Dogs with Foreign Armies 247 



made the journey four times between the front line and 

 the officer commanding the battalion, and during a violenl 

 barrage. The messages were brought by the dog, in about 

 forty minutes, while a runner took one hour and ten 

 minutes. 



The 24th D. I. organized a service of sentry and mes- 

 senger dogs, in the sector Neuville St. Vaast, at the end 

 of 1 916, under difficult circumstances. It was at Maison de 

 Champagne that the dogs were the most distinguished. 

 Four dogs covered a distance of fifteen hundred metres in 

 eight minutes several times during the day, under a bom- 

 bardment of gas and high-explosive shells. At Auberrive, 

 the dogs of several companies very usefully doubled the 

 telephone and runner methods of communication. The 

 dogs followed their masters in the conquered trenches, in 

 the new sector at Auberrive. 



With the 8th Army, during the month of February, 1916, 

 the messenger dog, " Pacht," conducted by two soldiers 

 to an observation post at the Fort Regnault, carried mes- 

 sages over a ravine bombarded by artillery and machine-gun 

 fire. 



On the night of 19th April, 191 7, at the Camp de 

 Colardeble, with a reconnoitring party, before a contem- 

 plated attack, communication was established by the dog 

 " Dagon," who carried the first communication from the 

 patrol, who had no other messenger. 



During the night of 16th April, 1917, communication 

 was established by this dog, " Dagon," under a very violent 

 bombardment. The dog arrived at Headquarters with a 

 request for reinforcements long before the message was 

 received by telephone. 



With the 13th Army Corps.— Good results were obtained 

 with messenger dogs, particularly in front of St. Quentin. 



