The French used both types of messenger dogs, called “estafettes” and “liaison" dogs. In one of the fiercest battles at Verdun, seventeen human runners were killed when their unit was cut off.
They had only one liaison dog, Satan, who was their final hope because the last homing pigeon had been killed and no man could get through the German barrage.
Satan was a Lurcher—a Greyhound and a herding champion Collie mix. Not only did Satan make it to the unit that was cut off with an impor tant message of hope, but he returned with two homing pigeons in cages on his back. Badly wounded, he managed to drag himself into the arms of his waiting handler. The pigeons were released with information about where the German battery was located.
One pigeon was shot immediately, but shortly after, the French artillery started to shell the German battery. The other pigeon had made it with the message, giving the artillery unit the location of the battery.
French infantry during lull in Verdun shelling
No man's land: The Ouvrage du Thiamont battlefield close to Verdun