War Dogs

[mack pl]

A little known, but interesting chapter in Quartermaster History is the War Dog program. During World War II, not long after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the American Kennel Club and a new group calling itself "Dogs for Defense" mobilized dog owners across the country to donate quality animals to the Quartermaster Corps. Dogs donated by a patriotic public to the Army saved the lives of a number of soldiers in combat.

Beginning on 13 March 1942, the Quartermaster Corps ran the Army's so-called "K-9 Corps" and undertook to change these new recruits into good fighting "soldiers." The readily-used phrase "K-9 Corps" became a popular title for the War Dog Program in the 1940s and 50s, and found wide informal usage both inside and outside the military. The term however is not official. Its origin lies in its phonetic association with the equally unofficial, alternative phrase "Canine Corps."

At first more than thirty breeds were accepted. Later the list was narrowed down to German Shepherds, Belgian Sheep Dogs, Doberman Pinschers, Farm Collies and Giant Schnauzers. In all, a little over 19,000 dogs were procured between 1942 and 1945 (about 45% of these were rejected as unsuited for training). Initially the Quartermaster Corps placed the War Dog Program in its Plant Protection Branch of the Inspection Division, on the theory that dogs would be used chiefly with guards at civilian war plants.

The first estimates were that only about 200 dogs would be needed, but that soon changed. Dogs for Defense worked with qualified civilian trainers, who volunteered their services without pay, to train dogs for the program. Soon the demand for sentry dogs outstripped the original limited training program. As requirements increased reception and training responsibility was transferred to the Quartermaster Remount Branch, which had years of experience dealing with animals. Dogs for Defense continued its highly successful campaign to solicit donations of dogs. In the fall of 1942 the program expanded to procure and train dogs for the Navy and Coast Guard as well. Later these branches procured and trained their own dogs.

Training

The first War Dog Reception and Training Center was established at Front Royal, Virginia in August 1942. During the war, five War Dog Reception and Training Centers were operated by the Quartermaster Corps. These were located at Front Royal, Virginia; Fort Robinson, Nebraska; Cat Island, Gulfport, Mississippi; Camp Rimini at Helena, Montana and San Carlos, California. Small temporary training centers were set up at Beltsville, Maryland and Fort Belvoir, Virginia to train mine detection dogs (This task was later transferred to San Carlos). Initially the training program was experimental since dog reception and training was, with the exception of sled dogs, entirely new to the Army.

The Quartermaster Corps trained dog handlers, most of which were Quartermaster soldiers, as well as dogs and was responsible for developing all doctrine for training and use of War Dogs. It even developed a Technical Manual; TM 10-396, War Dogs, 1 July 1943.

Total training time for a dog was between 8-12 weeks. At the training centers, dogs began a rigid military routine. A "basic training" period was initiated where dogs were trained to carry out certain fundamental commands such as sit, stay, come, etc... They were also accustomed to muzzles, gas masks, riding in military vehicles and to gunfire. After completion of basic training each dog went through specialized training:

Sentry Dogs

Worked on a short leash and were taught to give warning by growling, alerting or barking. They were especially valuable for working in the dark when attack from cover or the rear was most likely. The sentry dog was taught to accompany a military or civilian guard on patrol and gave him warning of the approach or presence of strangers within the area protected.

Scout or Patrol Dogs

In addition to the skills listed for sentry dogs, scout/patrol dogs were trained to work in silence in order to aid in the detection of snipers, ambushes and other enemy forces in a particular locality.

Messenger Dogs

The most desired quality in these dogs was loyalty, since he must be motivated by the desire to work with two handlers. They learned to travel silently and take advantage of natural cover when moving between the two handlers. (A total of 151 messenger dogs were trained.)

Mine Dogs

Called the M-Dog or mine detection dog they were trained to find trip wires, booby traps, metallic and non-metallic mines. (About 140 dogs were trained. Only two units were activated. Both were sent to North Africa where the dogs had problems detecting mines under combat conditions.)

War Dog Use

Of the 10,425 dogs trained, around 9,300 were for sentry duty. Trained sentry dogs were issued to hundreds of military organizations such as coastal fortifications, harbor defenses, arsenals, ammunition dumps, airfields, depots and industrial plants. The largest group of sentry dogs (3,174) were trained in 1943 and issued to the Coast Guard for beach patrols guarding against enemy submarine activities.

