Animals at war. Animals - heroes of the Great Patriotic War
Or as mine seekers. Elephants, pigeons, rats and even dolphins and sea lions can also be used during war.
Animals as weapons
For attacks on horseback or as direct combat
In ancient times, war elephants were used in the Indian, Roman, Carthaginian, and in the Middle Ages - in the Khmer army. At first, the warriors were very frightened by the unprecedented animals, but then they got used to it, and the elephants became less effective. There were usually two riders: one controlled the elephant, the other held a spear (the Khmers held a crossbow), or one, sometimes holding a spear, controlled the elephant, which simply trampled and scattered the enemy army with its tusks. A metal plate was placed on the animal’s muzzle and tusks to protect them from spears and arrows. Khmer warriors sat in booths. From ancient times until the 19th century, horses served both directly as a means of transportation and as draft force for chariots.
Animals are living bombs
During the Second World War, scientists in the United States were developing a project to create a “mouse bomb”. It was assumed that the carriers of these smallest (17 grams) in the history of aerial bombs would be bats dropped from airplanes in special self-extracting containers.
Mine-hunting animals
During the Great Patriotic War dogs were used as mine detectors.
Signal animals
Since the 18th century, sending correspondence via pigeons has been widely used in the armies of many countries. The importance of the “military service” of some birds was highly appreciated: for example, the English homing pigeon No. 888 was officially awarded the rank of colonel in the British army for its outstanding services during the First World War. For their part, the Germans used trained falcons as “fighters” against the English pigeon mail.
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- Air war
Boero, Jorge
See what “War animals” are in other dictionaries: War dogs
- – were used in battles of armies of the period of antiquity and the Middle Ages with the aim of directly killing enemy soldiers. In later times, dogs were used in war for various purposes, but directly for killing soldiers... ... Wikipedia- An elephant carrying a military leader is trying to break through the enemy’s formation. Engraving published in The Illustrated London News during the First Anglo-Sikh War... Wikipedia
Fighting dolphins- Combat dolphin of the U.S. program Navy Marine Mammal Program, nicknamed KDog, performs mine clearance in the Persian Gulf during the Iraq War ... Wikipedia
War pigs- War pigs are the name of pigs used in ancient times and modern times for combat purposes in the armies of various states. Contents 1 Combat use 1.1 Antiquity ... Wikipedia
War camels- Painting by 19th century artist Horace Vernet on a biblical subject. War camels are camels used in the armies of antiquity and the Middle Ages to transport goods and riders, as well as directly in battle. Containing... Wikipedia
War chariots- The Chariot in Egypt The Chariot appeared in the south of Europe, in the Black Sea region and in India. Chariot a large wheeled vehicle used as driving force racing animals. Contents 1 History ... Wikipedia
The power of animals has always impressed man. Initially, he deified this power. The strength of kings and leaders of ancient peoples was often compared to the strength of a lion, elephant, and bull. It is not surprising that people decided and learned to use this power for military purposes. Thus, the pharaohs on campaigns and battles were usually accompanied by a fighting lion. But the first military animals were, of course, horses. They were harnessed to fast chariots driven by a skillful driver. And behind the driver there were one or two archers. The first chariots appeared in the East in Mesopotamia during the reign of the Sumerians. The Hyksos people who conquered Egypt around 1700 BC. e., introduced him to the chariots of the pharaohs. Since then, they too hunted lions and went into battle, standing on fast two-wheeled combat carts. In the armies of the pharaoh there appeared connections
Persian war chariot
charioteers' opinions. But the first completely charioteer army was created by the Hittites. And they were the first to prove his remarkable combat capabilities by quickly surrounding the Pharaoh’s army in the battle of Kadesh. Fast chariots also carried Greek heroes. The Persian chariots were armed with sharp scythes on the drawbar, which struck enemy warriors galloping ahead on horses. But the Romans already used only mounted cavalry in battles; chariots remained ancient Rome for triumphal processions of emperors and competitions at hippodromes.
