Cher Ami was stuffed and mounted after his death and is now in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Cher Ami’s moment of heroism came during the actions of the so-called “ Lost Battalion.” During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the German army surrounded elements of the 77th Division, besieging them for five days. The pigeon known as Cher Ami also gained fame during World War I. While he sustained numerous injuries, President Wilson was able to make his flight back to headquarters in record time-in under 25 minutes. Seeing Wilson rise above the opposing lines, the German soldiers opened fire on him, peppering him with bullets. (111-SC-67518, Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, National Archives)Įngaging the enemy on the morning of October 5, 1918, President Wilson’s unit released him to request artillery support. Photograph of President Wilson, when he was stationed at the Pentagon in the care of the Army. His most famous moment came when assisting the 78th Infantry near Grandpre during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. infantry men in their fight against Germany. One bird of renown was known as “President Wilson.” Born in France, President Wilson assisted both the American tank corps and U.S. During the course of the war, many birds performed heroic deeds in the course of service and became heroes in their own rights. While the other Allied powers were first to use birds, the United States did not lag far behind when we entered the fray. The mobile lofts were useful when the armies outpaced their established lines of communications or when the enemy disrupted communications lines for the telegraphs or telephones, as they often did during battle. Photograph of a mobile station that was used to house pigeons when they were deployed away from their home. When the birds were away from their home lofts, they stayed in mobile units, which were usually converted horse carriages or even double-decker buses. The birds’ most effective use was on the front line, as they were brought forward with their armies to help update commanders and planners in the rear. Without a radio set, the soldiers would have had to leave the relative safety of their tanks to relay or receive orders. Even after the introduction of the radio, pigeons were often the easiest way to help coordinate tank units without exposing the men to dangerous fire. Tanks carried the birds in order to relay the advance of individual units. Quick updates like this were essential for leaders to know what the battlefield looked like and what the enemy was doing in its own trenches. Launched mid-mission, the birds would fly back to their coops and update ground commanders on what the pilots had observed. The rudimentary airplanes of the embattled countries used pigeons to provide updates midair. Pigeons were used at the front to keep commanders in the rear up to date on the action and enemy movement. Their service as battlefield messengers is their most known use, and the pigeons found homes in every branch of service. One of the most impressive things about the war records of the carrier pigeons was how widely the birds were used. Using these messages and the history of the carrier pigeon in battle, we can look at what hardship these fearless fowls endured and how their actions saved American lives. The National Archives has a vast collection of messages that these feathered fighters delivered for American soldiers. Unsung heroes of World War I, the carrier pigeons of both the Allied and Central Powers helped assist their respective commanders with an accuracy and clarity unmatched by technology. and the pigeons he is raising for the Army, 1918. In an attempt to improve combat communications, the leaders of World War I turned to a much older form of communication: the carrier pigeon. Unfortunately, technology-like the telephone or the telegraph-was not as reliable as the commanders of Europe would have liked. In a conflict of the size and duration of World War I, communication was key. Even the recent invention of the telephone made its way into battlefield units, where soldiers used it to convey orders or direct artillery fire. From the introduction of airplanes to the use of tanks and railway guns on the battlefield, soldiers had to contend not only with each other but with the productions of the factory floor. World War I was one of the first great wars during the industrial revolution. Today’s post comes from Garet Anderson-Lind from the National Archives History Office.
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