By early 1944, when the US military went on the offensive in both the Pacific and European Theaters, the emphasis shifted to supplying dogs for combat. In March 1944, the War Department authorized the creation of Quartermaster War Dog Platoons and issued special TO&Es (tables of organization & equipment) for that purpose. Fifteen platoons were activated in World War II. Seven saw service in Europe and eight in the Pacific.

The scout dog and his Quartermaster handler normally walked point on combat patrols, well in front of the infantry patrol. Scout dogs could often detect the presence of the enemy at distances up to 1,000 yards, long before men became aware of them. When a scout dog alerted to the enemy it would stiffen its body, raise its hackles, pricking his ears and holding its tail rigid. The presence of the dogs with patrols greatly lessened the danger of ambush and tended to boost the morale of the soldiers.

Because of their success, demand for scout dogs in particular was growing during the closing days of the war and a total of 436 scout dogs saw service overseas. Eventually all dog training activities were centralized at Fort Robinson, Nebraska with the focus on tactical dogs and their handlers.

A prime example of the effectiveness of the dog was the caliber of performance in the Islands of the Pacific. Dense vegetation and continuous semidarkness of the Pacific Island jungles afforded opportunities for the enemy to infiltrate the American lines and conduct reconnaissance and ambushes. Scout dogs were instrumental in taking this advantage away from the enemy. In contrast, "dogless" patrols suffered casualties, usually as a result of ambush or surprise attacks.

In Europe conditions generally were less favorable to widespread use of dogs. This was due to the rapid movement of troops and the generally open terrain. Most dogs were utilized in sentry duties.

Recognition of War Dogs

A number of dogs trained by the Quartermaster Corps established outstanding records in combat overseas. At least one dog was awarded combat medals by an overseas command. These were later revoked since it was contrary to Army policy to present these decorations to animals. In January 1944, the War Department relaxed these restrictions and allowed publication of commendations in individual unit General Orders. Later approval was granted for issuance by the Quartermaster General of Citation Certificates to donors of war dogs that had been unusually helpful during the war. The first issued were in recognition of eight dogs that were members of the first experimental War Dog unit in the Pacific Theater.

Outstanding War Dogs

Probably the most famous War Dog was Chips. Chips was donated by Edward J. Wren of Pleasantville, New York, was trained at Front Royal , Virginia in 1942, and was among the first dogs to be shipped overseas. He was assigned to the 3d Infantry Division and served with that unit in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany. His assignments included sentry duty at the Roosevelt-Churchill conference in Casablanca in January 1943. Although trained as a sentry dog, Chips was reported on one occasion by members of Company I, 30th Infantry Regiment, to have broken away from his handler and attacked a pillbox containing an enemy machine gun crew in Sicily. He seized one man and forced the entire crew to surrender. He was also credited by the units to which he was assigned as having been directly responsible for capture of numerous enemy by alerting to their presence. In recognition of his service Chips was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart, both were later revoked. In 1993 Disney produced a TV move about Chips called "Chips the War Dog".

Dick, a scout dog donated by Edward Zan of New York City, was cited for working with a Marine Corps patrol in the Pacific Area. This dog not only discovered a camouflaged Japanese bivouac but unerringly alerted to the only occupied hut of five, permitting a surprise attack which resulted in annihilation of the enemy without a single Marine casualty. Go to QM War Dog Platoon is a Combat Unit for more on Dick.

Returning War Dogs to Civilian Life

At the end of the war the Quartermaster Corps put into operation a plan for return of war dogs to their civilian owners. Dogs were sent to a reprocessing section for the purpose of rehabilitation for civilian life. Dogs were trained that every human was friendly and tested for such things as reaction to people riding around them on bicycles or placed in an area with a great amount of noise. Before return, each dog was given a final check by a veterinary officer. Shipment of the dog to the owner was made at government expense. Those dogs which the original owner did not desire were sold to the public by the Treasury Department with the assistance of Dogs for Defense. By early 1947 the return of all borrowed dogs was completed.

Post World War II

After World War II, the Army found that use of the dogs for pack and sled service, mine detection and messengers was no longer needed. The sentry dogs and the silent scout dogs continued to be of great value. The end of 1946 saw the beginning of the Quartermaster Corps "Dog Training Branch" at the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) Quartermaster School in Lenggries, Germany.