The most terrible and powerful ally of people in military affairs of those times was the war elephant - a living tank ancient world. Elephants were caught young and specially raised and trained. The tusks of war elephants were bound with metal, and a special cabin was attached to their back, which could accommodate up to a dozen or more warriors at once. From the height of the mighty giant, they sent darts and arrows, and the elephant ran, trampled, struck with its trunk and tusks, striking terror into the souls of enemy warriors. True, people often turned out to be more cunning than animals. They scattered sharp metal thorns on the ground, wounding the soles of the elephants, pierced the unprotected belly with sharp spears, and hamstrung them. And then the rage of the animals, distraught with pain, sometimes turned against their owners. Turning around, they trampled the ranks of their master's army.
War elephants were part of the armies of African and Asian states, because these animals are found only there. Elephants arriving from India fought with the troops of Alexander the Great on the side of the Persian king Darius. They met the same great conqueror Alexander on the battlefield when he reached Bactria with his army. Hannibal, the Carthaginian commander, starting the war against Rome, transported forty war elephants from Africa across the sea.
Reading time: 4 minutes. Views 168 Published Nov 16, 2010
This post is about animals that help a person serve in the army or during military operations in general.
On 10th place we have bats).
Probably many people know that bats were especially carefully studied by military scientists. And not only to invent radar and similar devices. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, American scientists proposed using bats, attention!, as carriers of incendiary bombs. It was supposed to secretly equip Japanese bats with incendiary bombs. The Americans even conducted a similar experiment. As a result, the fake Japanese village really burned down, but along with it, the car of a US Army general and one barracks))
9th place is held with honor by the camel cavalry regiment, which successfully coped with combat missions in the territory North Africa. Such a regiment had many advantages. Firstly, camels are extremely hardy animals, able to endure hunger and thirst. Secondly, the enemy’s horses were wildly afraid of the smell of camels and were incapable of adequate action. The last time camels were used was during the First World War
On 8th place fighting bees hit. The ancient Greeks used angry bees to confuse their opponents. Bees were also used during the siege of cities. The defenders of the walls threw hives of bees onto the heads of the attackers. The smart-ass Turks used poisoned honey. The soldiers of the opposing army, greedy for sweets, ate the delicacy, and then suffered for a long time with their stomachs and generally lost all combat effectiveness.
The Americans, as always, stood out. Instead of using bees for their intended purpose, they began to teach them to find mines) Naturally, without success.
7th place- sea lions. It was the US Army that began to fully use marine mammals for its needs. Sea lions did enter service in the US Navy as mine detectors and underwater reconnaissance officers. They really succeeded in this. The fact is that sea lions are perfectly trainable and at the same time are able to dive to a depth of 300 meters, swim at a speed of 40 km/h, and in general, have excellent orientation in the sea. So, rubber boat with two people and one sea lion, it can replace an entire boat for searching for sea mines!
On 6th place We have carrier pigeons. In fact, pigeons were used to deliver mail in peacetime, but during the First World War they became truly necessary. In total, approximately 200,000 carrier pigeons were used during this war.
5th place occupied by dolphins. They, along with sea lions, have served in the US Navy since the 1960s. Dolphins/, for example, were used during the Gulf War. Basically, these animals perform the functions of scouts, however, there are rumors that there are specially trained dolphins that can attack enemy divers. IN American army these rumors are denied
In 4th place are war elephants. These huge animals were a real threat to the ancient world. An army that had war elephants could more likely claim victory, since both horses and enemy soldiers were afraid of elephants.
3rd place, don’t be surprised, sapper rats. The use of rats as mine detectors began quite recently (the Dutch began to do this, after all, allowing the use of soft drugs justifies itself).
Marsupial rats are trained for about 9 months and only after that they are released “into the fields.” Using its excellent sense of smell, the rat easily finds explosives. By the way, on this moment These wonderful rodents have neutralized about 2 million square meters. km in Mozambique. Also, anyone can take care of such a rodent and allocate money for its maintenance, and in return enjoy letters about the career of their ward.
