| 1 | %%% |
| 2 | %% |
| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks! |
| 4 | %% |
| 5 | %%% |
| 6 | |
| 7 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bayonet_1301.jpg]] |
| 8 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Actually, Mr. President, [[SemperFi Marines]] still use bayonets."'']] |
| 9 | |
| 10 | ->''"Give 'em a bit of the old cold steel, Captain Mainwaring! They don't like it up 'em, sir, they do not like it up 'em!"'' |
| 11 | -->-- '''Corporal Jones''', ''Series/DadsArmy'' |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Guns are great ... until you run out of ammo, or the enemy gets too close to make firing practical. Thankfully, you won't be lugging around dead weight when you attach a sharp blade on it, allowing the empty gun to improvise as a spear. Even better when you can detach it and use it as is. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | This is a common form of MixAndMatchWeapon. Many fictional examples have a blade (or blades) permanently attached or even ''molded'' to a gun, which will often be used as a melee weapon with a RangedEmergencyWeapon attached. RuleOfCool dominates in these cases. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | This is very much TruthInTelevision. Historically, the bayonet evolved from the spear as firearms became more reliable and powerful, first in the form of the plug bayonet which was simply jammed into the muzzle of a musket by the handgrip. This was then replaced with the modern socket bayonet, which mates to a fitting on the end of the barrel, allowing the weapon to still be fired with the bayonet fixed. Bayonets thus allowed musketeers to form AThicketOfSpears to repel cavalry charges without the need for them to be accompanied by dedicated pikemen, as well as being useful in close combat. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | A SubTrope of GunAccessories. See also SwissArmyWeapon and EmergencyWeapon. Do not [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant confuse]] with ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}''. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | ---- |
| 22 | !!Examples: |
| 23 | |
| 24 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 25 | |
| 26 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 27 | * ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren'': Yazoo and Loz's [[MixAndMatchWeapon gunblades]], the Velvet Nightmares, use the "molded onto the barrel" form of this trope. Unusually for this variation, they're still used in the manner of proper bayonets: firing is their primary function, the blade is for when [[LightningBruiser Cloud]] gets too close. |
| 28 | * [[ActionGirl Shino]] [[BloodKnight Kuribayashi]] in ''Literature/{{Gate}}'' is a big proponent of this tactic, though she often is much ''[[PsychoKnifeNut too]]'' enthusiastic in bayoneting an armored opponent, sometimes even ''breaking'' a bayonet on her Howa type 64. |
| 29 | * ''Manga/GoldenKamuy'': Bayonets are a common sight in this anime, many characters, like the protagonist Saichi Sugimoto and the men of the 7th Division, are veterans of the UsefulNotes/RussoJapaneseWar and thus proficient with the use of the bayonet. Sugimoto even kills a ''bear'' using one. They are also used without being fixed as normal knifes instead, cue a KnifeFight. |
| 30 | * Various [[HumongousMecha mobile suits]] from the ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' metaseries use bayonets, sometimes solid and sometimes [[EnergyWeapons beam]], and occasionally removable to serve as an extra melee weapon. Some MS (such as the [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]) can generate a beam blade from the barrel of their rifles, saving on space. A unique example is the Gundam [=GP01=] from ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam0083StardustMemory Gundam 0083]]'', which has a beam rifle with a "beam jitte", essentially just a small V-shaped beam blade mounted beneath the barrel, allowing it to block enemy beam sabers without having to draw its own. |
| 31 | ** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack'' has a particularly odd version with the Jagd Doga, whose '''[[LaserBlade beam saber]]''' has a [[http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/cca/lineart/msn-03-beamsaber.jpg heat knife "bayonet"]] attached to it. |
| 32 | * ''Manga/GunslingerGirl'': Triela has one either attached to her Winchester 1897 Trench Gun or sheathed at her waist (with [[BadassAdorable her size]] making it a virtual sword). |