In July 1948 dog training within the United States was transferred to the jurisdiction of Army Field Forces. That same year the "Dog Receiving and Processing Center" at Front Royal, Virginia was moved to Fort Riley, Kansas. In 1951 this responsibility was given to the Military Police Corps. In 1952 the Center was moved from Fort Riley to Fort Carson, Colorado. By then the only war dogs the Quartermaster Corps trained were in Germany, used for sentry duty. From 1956 to 1957 the Quartermaster Corps was called upon to procure dogs for the Air Force as sentry dogs to relieve manpower shortages in guarding airfields, materiel and equipment.

Postscript

Dogs continued to serve the armed forces with distinction in other conflicts. In the Korean War the Army used about 1,500 dogs, primarily for sentry duty. During the Vietnam War about 4,000 dogs were employed. Of these 281 were officially killed in action. Most recently dogs were deployed to the Persian Gulf War. The oldest memorial to War Dogs in the United States is at the Hartsdale (New York) Pet Cemetery. This memorial was dedicated in 1922 to War Dogs used in World War I. In 1994 a War Dog memorial was dedicated at the U.S. Marine Corps War Dog Cemetery on Guam to honor the dogs that served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. An effort is currently underway to to petition the U.S. Postal Service for a stamp honoring military working dogs.

Compiled from the Archives of the U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum & Quartermaster Historian, Fort Lee, Virginia by K. M Born.
Last Update: May 20, 2002

from
http://www.qmfound.com/K-9.htm
more
http://www.qmfound.com/War_Dogs.htm


http://www.qmfound.com/dog4.gif
http://www.qmfound.com/dog10.gif

[mack pl]

Scout Dogs
Enemy's Worst Enemy...
By SP4 Wain Rubenstein
Danger Forward, The Magazine of the Big Red One, Vietnam
Volume Three, Number Two
June 1969

The use of dogs as an auxiliary in-war is as old as war itself. Primitive man used dogs to guard his family, his belongings and himself. He also took his dog into battle with him when rival tribes clashed. Throughout the history of warfare, dogs have gone into combat at the side of their masters or have been used in direct support of combat operations.

In May 1942 the Army established the K-9 Corps. Throughout World War II, 595 dogs were trained for scouting duties. Some of the canine established distinguished records and were officially cited for outstanding and faithful service.

The Army has employed various breeds of dog, and have determined the German Shepherd to be the most suitable for scouting. Its working ability, temperament, size, availability for procurement and adaptability to all types of climate and terrain are the reasons for the choice.

Today in Vietnam, various scout dog platoons are in wide use among infantry units. The 1st Infantry Division is no exception. They are supported by the 35th at Dian and the 41st Infantry Platoon (Scout Dog) stationed at Lai Khe.

"The scout dog has become a lot more popular over here in the last few years," asserts Sergeant Jack C. Russell, training NCO for the 41st platoon.

However, the dogs must come a long way before they can be utilized on ambush patrols and recon-in-force teams by the Big Red One. Scout dogs differ in both temperament and training from tracking and sentry dogs.

Tracker dogs are usually docile and sentry dogs are trained to kill. The scout dog, under ordinary conditions are neither docile or killers, but well trained, obedient and alert. For these reasons, particular care goes into selecting a dog for scout training.

The first phase of training comes at Lackland Air Force Base, Tex. Here the dogs undergo extensive training to determine whether or not they are scout dog material.

First of all, the canine must be in good health, must not weigh less than 60 pounds and be between one and three years old. If the dog is selected for scout training, he is sent to the Army's Scout Dog Training School at Ft. Benning, Ga.

The selection of handlers for the dogs is as important as the selection of the dogs themselves. Experience has shown that handlers must have a friendly attitude toward dogs, patience and perseverance, physical endurance and exercise common sense.

At Ft. Benning the dogs undergo 12 weeks of intensive training with these men, who remain with the dogs throughout the entire cycle. The training is broken down into two parts. Basic obedience, the first phase, takes place during the first two weeks of the training. It is during this period the handler gets used to the dog, and the dog used to the handler. From the start, the man must establish himself as the boss or the dog's chances of excelling as a competent scout dog are threatened.