2nd place occupied by horses. Until recently, not a single military campaign could have been completed without horses. Previously, it was the cavalry that was considered the elite of any army. Very good. that now the situation has changed, because I still feel sorry for the horses.
And on 1st place Of course we have dogs. There is nothing to say about their help to man; much has already been said and written. So just post these cool animals first on your blog!
Fighting animals bring benefits to their owner in battles. The strength and type of impact depend on the type and level of the animal.
Some pets can be purchased at the inn, others by completing a specific quest.
To use the help of an animal in battle, you need:
Types of fighting animals:
WolfThe wolf is the first animal domesticated by man. Sarkel wolves are famous all over the world for their devotion to their master and indomitable fury in battle. His ability is to deal extra damage when hit. In terms of combat parameters, the wolf is a generalist.
How to get: A wolf can be bought for 100 florins.
Requirements:
Level: 1
Properties:
Food: rabbit (1 piece/day)
Capabilities:
Extra hit
The inhabitants of Morion were the first to tame eagles, using their strong beaks and wings both in hunting and in battles. The eagle's ability is to use part of the damage it inflicts to restore its own life level. Its main parameters are “critical hit” and “anti-dodge”.
How to get: To tame an eagle you need to talk to Stalker Jastrex, who lives in Kitezh on the Ristalishche.
Each taming attempt costs 25 florins and is available once per day.
Requirements:
Level: 1
Properties:
Food: mouse (1 piece/day)
Capabilities:
Someone else's blood
The flexible and elusive black panther has been used in hunting and fighting since ancient times. Her ability is to inflict bleeding, slowly healing wounds in battle. The main parameters of the panther are “anti-dodge” and “critical hit”.
How to get: To tame a panther you will need a Lasso. It sells for 25 florins Hunter El Abahan, which lives on Big road Ar Qaima.
For some reason they usually say “you” to cats, although not a single cat has ever drunk with anyone in brotherhood. (Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov)
Requirements:
Level: 1
Properties:
Food: meat (1 piece/day)
Capabilities:
Bloody wound
Baboon
This formidable representative of the Ankor jungle will save your life more than once in harsh battles. Its ability is to restore part of the owner’s life level in battle. The main parameters of the baboon are “dodge” and “against critical strike”.
How to get: To tame a wild Baboon, you must defeat it in a fair fight. To do this, you need to arrive on the High Road of Ar Qaim, talk to Hunter El Abahan And buy a banana from him for 25 fl. When attacking a baboon located in the same location, use a banana to prevent the baboon from rolling over in battle. If you are not confident in your abilities, you can purchase from the Hunter a Whip (damages the baboon) and a Torch (scares the baboon and he cannot attack you), 50 fl each.
Requirements:
Level: 1
Properties:
Food: banana (1 piece/day)
Capabilities:
Healing
Polar bears are found in the cold, icy deserts of the far North. This powerful beast is indispensable in difficult and protracted battles. Its ability is to increase the damage caused by the owner. The main parameters of the bear are “anti-dodge” and “anti-critical strike”.
How to get: Get combative polar bear you can by taking first place in knightly tournaments held by the Game Administration. You can learn about tournaments from the game news and on the forum.
Requirements:
Level: 1
Properties:
Food: fish (1 piece/day)
Capabilities:
Blessing
A distant relative of the winged pegasus - the magical unicorn - remains one of the rarest and most beautiful creatures of this world. The unicorn's abilities are to increase the damage inflicted by the owner, as well as stunning the enemy with some particularly powerful blows. Its main parameters are “anti-dodge” and “anti-critical strike”.
How to get: The unicorn can be obtained by completing the quest chain "Pandora's Box"
Requirements:
Level: 1
Properties:
Food: acelas berries (1 piece/day)
Capabilities:
Blessing
Stun
Possessing a poisonous sting, the flexible and cunning manticore is one of the most dangerous predators in the world. The manticore's abilities are to inflict bloody, slowly healing wounds in battle and poison with a deadly sting, instantly reducing the enemy's stamina by 50%. Its main parameters are “anti-dodge” and “critical hit”.