| 33 | * Father Anderson in ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' uses ''[[HyperspaceArsenal unlimited supplies]]'' of blessed bayonets as weapons. No guns, just the bayonets. And oddly enough for somebody who uses bayonets as regular knives, they're all ''socket bayonets''. |
| 34 | * ''Manga/HighschoolOfTheDead'': Rei carries a rifle with a knife bayonet attached, and uses that as her primary weapon. During the mall arc, Kouta jury-rigs a spike bayonet for Takashi's shotgun from some bicycle parts, but warns him that it will probably break easily. And sure enough, ItOnlyWorksOnce. |
| 35 | * [[UsefulNotes/ChineseWithChopperSupport Karen Lo's]] unique fighting style from ''Manga/{{Jormungand}}'' makes use of [[GunsAkimbo dual]] ''[[RuleOfCool pistol bayonets]]''. She was taught this style by [[spoiler: Chen Guoming, who used said technique to massacre Valmet's squad years ago in Africa.]] [[RealityIsUnrealistic There is a basis for this however]]. See the Real Life section below for some actual examples of pistol bayonets. |
| 36 | * Mumei's [[GunsAkimbo dual]] [[SawedOffShotgun sawn-off shotguns]] in ''Anime/KabaneriOfTheIronFortress'' have folding bayonets, although [[OurZombiesAreDifferent the iron skin of the Kabane]] means it is mostly only effective at [[OffWithHisHead taking off their heads.]] However, once she gets the blades [[MidSeasonUpgrade coated]] [[BodyToJewel in refined Kabane skin]] they become strong enough to [[AbsurdlySharpBlade break even the Kabane's iron-clad hearts.]] |
| 37 | * Moran of ''Manga/MoriartyThePatriot'' uses a bayonet on a ''pistol'' of all things to KnifeFight Louis in ''The Adventure of the Empty Hearts''. Played with a bit in that he doesn't switch to a knife because he's out of ammo, as he proves later—he just doesn't want to shoot Louis. |
| 38 | * Chris Redfield makes extensive use of an M4-mounted bayonet in ''Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta'' while between reloads when fighting a horde of zombies in a narrow hallway. |
| 39 | * In ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'', Hyogo Kujiranami has a rather large (compared to normal people) bayonet attached to his already deadly ''[[GratuitousEnglish Custom Made Grenade Launcher]]'' (Is literally called like than in the manga). |
| 40 | [[/folder]] |
| 41 | |
| 42 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 43 | * ''ComicBook/AstroCity'': The Old Soldier carries a bayoneted rifle as one of his weapons. Given how long bayonets have been used in warfare, he may have been carrying for a long time. |
| 44 | * ''ComicBook/CodeNameGravedigger'': In ''Men of War'' #8, a {{Brainwashed}} Gravedigger uses rifle-mounted bayonet to skewer a British soldier as he infiltrates a boat to assassinate UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill. |
| 45 | * Bonvi has frequently used bayonets for black comedy in his comic ''ComicBook/{{Sturmtruppen}}''. The most egregious example is given by "Air-Headed Franz". When he's introduced, he waves the gun while saying "But don't ask me why (they call him Air-Headed)" and stabs a nearby soldier in the eye. They eventually sign a petition for forcing him to remove the thing from his rifle. |
| 46 | [[/folder]] |
| 47 | |
| 48 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 49 | * In ''WebVideo/HellsingUltimateAbridged'' a Nazi vampire [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] Father Anderson's choice of weapon: |
| 50 | -->'''Nazi:''' [[TooDumbToLive Ve're not scared of you]]! Look at you, you [[TemptingFate don't even know how to use a bayonet]]! It goes on ze gun, idiot! |
| 51 | * In ''Fanfic/TheRoadNotTaken'', Kanril Eleya fixes a bayonet on her phaser rifle when the Jem'Hadar attack Deep Space 9, using it to kill at least one of them. |
| 52 | * In ''Fanfic/WeightOfTheWorld'', America's [[SwissArmyWeapon pump-action shotgun-bat]] has a retractable bayonet. Prussia uses a sniper rifle with one attached as well. |
| 53 | [[/folder]] |
| 54 | |
| 55 | [[folder:Films -- Animation]] |
| 56 | * In ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren'', Yazoo's version of the {{Gunblade}} functions like this: primarily a firearm, but with a blade along the barrel for when his opponent gets too close for comfort. |
| 57 | [[/folder]] |
| 58 | |
| 59 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 60 | * Basically any period film that has firearms features this trope. It'd be easier to list only the unusual examples. |
