."
"When the Germans advanced towards Moscow in 1941, Soviet troops were in a nearly hopeless situation because they lacked effective anti-tank weapons. Out of desperation, highly trained military dogs were used to destroy the enemy. Simultaneously, 56 dogs launched an attack and destroyed many enemy tanks. Not only did those dogs stop the offensive, but they also forced the Germans to flee the battlefield."
Let's end on a positive note. They were mascots...
..in the un-imaginable-misery of trench warfare during WWI, these dogs were companions...
...a touch of humanity before the fight...
...these were truly "Man's Best Friend" during the time...
...when our World was at War. - Rick
