United States Signal Corps

“ Pigeons to be used for signal communication should be trained with the message holder attached to the leg to accustom them to carrying it. Pigeons should be distributed to combat troops, with message holders attached if it is known that the receiving troops have not had training or experience in handling the birds. Otherwise, holders may be delivered separately. Personnel of a loft should make every effort to provide message center units being served with necessary information concerning care, handling, and release of birds. ”

“ The production of signaling equipment was far greater than the uninformed person would imagine. As an instance, there was one special type of telephone wire, a form unknown to commercial use before the war, which, before November 11, 1918, was being produced at the rate of 20,000 miles a month, at a cost of $5,650,000 per month, requiring the complete capacity of the day and night operation of all fine wire machinery in the United States, except that which was working on Navy contracts. Many other production activities of the Signal Corps were carried through on a similar scale. ”

“ The white flag will be used against dark and the red against sky or broken backgrounds. The distant station is the better judge as to which color flag is best suited to given conditions and the color indicated by it should invariably be used. For night signaling, the acetylene lantern is usually employed. Long-range night signaling should be done with the searchlight if available. The employment of the semaphore, in daytime, and the Ardois system, at night, will be confined to more or less permanent stations. ”

“ Memo, CofS, ASF, for Dir, Special Planning Division, WDSS, 1 Oct 45, sub: Participation of Negro Troops in the Postwar Military Establishment, WDSSP 291.2 (2 Oct 45) . On the use of Negroes in the Signal Corps, see the following volumes in the United States Army in World War II series: Dulany Terrett, The Signal Corps: The Emergency (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1956) ; George Raynor Thompson et al., The Signal Corps: The Test (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1957) ”

“ Visual signaling is and always will be a most valuable means of transmitting information [10] in peace and war, and it is not to be imagined that it will ever be supplanted in its particular function by the introduction of other methods. Occasions will frequently occur in the field when no other means will be practicable, and then, if not before, will the value of the system be fully emphasized. ”

“ Sample.—The bidder shall furnish with his proposal a sample of the glass which he will supply, and award will be made after comparison of the samples with models on file in the office of the Chief Signal Officer. The maker will be allowed to examine the model glasses in detail in the office of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army, Washington, D. C.
3. Inspection and test.—When the order under this specification is complete, the contractor will notify the Chief Signal Officer of the Army, who will cause an inspection to be made. ”

“ The carrying case, of convenient size and shape to contain the two flags and staffs complete, is made of 8-ounce standard khaki bound with leather and fitted with a shoulder strap.
The 2-foot kit is essentially a practice kit, although under favorable conditions of weather and terrain it may be used to advantage as a short distance service signaling outfit. Two of these kits are issued to each troop, battery, and company for the purpose of disseminating general instruction in military signaling throughout the army. ”

“ They should never be abandoned until every device has been exhausted, and they should be renewed and continued at different hours of the day and night. It must be remembered that efforts which have failed because the observer's attention has been drawn in another direction may at any other moment be successful if the observing glass chances to bear on the calling signals.
During the whole time that signals are being made to attract attention the calling station must watch closely with the telescope the station called. ”

“ The force may not be strong enough for an uninterrupted watch. To provide, so far as possible, for this contingency, it may be concerted that if communication is required at unusual time, or is of pressing importance, certain flags shall be displayed, rockets discharged, smokes shown, or other attention-compelling signals used. ”

“ Light: The light of a field glass is expressed by a number which is the ratio of the amount of light which reaches the eye through the glass to the amount which enters the eye unaided. This comparison will be reached by means of the absorption apparatus [130] furnished by the Signal Corps. This apparatus consists of two wedge-shaped vessels made of brass with glass windows in the sides, and are filled with a perfectly black liquid. The sky line is first viewed through the apparatus with the naked eye and the instrument adjusted to limit of visibility. ”

“ When a signal station is to communicate with two or more stations, a telescope should be firmly fixed bearing on each, when practicable, and so far apart that those communicating with one station will not disturb the other party. ”

“ When a number of stations are in view from one station and it is desired to send a message to all or more than one station, some preconcerted signal, as a rocket, a red light, or some peculiar flag or torch signal, should be designated as a signal for general attention. ”

“ There is scarcely any commercial industry whose successful existence does not vitally depend upon some one, perhaps several systems of signaling, and improvements of old and inventions of new signal devices are continually necessary to meet the requisite needs demanded by the progress of art and science. Railways are probably the greatest of all commercial users of signals. With them the great mass of intelligence is transmitted by the electric telegraph and telephone, but the flag, the semaphore, the signal light, and many other contrivances furnish indispensable visual adjuncts. ”

“ Backgrounds of this description do not accord with either of the essential requirements of the signal station and should be avoided whenever possible.
In general, sky backgrounds should always be selected for signal stations when conditions are such that the requirement of secrecy can be dispensed with; if, on the other hand, there is reason to fear that the signals may be intercepted by the enemy, dark backgrounds [71] should invariably be chosen, even though the disadvantages they impose, render them less desirable visually. ”

“ The Chief Signal Officer of the Army reserves the right to inspect any or all processes of manufacture, and unsatisfactory material will be marked for rejection by the inspector before, during, or after assembly, as occasion may arise.
Each glass will be tested for power, field, definition, and light. Any glass which is not the equal of the sample and model in all respects will be rejected. ”