The superiority is sustained by teaching the dog to obey such basic commands as "heel, sit, down, stay and crawl." This is done by the use of the hand-sign and voice. At the end of two weeks, the second phase of training is begun; it involves ten weeks of field instruction. The basic obedience learned during the first two weeks is not entirely forgotten, as the dogs are continually refreshed on previous commands through-out the cycle.

The purpose of the field instruction is to teach the handler and dog to work as a team in alerting others to enemy presence. Also, the dog must be taught to give only a silent warning, since barking would alert the enemy.

During the ten week period, the dog and handler are exposed to every type of condition they will encounter in the jungle areas of Vietnam. For the first few weeks the dogs are taken on patrols during daylight hours until they become proficient enough to be introduced to night-time working conditions. During the night training phase, the handlers learn to place a greater reliance on the dog's abilities.

Another phase of the training includes three days spent in a simulated Viet Cong village. Here the dogs are able to operate under the same conditions they would find in a real enemy village.

The final step of specialized training comes in the eleventh week. Each team must go through an Operational Readiness Test (ORT), where they are subjected to simulated combat conditions. They are required to demonstrate their proficiency in overcoming natural obstacles, scouting rice paddies, swamps, caves and tunnels, working from a boat, and scouting through villages and jungles.

Each team is graded by a qualified instructor during ORT to determine if the dog or handler need additional training. In a few cases some dogs have to be recycled. The final decision is left up to the chief instructor, who after conferring with his other instructors, decides who makes the grade and who doesn't. All of the instructors are qualified dog handlers themselves, and have spent a tour of duty in Vietnam as a scout dog handler.

Bien Hoa Air Base is the next stop for both handler and dog. In most cases the two do not come to Bien Hoa together, unless it is a unit move. The reason for this is that some dogs have to stay behind for additional training. Also, there are already dogs in-country waiting for handlers.

When the handlers reach Bien Hoa they receive another dog, which will be theirs for the rest of their Vietnam tour. Many seem to think a dog will not listen to the commands of a new handler, but this is not the case with competent scout dogs.

After two weeks of in-country training at the Air Base, the dog and his new master are old friends, and each knows just what to expect from each other. The training is a refresher of what was originally accomplished at Ft. Benning, and helps the team adapt more readily to their environment.

From Bien Hoa, the scout dog teams are assigned to a scout dog platoon. Teams designated for the 41st Infantry Scout Dog Platoon are sent to Lai Khe, where they will assist infantry units of the Big Red One in tactical operations against hostile forces. They are employed to detect ambush sites and enemy caches of weapons, food and ammunition.

After the teams reach Lai Khe and become settled in their new habitat, they undergo more training to familiarize themselves with the terrain in which they'll be working.

"This is necessary," explained Sergeant Russell, "because the area around Lai Khe is different from such areas as the Delta region, where there is a great deal of water." He added the final check is to make sure the dog and handler are 100 per cent ready to participate in a patrolling activity. Additional drill will be required if they are not.

If a dog picks up an unfamiliar scent while on patrol, he will give an alert, which the handler will pass on to the company commander or platoon leader. There is no special method by which all dogs alert. Each dog is an individual in his manner of alerting. Therefore, the handler must observe the dog's behavior carefully so he does not miss its signal of alert.

Sergeant Gordon Moen of Meskegon, Mich., a handler with the scout dog platoon, admits when his dog "Has So" gives an alert, the dog's hair will stand up on its back.

Another dog called Major has the strange habit of crossing his ears on an alert, while Eric puts on an acrobatic act by walking on his hind legs.

"Everytime the dog becomes alert, the area is checked out for mines, personnel and boobytraps," said Sergeant Grimes. "These dogs are especially good at detecting ambushes," he added.

Such was the case with Sergeant Jonnie D. Foster of Belhaven, N.C., and his dog Duke. While working as pointmen for Company A, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, the scout team alerted the company just in time to keep the men from walking into an enemy ambush.

Because the dog had acted quickly in alerting First Lieutenant Anthony F. Romans, A Company's commanding officer, the soldiers were able to take good defensive positions before the unavoidable enemy contact.

In a letter of commendation from Lieutenant Romans, the two were singled out for "clearly demonstrating the high level of proficiency that can be rendered by scout dog teams."

Sergeant Russell pointed out that many times while working in tall grasses, the dogs will jump up above the growth to get the scent. "A scout dog is not able to distinguish between an enemy force or a weapons cache," he added, "but the dog gives out with a stronger alert the greater the find."

