Fighting, no matter where in our planet they are, is always a tragedy, and on a much larger scale than it might seem at first glance.
In addition to tens, hundreds or even thousands of lost and distorted lives, this is also a significant financial loss for the state economy and huge damage to nature.
Unfortunately, in such situations, we can't always imagine how animals feel in war. We simply do not have enough time or emotions for this.
But in vain… Indeed, according to experts, in most cases, our smaller brothers do not understand what is happening around, and why a previously safe lawn or a forest edge drenched in the sun suddenly turned into a dangerous minefield. This means that both wild and domestic animals require special attention and participation during the war years. As they say, we are actually responsible for those we have tamed.
Although sometimes the situation develops in such a way that it is the animals in the war that become valuable scouts, guides, postmen and messengers, thereby helping us, people, to survive all the horrors and hardships.
Section 1. Fighting and our smaller brothers
Unfortunately, wars have been waged on earth since the dawn of peace. For one reason or another, people have always fought for certain ideals and will most likely continue to compete with each other in the future.
But animals have been and remain constant helpers of mankind in war for thousands of years. It so happened that at first only wild bees, released from special barrels at the enemy, indirectly participated in the battles, but with the tightening of battle tactics, the list of warring animals constantly increased.
Many people know what an invaluable contribution to the Victory made animals in the Great Patriotic War. True, they were mostly dogs that saved several tens of thousands of soldiers' lives. However, over time, cats, bats, and even seals and dolphins learned to "fight" too.
Animals-heroes of war is a topic that can be discussed endlessly. Let's try to give a few examples, thereby tracing history from the time of ancient conquests.
Section 2. Elephants and horses - warriors of the past
Even in ancient times, during clashes in India, Persia, Southeast Asia, the so-called war elephants were used. It is known that the originally famous commander Hannibal crossed the Alps with them. Subsequently, war elephants truly became a deadly weapon. Before the fight, they were given stimulants and wine, after which the animals lost their minds.and from pain and fear they rushed at everyone who appeared on their way. The shame of those years can be considered the fact that, as soon as the elephant got out of obedience, a special metal stake was hammered into the back of his head, which led to a "quick" death.
From the books and stories of our grandparents, we know that the animals that played a leading role during the war are horses. Moreover, they were used not only during the Second World War to transport the wounded and killed, but also in ancient times, several millennia ago.
Section 3. Unusual helper. A baboon named Jackie
Animals in the war are very different. So, for example, in 1915, one of the soldiers of Britain asked permission to take a domestic baboon with him to the war. The monkey named Jackie, thanks to his demeanor, in a short time became the mascot of the infantry regiment and had his own uniform.
Baboon saluted senior officers, ate with a fork and knife, participated in battles and crawled along trenches, smoked tobacco in a pipe for soldiers and knew how to calculate the enemy at a very long distance. And when the owner was wounded (a bullet pierced his shoulder right through), Jackie licked his wound right up to the arrival of the doctors. Three years later, he was wounded in his right leg (at that time the monkey was building a protective structure from fragments of stones!), which had to be amputated.
After his recovery, Jackie was promoted to corporal and was awarded a medal for bravery. The baboon, as a legitimate soldier, received a pension.
Section 4. Militarypigeons
A mail dove named Mary was very distinguished in the war. During the fighting, she flew four times from France to England and back with military notes. Dove was wounded three times in her missions, and after being attacked by a falcon, Mary's wing and chest were damaged. The bird received 22 stitches.
The second dove, Winky, rescued the entire crew of a ship that had run aground in the North Sea after being bombed. The commander released a dove with the hope that she would inform her of the attack. Winky flew 120 miles and completed the mission. The air force found the ship 15 minutes later.
Section 5. The most loyal animals in war: dogs
A certain Newfoundland named Simpleton was simply given to the Canadian military. Initially, raising a puppy, they did not even imagine what service he would serve them after some time. The thing is that later this dog participated with them in the defense of Hong Kong. When an enemy soldier threw a grenade into the military trench, the dog grabbed the ill-fated object in its teeth and ran towards the enemy. Unfortunately, saving the lives of the guys, it exploded along with the projectile.
Poynter Judy was practically considered an employee of the ship. The dog grew up on the ship, a certain amount of money was allocated for its feeding and treatment almost from its very birth. And, as it turned out later, not in vain. It was she who first noticed the Japanese air raid. After the sinking of the ship, the dog only on the second day sailed to a desert island, where the crew of the ship had landed earlier, and practicallyimmediately dug up a spring of fresh water. Later, she and her team were captured and spent four years there. By the way, not everyone knows that Judy was the only official captive animal.
Animals in the Great Patriotic War also played an important role. So, for example, the shepherd Irma of the East European breed helped to find the wounded under the rubble. Thanks to her, the lives of 191 soldiers were saved, for which her mistress, a resident of one of the villages of the Kursk region, was awarded an award.
Section 6. Anti-aircraft gunner cat
The animals-heroes of the Great Patriotic War were very different, but all of them, from small pigeons to large and hardy horses, worked for the benefit of the Victory. Of course, dogs were considered the most familiar and common helpers. However, attributing all the glory only to them is definitely not worth it.
In Belarus in 1944, the military picked up a ginger kitten, which the foreman almost immediately called Ryzhik. Always during the bombing, the cat disappeared somewhere and appeared only when everything calmed down. A peculiarity was noticed behind Ryzhik: a minute before the enemy raid, the kitten growled dully to the side, from where the enemy later appeared. In April 1945, when the war was almost over, Ryzhik again began to growl dully. The military trusted his instinct and put the equipment on alert. A minute later, a "hawk" appeared with a plume of smoke, and immediately behind it an enemy aircraft. The military immediately shot down the enemy in two bursts, and he fell half a kilometer from the place of deploymentsoldier. After the end of the war, Ryzhik was taken home by a Belarusian foreman.
Of course, this is not an isolated case. During the Second World War, cats were often taken aboard submarines. Thanks to their natural instinct and perfect hearing, they almost always managed to prevent enemy attacks in time and thereby save many lives.
Section 7. Commemorative memorial in London
It is unlikely that there will be someone who will deny the indisputable fact that the animals-heroes of the Great Patriotic War, as, in principle, the Second World War, and all others, played an important role in the events and in the successful completion military operations aimed at liberating their state from a daring, cynical and bloodthirsty enemy.
That is why not so long ago, in 2004, it was decided to establish a special memorial for such animals. Now it is located in London near Hyde Park, and it was created by an Englishman named D. Backhouse.
The memorial is dedicated to the memory of all animals that served and died in human battles. Now the figures of many animals are visible on the monument, and the images of two mules, a horse, a dog, a camel, an elephant, an ox, a cow, a cat, a dolphin and carrier pigeons are most striking. The inscription, which reads: “They had no choice,” is also striking.