How to get: The manticore can be obtained by completing the quest chain "Pandora's Box"
Requirements:
Level: 1
Properties:
Food: moonfish (1 piece/day)
Capabilities:
Bloody wound
Weakening
A magical bird that rises from the ashes every time after death is the dream of every hunter of ancient artifacts. The Phoenix has two abilities - to restore part of the owner’s life level in battle and to resurrect after its death. The main parameters of the phoenix are “dodge” and “against critical strike”.
How to get: Complete the final achievement "Secret Admirer" or "Yeoman"
Requirements:
Level: 1
Properties:
Feed: golden grain (1 piece/day)
Capabilities:
Healing
Resurrection
Griffin
Since ancient times, the majestic Griffins guarded the entrance to the city of the sun Helios. Now they have descended from heaven to serve anyone worthy of them. The main characteristics are critical hit and anti-dodge.
How to get:
Requirements:
Level: 1
Properties:
Food: golden scorpion (1 piece/day)
Capabilities:
Someone else's blood
Rust
Snow Wolf
Snow Wolves - distant relatives of the Sarkel wolves, taken long ago to the northern lands - differ from their brothers in lighter fur and an evil character. Their ability is to deal extra damage when hit. In terms of combat parameters, the snow wolf is a generalist.
How to get: Wait for action from the Administration.
Requirements:
Level: 1
Properties:
Food: rabbit (1 piece/day)
Capabilities:
Extra hit
Jaguar
The spotted jaguar is probably the fastest animal on earth. His ability is to inflict bleeding, slowly healing wounds in battle. The main parameters of the jaguar are “anti-dodge” and “critical hit”.
How to get: Wait for action from the Administration.
Requirements:
Level: 1
Properties:
Food: meat (1 piece/day)
Capabilities:
Bloody wound
Brown bear
The plains-dwelling brown bear is easier to tame than its northern counterpart. However, in battle this powerful beast shows itself no worse than polar bears. Its ability is to maximize the owner’s “critical hit” and “anti-dodge” parameters for one turn. The main parameters of the bear are “anti-dodge” and “anti-critical strike”.
How to get: Available upon achieving Ultimate Champion.
Requirements:
Level: 1
Properties:
Food: fish (1 piece/day)
Capabilities:
Blessing
Lycanthrope
This is a mythical animal from another world outside of Carnage, so it does not obey its rules. From birth it has parameters and characteristics maximum level(stronger than the most seasoned Wolf) and only his health increases as he grows older. Occasionally, it uses techniques identical to those from Epic and Legendary skins. Food for this creature will have to be obtained directly in battles.
How to get: Wait for action from the Administration.
Requirements:
Level: 1
Properties:
Feed: fresh meat (1 piece/day)
Capabilities:
Anger
All-encompassing Wrath
Mercy
All-Inclusive Grace
The power of animals impressed man so much that in ancient times he deified this power. And often traced its origins to some large and strong, agile and deadly beast.
The strength of kings and leaders of ancient peoples was often compared to the strength of a lion, elephant, and bull. It is not surprising that people decided and learned to use this power for military purposes. Thus, the pharaohs on campaigns and battles were usually accompanied by a fighting lion.
Dogs have been our companions since the Stone Age. Hannibal's war elephants, with which he defeated the invincible legions of the Romans, are a legend of ancient times. Pigeons have always been postmen...
The list goes on. Few people know how inventively people used animals, and how many secrets have sunk into the darkness of time along with these brave fighters.
Dolphins vs scuba divers
During the US war in Vietnam (1965-1975), in the port of Cam Ranh, American ships were attacked by Vietnamese combat swimmers. The successful sabotage, as a result of which the Pentagon lost two combat transports with aircraft on board, was carried out by Vietnamese scuba divers. Then the Americans used killer dolphins against them. Several meetings with dolphins and sea lions, after which not a single one of the Vietnamese combat swimmers sent on the mission returned to base, was quite enough. The attacks of Vietnamese saboteurs stopped...
