The History of the Bayonet

The Origins and Evolution of Bayonets

Dec 27, 2009 Grant Sebastian Nell

The bayonet was thought to have orginated in the town of Bayonne, in France, sometime in the 1600's.

Early Bayonets

The evolution of gunpowder weapons and bayonets goes hand in hand. In the early days of gunpowder warfare, the infantry was divided into two types: arquebusiers, or musketeers, and pikemen. Infantry were arrayed in big block formations, with musketeers on the edges and pikemen behind.

Musketeers would fire their weapons in volleys before taking refuge behind the pikemen, who would absorb the impact of charging enemy infantry or cavalry. The system worked well, but pikes were incredibly long, cumbersome, and required lots of training to use.

As more and more soldiers began to use firearms, a weapon had to be devised to keep cavalry at bay and give the soldier some means of protecting himself in melee combat.

The first bayonets were known as plug bayonets, because they plugged directly into the muzzle of the soldiers musket. They were effective enough but, once fitted, they rendered the musket useless for firing until the bayonet could be removed. This flaw was graphically demonstrated at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689, where english soldiers suffered appalling casualties from the onslaught of charging highlanders.

As the years progressed, the bayonet gradually improved in design. Socket bayonets were in use by the mid 1700's. These slotted over the muzzle of the musket, thus enabling loading and firing of the weapon whilst the bayonet was fixed.

The english devised a system for defeating highlanders in hand-to-hand combat. At Culloden in 1746, english soldiers were ordered to attack any highlander to their right. The right side was unprotected and the bayonet could be driven underneath the highlanders armpit as he raised his sword to strike.

Although bayonet charges did occur, most battles were settled by musketry, artillery and cavalry charges. Surviving accounts seem to indicate that, for all their loudly trumpeted love of the bayonet, most soldiers were understandably extremely reluctant to actually take part in bayonet fighting. Some records show that opposing lines of troops actually threw stones at each other rather than charge home with their bayonets.

Bayonets in the Modern Era

The bayonet figured prominently in both world wars. Many different variations developed. Saw bayonets - with a serrated blade like a saw - were used by some soldiers, but most avoided their use for to be captured with a saw bayonet was a sure way to get oneself shot without quarter.

Many soldiers discarded their bayonets when fighting in the trenches, preferring home-made weapons like knuckle-dusters, spiked clubs and sharpened shovels.

Bayonets have persisted into contemporary times, although modern bayonets are much shorter than their ancestors. The greatest effect of the bayonet throughout it's history has been more psychological than practical. But it's still good for cutting wire and opening tins.

Cold Steel - the History of the Bayonet

Chuck Wills

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The copyright of the article The History of the Bayonet in Military History is owned by Grant Sebastian Nell. Permission to republish The History of the Bayonet in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.