“ The 4-foot kit is the standard field flag kit and the range at which signals can be exchanged with it depends on a variety of factors, such as the condition of the weather, the location of stations, the proficiency of signalmen, etc. The speed for continuous signaling is seldom greater than five to six words per minute.
Care of flag material.—Signal flags should be examined at the close of drill or practice and repairs made to any rents or loose ties discovered. Flags, when soiled, should be thoroughly washed and dried in the sun. ”

“ Responsibility for Training The commanding officer of a signal pigeon company, or the officer in charge of a pigeon unit, will prepare a training program to serve as a general guide for activities of the unit. Weekly training schedules for the guidance of the enlisted personnel will be based upon this approved training program for the unit. ”

“ Each and every operator will also have a personal signal of like character. Station calls or personal signals when once given or assumed will not be changed except by order of higher authority. Every station should at all times have on hand a list of all calls and personal signals liable to be encountered in station working. The general call suited to attract the attention of any station whose regular call is unknown [79] will always be a signal represented by the letter "A" in the Morse or the letter "E" of the Army and Navy Code. ”

“ These meanings usually include the letters of the alphabet and numerals, combinations of which being used to formulate necessary information. Combinations of elements of any system can also, however, be used to indicate any desired meaning.
With reference to period of visibility, signals are of two kinds, transient and permanent. A transient signal is one which disappears as soon as completed; [11] a permanent signal is one that remains in view for some time. Heliograph signals are transient signals, while signals made by code flags are permanent signals. ”

“ The assignment of men should be such that a continuous watch for signals is kept and the responsibility for neglect to promptly answer calls determined. Of the station men, one is the sender, whose duty it is to transmit all signals to contiguous stations. Another, the receiver, attends the telescope and reads and calls off the signals displayed at the distant station. A third man acts as recorder, alternately calling off the outgoing message to the sender or transcribing the incoming message repeated by the receiver. ”

“ Signal stations should be convenient for messenger service and hence as near commonly traveled roads as the physical contour of the country will permit. Locations for signal stations should be so selected that the visual lines do not cross traveled roads, camps, etc., as dust and smoke in the daytime and lights at night are factors in determining the visibility of signals. Signal stations can if necessary be artificially concealed by erecting screens constructed of limbs of trees, etc., about the flanks and rear. Sheltered positions should be utilized in windy weather. ”

“ So without further ado I would like to present to you our chief of staff of the United States Army, General Matthew B. Ridgway. General?
Today's ceremony has special significance, not alone for the Women's Army Corps, but for all of us. It emphasized the essential need for women in the Army, and the continuing nature of that need. The task of keeping our Nation strong and free requires the efforts and talents of all our citizens, men and women alike. ”

“ Introduction to Pigeon Training It is almost impossible to prescribe any one method for training homing pigeons. There are certain steps, however, that must be followed if the birds are to give reliable messenger service. The methods for training Army homing pigeons are prescribed in this section. However, they are not the only methods by which birds can be trained. Success with the birds depends largely on the individual pigeoneer’s experience and technical knowledge. This is particularly true concerning operation of combat lofts. ”

“ To find a signalman near any known station, note with the unaided eye some prominent landmark near which the looked-for person or object is supposed to be, and direct the telescope upon the place, as sight is taken over a gun barrel, covering the object; if the eye is now placed at the eyeglass of the telescope, the prominent or directing landmark will be found in the field of view. ”

“ This desire to return is largely based on natural urges of hunger and reproduction. Because the pigeon has only one mate the reproductive urge is often the stronger. These impulses can be stimulated by controlled feeding, mating, and breeding without harming the pigeon’s health.
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5. Utility The pigeon’s usefulness to the Army is measured by the reliability and speed with which it returns to its loft. Speed and reliability are largely determined by the pigeon’s strain, physical condition, training, and treatment. Therefore any lowering of standards for these factors will be a serious handicap. ”

“ It is of the utmost importance that pigeons used for delivering messages trap promptly. A bird may be the fastest flyer in the loft yet be useless because it will not trap immediately upon return to the loft. The message cannot be removed from the pigeon’s leg if the bird stays on the roof of the loft instead of entering the trap. For this reason it is essential that trapping exercises be carefully carried out. The best time for this training is when birds are being settled. ”

“ The correct determination of background color from the vicinity of home stations is usually difficult and unsatisfactory, and it is considered the best method to establish communication with the distant station by simultaneously using several kinds of signaling apparatus, that kind producing the most intelligible signals being retained for continued use. ”

“ It is time gained to do so; it is a loss of time and an annoyance to run letters together. Nothing so distinguishes the good from the indifferent operator, visual or telegraph, as this. When signals are being made with a flag, a fraction of a second will be ample. In using the lantern or heliograph, the pause between letters should be relative to the time of display of the elements, longer than with the flag. To prevent any entangling of the flag upon its staff, skillful handling, acquired by practice, is necessary. ”

“ To avoid this, burners have been constructed so that the gas is mixed with the proper proportion of air at the burner tip, to insure perfect combustion. The burners for acetylene are different from those for other gases. In order to get a flat flame, the gas is brought through two perfectly round holes at an angle which causes the two flames to impinge upon each other and thus form a flat flame.
Method of gas generation.—The method employed for producing acetylene in the signal lantern is by bringing water into contact with calcium carbide. ”