Bayonet

Bayonet, A last-resort blade for save life.

Summary

Bayonet is a weapon attached to the end of a gun for use in close combat. Fitted on the end for a long rifle, it is used primarily to stab, like a spear, and is useless outside of close-range combat. Rifles were supposed to mark the end of infantry charges, and they, along with bayonets, should have become obsolete. However, with the trenches dug to avoid rifle fire, bayonets became relevant once again. Charges after advancing via the trenches and close combat against enemies that surged into the trenches became common.

Close combat weapons such as sabers and knives were disfavored due to their weight and the vulnerable openings created when switching to them, and were not often used. Sabers held by commanding officers, as symbols of authority, were an exception. By the final days of the War, gatling guns had sufficient power and speed to entirely suppress charges from close range.