Fighting dolphins are just one example of use on military service our smaller brothers. Humanity, as the most highly organized species of animals on Earth, has long sought to subjugate nature and all living things. And in the wars it wages, not only technical achievements, but also living beings were and continue to be used.
We often believe that animals simply follow the trainer's commands, and that's all. In fact, since ancient times, people have known that it is possible to establish a sensory connection with lesser brothers (empathic contact), telepathic contact, that one can move into the bodies of animals using a special technique of astral projection of consciousness, etc.
Fierce dogs of war
Dogs, which have lived next to humans since time immemorial, have long attracted the attention of warriors. Ancient Egyptian and Greek chronicles tell in detail about the famous Assyrian fighting dogs that fought on the battlefield along with warriors. They were tall mighty dogs, predominantly dark in color with shaggy, but short, coarse hair. A wide strong chest, powerful thick paws and a huge mouth with terrible sharp fangs distinguished Assyrian fighting dogs from all breeds then known to man. The papyri claim that such a dog could easily bite the leg of a cavalry horse.
The Assyrians made special armor reinforced with metal for their fighting dogs, protecting the head, chest and back of the animal from arrows, darts, spears, blows from swords and clubs. Usually, armored fighting dogs went on the attack along with the war chariots of the Assyrian army and were used like trained cheetahs. Much less often such dogs were released against enemy foot formations. Fragments of ancient bas-reliefs with images of huge fighting dogs have been preserved, but, unfortunately, the very breed of these huge amazing dogs has long been hopelessly lost. Scientists believe that a similar breed of dog was bred by the Vikings.
And what’s interesting is that a priest is depicted next to a group of warriors with dogs. And so it is everywhere. Esotericists believe that the Assyrian priests exercised mystical (telepathic) control over dogs. This was necessary in case the animals got out of control. And this was inevitable in a bloody battle.
Dogs also played an unusual role in the wars of the 20th century. Since the mid-30s, the USSR began experiments in fighting tanks with the help of dogs. The Central School of Military Dog Breeding developed and first used special mines in 1939 at Khalkhin Gol. The dog was trained to quickly rush under the tank, and from a short distance, so that it would quickly find itself in the “dead” zone of the tank’s machine guns. An anti-tank mine with 2-4 kg of explosives was placed in the dog’s pack.
Already in July 1941, the first battalion of tank destroyers using demolition dogs was sent to the front. Several more followed. The successful use of demolition dogs came as a complete surprise to the enemy. The German command issued special instructions on how to combat tank destroyer dogs.
On Leningrad Front in the special-purpose battalion, commanded by Major P.A. Zavodchikov, dogs were trained with explosives in a special bag to make their way through the passages in the barbed wire that the Germans left for defectors from our side. Once in the enemy's position, the dogs ran into bunkers, rushed at the doors of bunkers, dugouts and other shelters where they smelled people. At the same time, fuses inserted into packs with felt, which the dogs carried on their backs, touched a wall or door, were triggered and exploded the mine. Subsequently, due to the increase in the number of anti-tank artillery in the troops, the need for using service dogs to destroy tanks decreased, the number of tank destroyer units was reduced, and in October 1943 they were eliminated. Instead, they began to create mine-detecting companies using dogs. During the Great Patriotic War, service demolition dogs destroyed over 300 tanks, assault guns and many other military equipment, weapons and manpower of the enemy.
Today science has recognized that animals act not only on the basis of unconditioned and conditioned reflexes, but also at the behest of their brain, which, of course, has more disabilities than a human, but still has certain abilities. And esotericists believe that animals are also endowed with a soul, like people, only it is at a lower level of development. In light of the above, researchers pose the question: kamikaze dogs, dolphins with mines, etc. - do they realize that they are going to their death? No one has yet really addressed the moral issues of using animals for military purposes.
