From a 440-pound bear to pigeon-guided missiles — here are 9 unbelievable instances of animals in the military by Jeremy Bender and Alex Lockie on Feb 2, 2016, 12:14 PM  Until the introduction of modern machinery, animals played an often-decisive role in warfare.
For instance, the Mongols' masterful use of horses allowed Genghis Khan and his generals to carve out the largest land empire ever known. In the book "Beasts of War: The Militarization of Animals," author Jared Eglan curated amazing insights into how militaries have used a stunning menagerie of animals in combat. From a 440-pound bear to pigeon-guided missiles, here are nine notable examples of wartime animals. SEE ALSO: 6 mind-blowing tactical tricks that turned the tide of war War elephants  Elephants, with their massive stature and fearsome tusks have been employed in warfare since ancient times. Elephantry units were first incorporated in militaries in India, but throughout time, famous generals including Pyrrhus of Epirus, Hannibal, and Alexander the Great all used elephants to literally crush their opponents. War elephants were usually deployed in the center of the line, where the imposing beasts would charge at up to 20 mph toward the enemy. They were also used to carry heavy materials across difficult terrain before tanks and helicopters were an option. Unlike horse-mounted cavalry, elephants didn't fear infantry lines bearing spears — their muscular and articulate trunks could navigate a wall of spears much better than a charging horse. The mere sight of elephants charging was enough to break lines and cause many armies to flee in terror. Only cannon fire made the war elephants impractical. The giant animals were resilient against musket fire, but provided a huge target for cannons. Off the battlefield, militaries still found ways to make use of elephants. As recently as 1987 Iraqi troops allegedly used elephants to transport heavy weaponry for use in Kirkuk. Source: "Beasts of War: The Militarization of Animals"
Mine-hunting dolphins  In 1960, the US Navy first began its studies on dolphins. At first, the studies were limited to testing how dolphins were so hydrodynamic, with efforts on applying the findings toward improving torpedo performance. However, by 1967 the US Navy Marine Mammal Program evolved into a major project. The program, which is still going, began training dolphins for mine-hunting and force-protection missions. In the case of mine hunting, dolphins were trained to locate underwater mines and release buoys over their location, allowing the Navy to safely clear the weapons. During the Iraq War in 2003, such dolphin-led operations led to the clearance of over 100 mines in the port of Umm Qasr. Additionally, dolphins have been trained to guard harbors against enemy divers. When a diver approached, the dolphin was trained to bump a buoy device onto the person's back, which would drag them to the surface. "These animals are released almost daily untethered into the open ocean, and since the program began, only a few animals have not returned," according to the Navy. Source: "Beasts of War: The Militarization of Animals," US Navy
Antitank dogs  The Nazi betrayal of the Soviets during World War II caught the Russians completely off guard. In a desperate attempt at staving off the Nazi advance into their territory, the Soviets originally attempted to train dogs to place bombs in front of tanks before running back to safety. When this proved too difficult a feat for training, the Soviets instead began strapping bombs to dogs that were activated by a small lever rising from an attached pouch on the dog's side. When the dog would dive under a tank, the lever would strike the tank's chassis and detonate. Soviet propaganda claims that around 300 German tanks were destroyed in this manner. However, the majority of the program proved to be a failure. The dogs were trained on Soviet diesel tanks, instead of German gasoline tanks, so during deployment the dogs had a habit of running toward Soviet vehicles based on scent. The antitank dog program continued until 1996. Source: "Beasts of War: The Militarization of Animals"
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