France's Military Pigeons Race In Memory Of Brave Predecessors
But the racing bird serves as a reminder of the brave service of its predecessors in World Wars I and II, and the 1870 siege of Paris.
Inside Europe's last military pigeon loft, Sergeant Sylvain cradled 193-529, an alert feathered athlete with an iridescent green neck.
"He's a carrier pigeon, like the ones who served in World Wars I and II," said Sylvain, withholding his surname for security purposes.
"But today he races," added the member of the armed forces, whose grandfather was also a pigeon fancier.
In Mont Valerien outside Paris, Sylvain flits between dovecotes, tending to some 200 pigeons -- cleaning their shelters and making sure they have enough to eat.
These days, they only use their navigating skills when they are released during competitions, military ceremonies, or demonstrations for visitors, he said.
Humans have been using homing pigeons since Antiquity, but the French military started using them as a communication tool during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 after the Prussians besieged Paris.
In October that year, the interior minister boarded a hot-air balloon to flee the French capital.
Around a month later, the French military had elaborated a messenger pigeon plan to communicate with people still in the city, according to a French government account.
Patriotic Parisians donated more than 300 pigeons to the war effort, which were loaded into the wicker baskets of hot-air balloons and transported southwards to the city of Tours.
Upon arrival they were fitted with small tubes containing 3 to 4 cm (1 to 1.5 inch) of microfilm on which minute messages had been inscribed, called "pigeongrams".
They were then released as close to the capital as possible so they could carry them back inside.
Only around 50 pigeons made it.
Parisians who found the pigeons then placed the microfilm between sheets of glass and, using a magic lantern -- an early type of image projector, projected it onto a large screen to read it.
They transcribed the contents and delivered the message to its intended recipient.
During the two world wars, pigeons were used again when "modern means of communication reached their limits", such as "bombardments ripping down telephone lines", Sylvain said.
During World War II, a French pigeon helped alert Allies that six German U-boats were undergoing maintenance in the French port of Bordeaux, leading to aerial raids that destroyed four of them, Sylvain said.
The pigeon, nicknamed "Maquisard" like some members of the French Resistance, received an award.
A British pigeon too made headlines.
Gustav, a homing pigeon in the British Royal Air Force, travelled 240 km (150 miles) back across the Channel to break the first news of the D-Day landings in June 1944, according to the Imperial War Museum.
He carried a message from a war correspondent, and was also awarded a medal.
The French military last relied on homing pigeons during the war in Algeria from 1954 to 1962 that led to the North African country's independence from France.
In 1961, the French armed forces ended the messenger pigeon programme.
Sylvain said the military continued to train the birds for a while, fearing an electromagnetic attack would bring down communications.
But today there is no longer such a risk, he said, with the military having set up specialised shields to protect its communications from any such attack.
Should the need for messenger pigeons however return, Sylvain says he is ready.
"I have all the training manuals from World War I right up to 1961," he said.
"It worked a century ago, so I don't see why it wouldn't again today." Pigeons were used during World War II AFP Around 200 pigeons live in Mont Valerien AFP Carrier pigeons served during the First and Second World Wars AFP
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Int'l Business Times
14-07-2025
- Int'l Business Times
France's Military Pigeons Race In Memory Of Brave Predecessors
These days, French military pigeon number 193-529 is no longer needed to carry tiny messages during war-time communication blackouts. But the racing bird serves as a reminder of the brave service of its predecessors in World Wars I and II, and the 1870 siege of Paris. Inside Europe's last military pigeon loft, Sergeant Sylvain cradled 193-529, an alert feathered athlete with an iridescent green neck. "He's a carrier pigeon, like the ones who served in World Wars I and II," said Sylvain, withholding his surname for security purposes. "But today he races," added the member of the armed forces, whose grandfather was also a pigeon fancier. In Mont Valerien outside Paris, Sylvain flits between dovecotes, tending to some 200 pigeons -- cleaning their shelters and making sure they have enough to eat. These days, they only use their navigating skills when they are released during competitions, military ceremonies, or demonstrations for visitors, he said. Humans have been using homing pigeons since Antiquity, but the French military started using them as a communication tool during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 after the Prussians besieged Paris. In October that year, the interior minister boarded a hot-air balloon to flee the French capital. Around a month later, the French military had elaborated a messenger pigeon plan to communicate with people still in the city, according to a French government account. Patriotic Parisians donated more than 300 pigeons to the war effort, which were loaded into the wicker baskets of hot-air balloons and transported southwards to the city of Tours. Upon arrival they were fitted with small tubes containing 3 to 4 cm (1 to 1.5 inch) of microfilm on which minute messages had been inscribed, called "pigeongrams". They were then released as close to the