Dinner time on the battlefield was always terminal for the dog and his target tank. This doesn’t sound too bad, until you learn that the dogs were carrying explosive packs on their backs. Elephants at least stand a chance of survival, unlike the Russian mine dogs of the Second World War, who were trained to look for their dinners under enemy tanks. There is also a long history of using unusual animals in combat, from elephants to war dogs, and even seals and dolphins in more recent times.
Indian elephants, however, are relatively tractable beasts, and there is a long history of using them as beasts of burden. They do panic, and if they stampede they will cause terrible damage to everyone, friends and foe alike. There are risks to using elephants in warfare. Elephants make superb platforms for men to fight from, giving them an automatic height benefit over many opponents. They can also be trained to fight, goring men with their tusks and trampling others underfoot. Like many animals, elephants can be trained to ignore the sights, smells and, above all, hellish noises of a battlefield. Presence spreads terror throughout enemy ranks. These troops ride into battle on the back of elephants, beasts who very War Elephants are a type of elephant cavalry in Empire: Total War.
