Whether they are simply attuned to changes in atmospheric pressure or they have a sixth sense, some cats are particularly good at knowing when a bomb is about to hit.ĭuring World War II, families soon learned to follow their cats into bomb or air-raid shelters, saving many lives. Cats Used as Early Warning System for BombsĪlthough today’s military uses sniffer dogs to sniff out explosives, cats have their own built-in bomb detectors. As for the cats, there are no records regarding how many survived their conscription into the military. Because the cats were so much smaller than soldiers, they would feel the effects of the gas faster, giving the soldiers time to react.

In World War I, the British army employed upwards of 500,000 cats as ratters but also as mobile gas detectors, much like miners used canaries to warn them of gas leaks. Luckily for the cats, the plan was never put into use, though a copy of his drawing still exists in Strasburg. As the cats ran, the jars would release their poisonous vapors, killing the enemy. Once the cats were equipped, they would be driven into enemy positions. To turn cats into feline gas bombs, he suggested attaching jars filled with poison gas to the cats’ back.

In 16th century Germany, artillery officer Christopher of Hapsburg presented a plan to the Council of One and Twenty in Strasbourg to use cats to spread poisonous gas among enemy soldiers. Cats Spread and Detect Poisonous GasĬats played a dual role in terms of poisonous gases used during war. They did the only thing they could: they surrendered the city to the Persian force. In other accounts, the Persians simply set cats loose on the battlefield.Įither way, because it was against Egyptian law to hurt or kill a cat, the Egyptian soldiers couldn’t fight back without risking the accidental death of one of the cats. In some accounts, he and his soldiers captured several cats and used them as shields in their attack on the city of Pelusium. Cambyses II, the King of Persia, knew how greatly his Egyptian foes revered cats. One of the earliest recorded instances of cats being used in war occurred during the battle of Pelusium in 522 BC. For over 2500 years, cats played a role in warfare – often at a high price to themselves.

Some were used for transportation, others to deliver messages. Is how we fund this project for readers and authors ( learn more).From ancient Egypt and Persia to Europe in World War II, cats were used in warfare as shields, gas detectors and early warning systems for bombs.įrom elephants to horses, dogs to pigeons, animals have found themselves conscripted during times of war. We may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our website. This is the second book of the Bluebird Series. Struggling with fledgling radar technology, Bryan and his operator, Tommy Scott, eventually become calculating hunters of the night, stalking and slaying Nazi raiders in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse in England’s pitch-black winter skies. But the daily dangers of London’s Blitz ignite a passion that neither can resist.īluebird Squadron rotates out of the front line and Bryan transfers to night-fighters, partly to sate his desire for combat, but also to stay close to Jenny. Bryan Hale’s chance encounter in a London pub with Jenny, an acquaintance from school, starts a relationship that neither wants nor can afford. It's October 1940, the Battle of Britain reaches a stalemate and the Luftwaffe begins the bombing of Britain’s cities.

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