capital as possible so they could carry them back inside. Only around 50 pigeons made it. Parisians who found the pigeons then placed the microfilm between sheets of glass and, using a magic lantern -- an early type of image projector, projected it onto a large screen to read it. They transcribed the contents and delivered the message to its intended recipient. During the two world wars, pigeons were used again when "modern means of communication reached their limits", such as "bombardments ripping down telephone lines", Sylvain said. During World War II, a French pigeon helped alert Allies that six German U-boats were undergoing maintenance in the French port of Bordeaux, leading to aerial raids that destroyed four of them, Sylvain said. The pigeon, nicknamed "Maquisard" like some members of the French Resistance, received an award. A British pigeon too made headlines. Gustav, a homing pigeon in the British Royal Air Force, travelled 240 km (150 miles) back across the Channel to break the first news of the D-Day landings in June 1944, according to the Imperial War Museum. He carried a message from a war correspondent, and was also awarded a medal. The French military last relied on homing pigeons during the war in Algeria from 1954 to 1962 that led to the North African country's independence from France. In 1961, the French armed forces ended the messenger pigeon programme. Sylvain said the military continued to train the birds for a while, fearing an electromagnetic attack would bring down communications. But today there is no longer such a risk, he said, with the military having set up specialised shields to protect its communications from any such attack. Should the need for messenger pigeons however return, Sylvain says he is ready. "I have all the training manuals from World War I right up to 1961," he said. "It worked a century ago, so I don't see why it wouldn't again today." Pigeons were used during World War II AFP Around 200 pigeons live in Mont Valerien AFP Carrier pigeons served during the First and Second World Wars AFP
DW
14-06-2025
- DW
Germany tackles explosive wartime legacy at sea – DW – 06/14/2025
Unexploded WWII bombs are still regularly found across Germany. But hundreds of thousands of tons of wartime munitions also lurk off its shores. Now Berlin is stepping up moves to clean up this perilous toxic waste. An estimated 1.6 million metric tons of conventional munitions lie in Germany's coastal waters alone. The vast majority is located in the North Sea; the rest in the Baltic. There are also thought to be several thousand tons of chemical weapons. Most have lain largely forgotten for 80 years or more. While headline-grabbing bomb discoveries on dry land close down entire neighborhoods and transport networks, as in the western German city of Cologne in early June, the threat is much more insidious at sea. Growing fears over contamination have prompted action. Now, a large mobile platform is planned that will autonomously retrieve old weapons from the seabed and dispose of them. The trailblazing project was presented to the international community at the UN Ocean Conference in the French city of Nice in June. "Up to now, recovery operations were only carried out in the event of imminent danger, if, for example, an undetonated bomb was at risk of exploding," said Sebastian Unger, marine conservation director at Germany's Environment Ministry (BMUKN). "Now, it is about finally tackling this problem for reasons of environmental and marine conservation, but also to ultimately reduce human health risks," added the ministery expert, talking to DW from the event. Saltwater corrosion has rusted munition casings causing them to leak TNT Image: GEOMAR TNT released by dumped WWII munitions German mines and explosives discarded by Allied bombers on their way back to Britain are among the WWII combat weapons strewn across the ocean floor. But most of the explosives in Germany's North Sea and Baltic waters ended up there after the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. British troops tipped the armaments that they found in weapons factories and warehouses into the sea. It was seen as a quick fix in the process to denazify and demilitarize Germany. In recent years, it has become apparent that they are decomposing. One visible sign of their decay is lumps of white phosphorus or an explosive mixture containing TNT occasionally washing ashore. The substances look frighteningly similar to prize amber or minerals and visitors and beachcombers have been injured. Amber is regularly found at the Baltic but white phosphorus can look quite similar Image: Andreas Franke/picture alliance Carcinogenic toxins affecting marine life Toxicological tests carried out on mussels in the dumping site over the last decade have revealed traces of carcinogenic chemicals contained in the munitions. Examination of samples gathered since the 1980s also show a steady rise from 2002 onwards. "The concentrations are very, very low. As humans we don't have to be concerned about eating these mussels. But if we go further down the line — maybe in 30, 40 years — we might have to think twice," said Edmund Maser, a toxicologist from the University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), who has been involved in the research. The marine ecosystem is, however, already at risk, according to Maser. TNT traces have been found in fish and in seawater, too. And as the metal casings surrounding the munitions continue to rust, ever more will be released. GEOMAR detected munition strewn across the Bay of Lübeck in the Baltic Sea Image: Geomar/dpa/picture alliance Explosives piled up like Mikado sticks GEOMAR, the Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel, was asked by the Schleswig-Holstein state government in 2016 to help