Scout dogs, in many cases, are able to detect the enemy hiding underwater. If the enemy is using a reed to breathe through, the canine will have little trouble picking up the scent.

Whenever a dog is injured in the field and has to be taken out of action, he is treated much the same way as a human casualty would be. If the injury is serious and requires surgery, the dog will be taken to the Army Animal Clinic at Ton Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon where a well-trained veterinarian takes over.

In most instances, however, a veterinary technician is assigned to each scout dog platoon. He is able to treat minor illnesses and injuries. The majority of the injury cases can be treated on the spot, permitting the dog to continue its mission. As with soldiers, medical records of the dogs are also kept up to date.

Most of the animals weigh between 70 and 75 pounds. They are well fed and groomed by their handlers, who have the full responsibility of caring for the dog.

The handlers take care of their dogs 24 hours a day. They do everything but sleep and eat with them to insure the animals' well-being. As a result of this close association, man and dog become quite attached to one another.

"My dog is the greatest," affirms Sergeant Foster; "he's like a brother."

Sergeant Moen explains that every dog handler feels the same toward his animal. "A dog is as good as a weapon," he said.

When the dogs are not in the field they are usually training, which could involve putting enemy decoys ahead of the dogs for special alert drills. The dog's high standards are constantly being honed to near perfection.

The life of a Scout Dog is a rough one, but as many units will testify-a scout dog can mean the difference between life and death

from
http://www.qmfound.com/scout_dogs.htm

http://www.qmfound.com/_borders/scout_1.jpg

[mack pl]

VIETNAM STUDIES
MEDICAL SUPPORT OF THE U.S. ARMY IN VIETNAM 1965-1970
by Major General Spurgeon Ned
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1991

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 72-600264
First Printed 1973-CMH Pub 90-16


Animal Medicine
Routine care
"Initially, in 1965, routine professional veterinary care for military dogs, in Vietnam was provided by three small veterinary food inspection detachments then in-country. Each of these units was authorized one veterinary animal specialist, in addition to its food inspection specialists. At that time, approximately 350 Army and Marine Corps sentry dogs were assigned to some 10 locations throughout the country.

With the buildup of US, forces and the accompanying increased use of dogs in field operations, the dog population rose from the 350 in 1965, to more than 1,200 in 1968, dispersed widely throughout Vietnam.

With more veterinary support required in the forward areas, additional veterinary detachments arrived in Vietnam, but without a comparable increase in the numbers of animal specialists. Veterinary food inspectors from the forward detachments were used to augment the small number of these specialists. Utilizing the services of these additional veterinary enlisted men was, at first, hampered by their inexperience in animal medicine and by the lack of veterinary medical equipment sets in the food inspection units. This situation was remedied by training food inspectors locally in certain animal specialist skills, and by obtaining equipment from the veterinary hospital and dispensary detachments.

The need for fewer food inspectors and for more animal specialists and animal medical equipment sets in Vietnam constituted a significant change in the operation of veterinary service detachments. To reflect this need, appropriate changes were subsequently made in the veterinary service tables of organization and equipment.

Hospitalization and Evacuation

The 4th Medical Detachment maintained a small-animal clinic in Saigon for the emergency care and treatment of military dogs and for mascots and animals privately owned by U.S. Army troops and other authorized personnel. All animals requiring extensive treatment were evacuated to Saigon, except Marine Corps dogs which were evacuated to Da Nang.

In January 1966, the 936th Veterinary Detachment (ID), a veterinary small-animal hospital, arrived at the Tan Son Nhut Airbase to provide definitive medical care and hospitalization for all military dogs in the II, III, and IV CTZ. Additionally, it provided a consultation service to the field, monitoring all dog medical records, requisitioning and issuing all veterinary drugs to area veterinarians, and collecting and evaluating veterinary military dog statistics. On 19 October 1966, a small-animal dispensary detachment, the 504th Medical Detachment (IE), arrived in Da Nang. Although organized as a dispensary, this unit provided complete veterinary service for scout and sentry dogs in the entire I CTZ. In 1966, also, the veterinary department of the 9th Medical Laboratory became operational, making available comprehensive veterinary laboratory diagnostic services and investigations of animal diseases of military and economic interest.

