DOGS of Honor: World War II DOGS Shown in Gas Masks!

Pictured: Alsatians outfitted with gas masks along with patrol officers during WWII | Daily Mail

Dogs played a major role in the history of World War II. Their contributions were not always known. As we salute DOGS of Honor week, we take a closer look with vintage black and white photos featuring military dogs that were deployed on the field wearing gas masks.

Dogs featured fitted with Gas Masks for the German infantry | Daily Mail

Historically, dogs have has assisted military soldiers in various functions. As their functions became more important safety equipment was designed to help keep up with their role.

The Nazis made an attempt to train dogs to talk, read and spell to help them win the wages of war.The Germans classified dogs as being almost as intelligent as humans and even tried to create an army of terrifying 'speaking' dogs. It was hoped they would learn to communicate with their SS masters - with Hitler even setting up a special dog school to teach them to talk.

According to research, dogs were specially trained to speak and tap out signals using their paws. There was even one canine believed to have uttered the words 'Mein Fuhrer' when asked who Adolf Hitler was.

Dogs were provided with gas masks to avoid the dangers of fumes during WWII

In a book by Kathleen Kinsolving titled Dogs of War, she captures the camaraderie of the American leaders of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gens. George Patton and Dwight Eisenhower shared with their pets.

The book depicts how these leaders drew their strength from dogs during the Second World War. The leaders looked to their pets for “normalcy and joy” during the turbulent war time and sought comfort from them as the devastating effects of the war was internalized.