One of the most interesting achievements of ancient military thought was the use of specially trained war elephants in battles. Europeans first encountered them during the campaigns of Alexander the Great. Having defeated the troops of the Persian king Darius III in several battles, Alexander led his soldiers further to the East, to conquer India. Most Indian rulers - the Maharajas - had war elephants in the ranks of their troops. Elephants performed many different combat tasks in the troops of the Maharajas. They can be compared to tanks breaking through the enemy front - what then was capable of stopping such a colossus? There were no firearms, and elephants were not frightened by arrows: so that they would not annoy the giants, they were put on special blankets and breastplates, and their heads were covered with something like a huge helmet. Made from thick leather and dense quilted material, elephant armor performed its functions perfectly. As in a herd, in battle elephants usually closely followed their leader.
A special turret was usually placed on the back of a war elephant; a driver and several well-aimed archers sat in it, sending arrows at the enemy in all directions or throwing darts. Sometimes the driver was placed outside the turret or there was no turret at all, in order to use the animal as a giant living rammer, kicking enemy soldiers into the ground. Elephants often played the role of a living battering ram, especially when destroying the adobe walls of eastern fortresses, and very successfully resisted the attacks of dashing cavalry, covering the infantry formation with a huge human shield.
Many ancient authors wrote about war elephants with admiration and fear. From them the ancient Romans learned about the giants in armor, so the war elephants of the Carthaginian commander Hannibal were not used by the Latins. secret weapon. But they still remained a very formidable and dangerous enemy.
The intelligence and other abilities of elephants have been debated for many centuries. To find out which of the representatives of the animal world is the smartest, a special study was conducted at the Basel Zoological University. Certification was carried out according to several parameters, the main one being the ability to solve complex problems. But not from a human point of view, but those that various animals can encounter in their usual habitat. The orangutan won first place in intelligence. His mental abilities correspond to the level of an adult, but uneducated person. The chimpanzee ranks slightly lower in the intellectual ranking - at the level of a 4-5 year old child. Next come the elephants. Moreover, they have excellent memory. In particular, these giants are able to remember the insult inflicted on them and take revenge many years later.
Fast as the wind
Many African tribes caught young cheetahs, skillfully trained them and released them in battle against the enemy. This is mentioned in ancient Egyptian papyri telling about wars with the Nubians. Scientists also find mention of fighting cheetahs on Assyrian clay tablets. As ancient authors noted, trained cheetahs acted especially effectively against enemy cavalry and war chariots: they easily jumped onto the backs of horses while running and tore with their powerful claws horsemen and charioteers, who in those days did not yet know metal armor.
Naturally, horses, sensing on their backs wild beast, they were very frightened and, distraught, breaking off the lines, they ran away. The Egyptians, seeing what was happening, more than once tried to adopt the tactics combat use cheetahs. But absolutely unknown to history reasons, the use of the world's fastest predators for military purposes suddenly ceased. This remains an unsolved mystery.
Living rams
The force of the blow of the curved ribbed horns of a running ram is not just great, but terrible: it easily breaks 5-centimeter boards into splinters. And if an animal runs into a person, it can kill or maim him. Add to this the fact that, rushing at the enemy, the ram knows no fear and fights bravely until victory or death. This was noticed in ancient times by the peoples of Persia and Azerbaijan. For a long time, males suitable for fighting qualities were selected from flocks and, to enhance the effectiveness of their fighting actions, they were given a special muzzle before the battle, which securely held a metal plate with sharp spikes on the head - the ram beat the enemy like a huge scary brass knuckles. True, after this the animal often died, but it could easily demolish, kill or cripple an armed rider along with his horse, and several of these fighting rams, like an unstoppable battering ram, punched a wide hole in either the enemy’s horse or foot formation.
To be fair, it is worth noting: fighting rams were usually not widely used in battles.
Animals under saddle
But the first military animals were, of course, horses. They were harnessed to fast chariots driven by a skillful driver. And behind the driver stood several archers. The first chariots appeared in the East in Mesopotamia back in the time of the Sumerians. The Hyksos people who conquered Egypt around 1700 BC. e., introduced him to the chariots of the pharaohs. Since then, they too hunted lions and went into battle, standing on fast two-wheeled combat carts. But the first army, entirely consisting of chariots, was created by the Hittites. They were the first to prove its remarkable capabilities by quickly surrounding the Pharaoh's army in the battle of Kadet. Fast chariots also carried Greek heroes. The Persian chariots were armed with sharp scythes on the drawbar, which struck enemy warriors galloping on horses. But the Romans already used only mounted cavalry in battles; chariots remained in ancient Rome for the triumphal processions of emperors and competitions on hippodromes.
