Birds In Battle (Cher Ami, Dear Friend)

Question 1

Unlikely hero

Answer 1

It is not likely for a pigeon to be a hero (here)

Question 2

Homing pigeons

Answer 2

A pigeon that can fly long distances, and find its way home

Question 3

Evacuate

Answer 3

Removing people to a safer place

Question 4

Canister

Answer 4

Here, a tiny container in which a message has been put, tied to the leg of a pigeon.

Question 5

Winged rats

Answer 5

Like rats with wings, they eat bits and pieces of whatever they find

Question 6

Artillery

Answer 6

Large guns used in battle

Question 7

Carrier pigeon

Answer 7

A pigeon carrying a message

Question 8

Visual landmarks

Answer 8

Things pigeon see and recognize on the ground, enabling them to fly home

Question 9

Scrawny

Answer 9

Somebody or something who is so thin that you can see the shape of the bones under the skin.

Question 10

Who is the hero of this story?

Answer 10

Cher Ami, the pigeon

Question 11

Why are the pigeons called winged rats?

Answer 11

Pigeons are called winged rats because like rats with wings, they eat bits and pieces of whatever they find.

Question 12

Why were pigeons valued in World War I and II?

Answer 12

Because they were used to carry messages when other communications failed.

Question 13

Why were they called ‘homing pigeons’?

Answer 13

They were called ‘homing pigeons’ because they could fly long distances, and still find their way home.

Question 14

Why did the American troops fire upon their own troops?

Answer 14

The American troops fired up on their own troops because they didn’t realize that a part of their own troop was there, surrounded by the enemies. It was war time and everybody was killing their enemies.

Question 15

…of the ‘Lost Battalion,’ had already sent out …carrying messages to American commanders. The first message read… “Many wounded. We cannot evacuate.” The second message was…
(a) Who had sent out the messages?
(b) who had carried the messages?
(c) What was the second message?

Answer 15

(a) Major Whittlesey of the lost Battalion sent out the messages.
(b) Pigeons had carried the messages.
(c) The second message was “Men suffering. Can support be sent…?”

Question 16

It was… He was their last hope. was released with this simple message tied to his leg, “Our own artillery is…For heaven’s sake, stop it!”
(a) Who was ‘it’? Why was ‘he’ their ‘last hope’?
(b) What ‘simple message’ was sent?
(c) Who was it sent to?

Answer 16

(a) ‘It’ was Cher Ami. He was their last hope, because he was the only pigeon left with the lost battalion.
(b) Cher Ami was released with a simple message “ Our artillery is dropping bombs directly on us. For heavens sake, stop it!”
(c) The message was sent to the American commanders .

Question 17

Bullets whizzed through the air all aimed at…were determined to stop him.
(a) What were the bullets being aimed at?
(b) Who was shooting the bullets?
(c) Why were they ‘determined to stop him’?

Answer 17

(a) Cher Ami
(b) The Germans
(c) The German soldiers were determining to stop Cher Ami because the Germans and the Americans were enemies in the war and any messages from the enemy side, were prevented from being exchanged during the war.

Question 18

Why was the lost Battalion given this name?

Answer 18

The lost battalion was probably given this name because they had been cut off from the rest of the troops.

Question 19

Why was the American artillery firing upon their own troops?

Answer 19

The American artillery was firing upon their own troops because they did not realize that surrounded by the German soldiers, a part of their own troop was trapped in the area where they were dropping bombs and fighting.

Question 20

Why is Cher Ami called an ‘unlikely hero’?

Answer 20

Cher Ami is called an unlikely hero, because nobody would have thought that a pigeon could show such extraordinary bravery, and thereby getting a title of a hero.

Question 21

What are the scientist researching and what conclusions have some of them come to?

Answer 21

The scientists are researching how pigeons find directions. Some of them have come to certain conclusions:
* pigeons are able to use the sun as a guide along with visual landmarks.
* The keen sense of smell and eyesight of pigeons help them .
* Pigeons use earth’s magnetic field, like a compass.