Belgian Machine Gun Dogs
Animals at War
The following article is a précis, written by Colonel H.C.C.D. Simpson, C.M.G., R.A. (Retired), of a longer piece from the Revue Militaire Suisse. The précis was published under the title of “Machine Guns and Dog Traction in Belgium” in the issue of the Journal of the Royal Artillery for May 1914.
The importance of determining some efficient and economical form of traction for Infantry machine guns has been under consideration in Belgium. Up till recently, pack-horse transport has been considered the most satisfactory system. Exhaustive trials between this method and that of wheel traction by a pair of dogs of a breed known in that country as the Belgian Mastiff, have, however, resulted in favour of the latter, and the final adoption of this mode of transport for the Machine Gun Units of the Belgian Army.
This form of traction is not novel in Belgium in civil life. The breeding of dogs for light draught purposes has long been in vogue in that country, for the purpose of conveying farm produce from the country to the towns. Dog traction is employed by the country people, milkmen, bakers, greengrocers, and many artisans with light carts, in conducting their trade and business. There are reckoned to be 50,000 dogs available for this purpose in Belgium, of which 10,000 are in Brussels alone.
They [the dogs] are found to be admirably suited for the purpose. Their bodies are thick set, loins strong, and they have deep chests and muscular limbs. A dog of 110 pounds weight is capable of drawing on a good road a load of 880 pounds, and a horse [of] 1,100 to 1,300 pounds (or ten times and upwards the weight of one of these dogs), cannot draw much more than the equivalent increase of his weight. With an average load of 660 pounds behind the team, on good roads, a dog can keep up for long distances a pace of four or five miles an hour; for several hundred yards he can attain a speed of from six to seven miles an hour.
The price of a pack horse is not less than £40 [in 1914, about 200 US dollars], and his daily forage may be reckoned to cost about one shilling, four and a half pence [33 cents], without taking into consideration the construction and upkeep of his stable. The pack-saddle costs about £15 [$75], whereas dog harness can be purchased for the pair of dogs for something less than £4 [$20], and his food amounts to about four and a half pence [9 cents].
Finally, the small carriage for the machine gun or ammunition cart costs about £8 [$40], and the net cost for construction and upkeep of kennels in something small. Moreover, as the dog does not require shoes, lameness is rare, which we well know from the enormous distances he can go when hunting.
He is intelligent and docile, and puts all his heart into serving his master faithfully under all circumstances. The length of his military service may be taken at from eight to nine years. The discipline of a trained dog is such that an untrained dog, harnessed with him, would be compelled to submit to all the movements of the former. On the march and under fire, one can rely on his working till absolutely exhausted or mortally wounded. These are the qualities which can be developed in the breeding kennel, and in his subsequent training.
The four wheels of the little guns carriage are made of tubes of steel, light, low, and stable, and fitted with pneumatic tires. the carriage complete does not weigh more than 220 pounds, and is easily dragged by the team of two dogs, or eventually carried by the four members of the detachment. Its height and breadth are each about thirty-one inches.
The trials were carried out to test the following: visibility, mobility on roads and across country, overcoming obstacles, and resistance to fatigue. The lasted three weeks in bad weather, during which a distance of 250 miles was covered. The six pack-horses were wither-galled, and had to be successively replaced, but not so the dogs.
On the march across country, or commons, of from one and a half to three miles, where the ground presented obstacles or was bro- ken up, the dogs gained without doubt in mobility and speed over horses, especially when ditches, hedges, and low walls had to be negotiated. The teams crossed with ease ploughed land and crops, copses and banks. Assisted by the detachments they crossed over deep ditches and steep slopes.
The horses showed signs of fatigue long before the dogs. The latter were afraid of nothing, and followed perfectly the member of the detachment charged with leading each team. They lay down or resumed the order of march on a signal, without even barking, and in perfect order.
The smallest fold in the ground concealed the teams, and at 300 yards distance, nothing of them could be distinguished. Coming into or out of action was more rapidly effected than in the case of the pack-horses.
The regiments to which they [the dogs] were attached had three sections, each of two guns and four ammunition carts, requiring thirty-six dogs for the eighteen vehicles.
In action the dogs gave every satisfaction, and whilst halted in positions of readiness for often considerable periods, they lay down quietly waiting in their harness.
In coming into action, the number ones [number one machine gunner] had sometimes to creep on in front, accompanied by the team driver of each gun, in order to choose their positions in action. At a signal, the teams moved quickly up into the emplacements when, the detachments having brought the guns into action, the empty carriages with their drivers proceeded to the rear and rejoined the ammunition carts under cover.
The trials indeed were so successful that orders have been issued to rect for all infantry regiments, kennels for a dozen dogs per unit, and at Beverloo a remount and training establishment for these dogs will be formed forthwith.
Note: The photo of the Belgian machine gun dogs resting was found on the website of Memory Lane, which sells high-quality prints of it in various formats.