Sometimes in ancient times horses that had become soldiers long ago were used quite cunningly. The Mongol khans, throwing their troops into battle, ordered fresh herds to be driven into the distance - the enemy easily mistook large masses of horse for fresh tumens of the Horde. This helped them seriously intimidate the enemy and break his morale. However, a lot is known about the horse-soldier; this is a separate long story.
The military fate of the camel is much less known. We are accustomed to consider it a “ship of the desert”, proudly and slowly walking along the hot sands with luggage on its humps. Meanwhile, for many centuries in a row there existed the famous camel cavalry, which operated successfully and very actively back in the 20th century. Historical chronicles say that the Arabs were the first to think of fighting on camels. In the early Middle Ages, under the Prophet Muhammad, who personally participated in many fierce battles, the first followers of Allah improved and expanded the scope of use of camel cavalry, which in the endless sands, in terms of maneuverability and speed of movement, would give a decent head start to the cavalry we are used to. Then they created a comfortable saddle, which minor changes has survived to this day.
It is known for certain that in the Patriotic War of 1812, two regiments of Bashkir cavalry operated as part of the Russian army. Several hundred horsemen in the Bashkir regiments had not horses, but camels. And they, together with the entire Russian army, entered Paris in 1813!
First world war the legendary English intelligence officer Thomas Lawrence, who operated in Arabia, also preferred camels to horses. At the head of the Arab camel cavalry units, he was the first to enter the cities liberated by the rebels from the Turks. Today, camel cavalry exists as an exotic item among some wealthy Tuareg sheikhs roaming the Sahara in Morocco.
Anti-tank cat and mouse
They fought their battles in basements, warehouses and tank engine compartments, far from the well-known battles of men. The formation of the first Soviet anti-tank mice units began in 1941. This was done by Dr. Igor Valenko from Smolensk University. The mouse, with its ability to penetrate holes up to 4 times smaller in diameter than the diameter of its own body and destroy electrical wiring and small parts, was an ideal tool for disabling tanks and other mechanized means. The mice were transported to the scene of action on small, almost silent Po-2 planes. The first operation was carried out in the spring of 1942 in the Kirov region. The result must have impressed the leadership of the Red Army, as mice were used more than once in the battles of Stalingrad.
The German response to the “machinations of the Russians” was the creation of cat units. They were also thrown into battle against British tanks. Some time later, the British created cable insulation that was inedible for mice, and the cat guard units were disbanded.
After undoing the successes of his mouse legion, Dr. Valenko was depressed. Until a new idea came to him: to provide mice with a canine escort from among the dogs already trained and ready to carry out tasks. If you drop one or two dogs along with the mice, this will neutralize the cats and allow the mice to get to their targets. This was already a desperate attempt to preserve the idea of anti-tank mice, but still several dogs were allocated for this purpose.
The few actions carried out had little success. Perhaps because the new German Tigers were practically invulnerable to mice - fuel fumes killed them before they could cause any harm to the electrical wiring. In any case, by 1943 the USSR already had enough traditional anti-tank weapons and no longer needed such exotic versions.
They say: maddened horses, angry dogs with bloody fangs, wildly trumpeting elephants, trampling and sweeping away everything in their path - how can all this be called reasonable actions? And human warriors - what do they look like in the midst of battle? Also on bloody madmen. It is not without reason that when chanting the exploits of heroes, their strength and actions were often compared with the strength and actions of mighty beasts.
Man often treats animals patronizingly, considering them imperfect, more primitive forms of life. But is this fair? After all, many of them are in some ways much more perfect than us and are endowed with feelings and abilities that we have either lost or never had.