find out what weapons were down there and their possible environmental impact. They have been using a variety of acoustic and visual technologies, which they have continued to develop during the ongoing pilot phase. The results have been mind-boggling. "There is munition there, crates of it. One area is 20 by 40 meters in size where munition boxes are stacked up on the seabed, as if they've just been unloaded from a truck. In another spot there were a lot of bombs, 50 to 250 kilogram bombs, piled up like Mikado sticks," Jens Greinert, GEOMAR marine geologist, told DW. Small caliber ammunition, pistols and rocket launchers were also discovered. The challenges of the shifting marine environment and the sheer mix of munitions on the seabed make the recovery process complicated as well as hazardous. The material inside can still explode — and there is always the risk of the release of toxic chemicals, such as TNT, during the retrieval and disposal process. GEOMAR and UKSH will also be part of the team monitoring the clean-up. With autonomous underwater vehicles like these, GEOMAR can make photographic charts of the seabed Image: Julia Gehringer/GEOMAR Ticking time bomb German environmental organization NABU began drawing attention to the problem in 2007 and is calling for the clean-up operation to get underway as soon as possible. "We don't really have a lot more time. The decomposition is, in part, at a more progressed stage than we were hoping. Of course, the problem exists on land, too. But toxins remain localized there, while in the sea they continue to spread and enter the food chain," Kim Detloff, NABU head of marine conservation, said in an interview with DW. The NABU expert said there remained a problem with ongoing financing of the long-term operation of the planned platform. "It needs to be working 365 days 24/7," said Detloff. And he added that the enormous scale of the problem meant that far more than one floating platform was needed. Poland: The WWII threats lurking in the Baltic Sea To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Technology transfer to other contaminated marine areas in the world The pilot and next phase of the munitions recovery project were financed with a €100 million emergency program from the federal government. The groundbreaking salvaging and dismantling platform should be ready for deployment by late 2026 or early 2027, according to the BMUKN's Unger. He hopes such approaches will be adopted in other parts of the world. In German waters, operations are likely to prioritize particularly ecologically sensitive areas, fish spawning grounds or areas close to the coast that are of particular interest to the tourist industry, but that is still under consideration, according to Unger. Edited by Helen Whittle While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.
DW
03-06-2025
- DW
Pornhub blocks access in France to protest age restrictions – DW – 06/04/2025
The firm behind Pornhub, RedTube and YouPorn plans to temporarily block access to its adult content in France. Pornhub, Redtube and Youporn were scheduled to be suspended in France on Wednesday onwards, according to parent company Aylo. Instead of porn, the company will only display a statement on France's new regulations that require porn sites to verify that their users are 18 or older, a Pornhub spokesperson said on Tuesday. Alyo's sites, like other porn sites available in France, has until June 7, 2025, to implement a rigorous new age verification standard. It's part of a French government push to shield minors from inappropriate content. France's Deputy Minister for Digital Technology Clara Chappaz defended the government's move late on Tuesday. "We're not stigmatizing adults who want to consume this content, but we mustn't do so at the expense of protecting our children," she told France's Europe1 TV. The sites aren't protecting children, so it is now the government's responsibility, she said. What is Aylo's issue with the age-verification law? Currently, users to explicit sites can click a a box declaring they are over 18, but their age isn't actually verified. France's new standard requires explicit websites to verify a user's age using a credit card or a government-issued ID document. And to protect users' identities, the standard requires porn sites to use an external site for this age verification. Using a principle known as double anonymity, the porn sites will then only receive confirmation that the person is of legal age and will not know their identity. The external service provider will know the identity of the user but not the reason for the age check or the sites the user visits. Alyo has said that it is in favor of age verification but says it should be done on the devices used rather than on the websites visited. The porn industry giant has called the French government's measure potentially privacy infringing and ineffective. In a post on X on Tuesday, deputy minister Chappaz said the standard, with its double anonymity, guaranteed privacy. "It's unacceptable to lie when you don't want to respect the law," she posted. "If Aylo would rather leave France than apply our law, they are free to do so." How many minors watch porn in France? Users in France account for Pornhub's second largest audience after the United States, according to Pornhub's own statistics for 2024. And, says France's digital and audiovisual communication regulator Arcom, some 2.3 million minors access porn websites every month in the country. That's 12% of France's total number of porn users. Adult content platforms have come under fire elsewhere in the European Union. EU regulators said last month that they would investigate several porn sites, including Pornhub, for failing to comply with rules to protect children. Edited by: Zac Crellin