In 1968, with the arrival of additional small-animal dispensary detachments, the three echelons of veterinary care and treatment of military dogs- unit, dispensary, and hospital,--became clearly established. Particular emphasis was placed on improving administrative procedures to provide more definitive data on the health of military dogs. An expanded monthly morbidity and mortality reporting system was developed, and completion of detailed admission reports for hospitalized dogs, was stressed.

Deployment of scout dogs in 1966 resulted in casualties suffered in action. To insure prompt treatment, dogs were evacuated by air to the 936th Veterinary Detachment (ID). Handlers were evacuated with their dogs, and remained with them until treatment was completed.

During 1969, difficulties were encountered in evacuating military dogs from dog units and veterinary dispensaries to veterinary hospital facilities. Accordingly, a firm evacuation policy was established. All dogs requiring treatment for more than 7 days, were evacuated. In addition, a veterinary medical regulator was designated to direct the flow of dogs to the hospital facilities. Evacuation of military dogs was co-ordinated with the Air Force and with medical units utilizing ground and air ambulances.

In 1969, also, the high incidence and prolonged course of Tropical Canine Pancytopenia left some military dog units unable to perform adequately. The remedy was establishment of dog-holding detachments at the two veterinary hospitals. Dogs to be hospitalized for 15 days or longer were transferred to the, dog-holding detachment, thereby enabling the dog unit to requisition replacement dogs.

Medical Problems

Canine disabilities most frequently seen, in addition to wounds from hostile action, were heat exhaustion, ectoparasites and endoparasites, myiasis, nasal leeches, and dermatoses of varying etiology. Heartworms posed a potentially severe canine disease problem. Cases of microfilaria were as high as 40 percent in some scout dog platoons, although few animals exhibited clinical signs of disease. The incidence of hookworms was comparable to that of heartworms, and was frequently manifested by clinical signs. Outbreaks of disease resembling leptospirosis occurred; one incident involved 55 dogs, but laboratory examinations did not confirm the clinical diagnosis. Ticks, a persistent problem throughout Vietnam, required equally persistent control measures.

Tropical Canine Pancytopenia, an unusual disease, characterized by hemorrhage, severe emaciation, pancytopenia, and high mortality, broke out in 1968, in U.S. military dogs in Vietnam. Know first as IHS (Idiopathic Hemorrhagic Syndrome) and ultimately as TCP (Tropical Canine Pancytopenia), the disease seriously jeopardized the operational efficiency of combat units dependent on military dogs. Between, July 1968 and December 1970, about 220 U.S. military dogs, primarily German Shepherds, died of the disease, and it was the contributing reason for the euthanasia of many others. Near the end of 1969, a program of tetra-acute glossitis in scout dogs spread throughout Vietnam during 1970. Morbidity rates as high as 100 percent in some platoons made these units noneffective for periods up to 2 weeks."

from
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/4759/47dogmed.htm

...........
Regards
mack pl

[Oxley]

I heard the Marines used to paint the dogs with glow-in-the-dark paint, and use them to scare the Japanese.

Very good articles mate, keep up the awesome work.

[mack pl]

link to article
http://community-2.webtv.net/Hahn-50thAP-K9/K9History21/

part of article:

"Red Army trained as many as 50,000 dogs before and during the early part of the war. Dogs proved themselves paricularly valuable during the severe Russian winters, when they located and dragged wounded soldiers from the front on sleds.

A wounded man's chance of survival in the extremely low temperatures of Russian winters, depended largely on how rapidily he was discovered and then transported to a first aid station. Dogs alone could travel in the deep snow, which bogged down motor vehicles, thus improving their chances!

During one battle, near Duminichi, in between attacks, a german shepherd named Bob, located sixteen wounded men, who had crawled into shell holes and ditches. Bob, when he came across a soldier, would lay down beside him, until the wounded man took some dressing from a medical kit strap on the dog's back.

in one sector of the front, a team of sled dogs, in five weeks, carried 1,239 wounded men from the battlefield and hauled 327 tons of ammunition.

White Samoyeds, were found particularly useful for winter operations and were used to pull white-clad Russian marksmen on sleds close to enemy lines undetected. Plus six dog teams transported machine guns in sleds and two dogs teams were used to pulled soliders on skiis into battle."

http://wtv-zone.com/Hahnsflyboys/rogue/antitank16.jpg
Two Russian Anti Tank "Suicide" dogs.

..........
Regards
mack pl