Sentry Dogs 228 



the troops are advancing through enclosed country, and arc 

 liable to be ambushed. 



I here give a statement, written by a non-commissioned 

 officer, who saw service in German East Africa in th< war. 

 He afterwards came for instruction at the War Dog School, 

 and the article was written after his course, and when lie 

 thoroughly understood the possibilities and limitations of 

 this sort of dog service : 



Uses of Dogs in Savage Warfare 

 patrol 



In savage warfare, where patrols have to penetrate 

 dense bush, and are liable to be ambushed any time, two 

 dogs accompanying the advance guard, and allowed to go 

 freely ahead — say, 150 to 200 yards — and also permitted 

 to wander into the bush, would practically eliminate any 

 risk of the main patrol party being cut up. (Patrol parties 

 usually are about fifty strong in dense bush country.) 



One instance I may quote was at a post named Bura, 

 East Africa, on the military railway from Voi to Maktau. 

 A large body had to patrol the roadway, which ran 

 parallel to the railway, and on the return journey came 

 back along the railway track. In November, 1915, a 

 patrol were on the above-mentioned duty, and everything 

 went all right, until a very dense part of the forest was 

 reached, where two trails crossed. The advance party 

 were allowed to pass unmolested, but immediately the 

 main body of the patrol arrived, a large force of Germans 

 opened fire, and practically annihilated our patrol. If the 

 advance guard had been accompanied by two dogs, (not 

 on leash), the possibility would have been that the enemy 

 would have been detected, and the patrol saved. 