| 61 | * Used to be a UsefulNotes/WorldWarII movie cliche -- the scene where the Nazi guards would be shoving their bayonets into a hay bale where the hero was hiding. Substitute Imperial Japanese soldiers stabbing bags of rice for the Pacific Theater. |
| 62 | * In the final battle of ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', Jake uses the detached bayonet of a {{BFG}} against a mecha-riding Colonel Quaritch. |
| 63 | * Creator/ShawBrothers films set in the 1940s, during the revolution or second World War, will contain plenty of bayonet action, including ''Film/TheAnonymousHeroes'', ''Film/TheNavalCommandos'' and ''Film/SevenManArmy''. |
| 64 | * Employed by [[SemperFi U.S. Marines]] against invading aliens in ''Film/BattleLosAngeles'' during the climactic final battle. |
| 65 | * ''Film/TheThreeStooges''' ''Boobs in Arms'': When the three hide in the hanging dummy bags, the sergeant (who had it out for them for coming onto his lovelorn wife, which was actually a purposeful ploy to make him take her back) comes at them with a bayonet rifle, stabbing into the bags and ''narrowly'' missing their faces. |
| 66 | * Features in a climactic moment in ''Film/{{Gettysburg}}'' when Colonel Chamberlain, ordered to hold Little Round Top [[HoldTheLine no matter what]], realizes that his men have run out of ammunition but the Confederates can only make one more attack. So he orders a bayont charge downhill. This breaks the exhausted Confederates. |
| 67 | * Used multiple times in ''Film/GodsAndGenerals'', which shouldn't be surprising given [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar the time period]]. Stonewall Jackson calls for bayonets at Manassas, then during the flanking march to Chancellorsville threatens to have stragglers bayoneted. |
| 68 | * ''Film/AReasonToLiveAReasonToDie'': While they are StormingTheCastle, Piggot is killed by a Confederate soldier with a bayonet. Another soldier attempts to stab Pembroke with one, but Pembroke wrestles it off him and stabs him with it. |
| 69 | * Spoofed in ''Film/TigerOnBeat''; the climax has Francis facing off against the mafia leader, respectively armed with a shotgun and an M16, but both weapons out of ammunition. The mafia leader grabs a small knife and attaches it to the front of his M16 as a makeshift bayonet, and Francis retaliates by pulling out a ''[[MacheteMayhem friggin machete]]'' attaching it to his shotgun. The subsequent OhCrap look on the mafia leader's face after seeing his dinky bayonet against the huge machete is ''hilarious''. |
| 70 | * ''Film/WorldWarZ'': the protagonist is holed up with his family in an apartment complex with only a bolt-action rifle for defence, so he [[DuctTapeForEverything duct-tapes a]] [[ImprovisedWeapon kitchen knife to the barrel]]. |
| 71 | [[/folder]] |
| 72 | |
| 73 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 74 | * In ''Literature/TheKillerAngels'', one of the Union protagonists is Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, who is stationed at the extreme left flank of the Union line on the second day. He is told that he cannot retreat under ''any'' circumstances or the whole Union line could collapse. The 20th Maine holds the hill under multiple Confederate assaults until they run out of bullets. Chamberlain deduces that the Confederates can only manage one more attack and, with no ammunition, orders his men to fix bayonets and charge downhill. At the same time, Company B--which got stranded in the woods after Chamberlain detached them to watch their backs--saw an opportunity to link back up with the rest of the unit without getting slaughtered and joined the charge, which fooled the Confederates into thinking that the Union had brought fresh reinforcements. Their units at Little Round Top break and surrender under the combined onslaught. |
| 75 | * In the ''[[Literature/SixteenThirtyTwo 1632]]'' series, as it's still the era of pike and shot (see under RealLife below) down-timers are initially sceptical about the usefulness of bayonets. There is a conversation with a Scottish mercenary in which he's eventually persuaded that 'that wee knife' becomes more useful in battle than dedicated pikemen, because faster-reloading firearms changes the dynamics of a battlefield. |
| 76 | * Considering ''Literature/ThePowderMageTrilogy'' is set in a time period roughly corresponding to 18th century Europe, it's hardly surprising that this trope crops up. Muskets with bayonets are the standard weapon for the armies in the setting and are used with gruesome efficiency. When massed, they even prove effective even against [[EliteMook Wardens]], which are nigh-unstoppable, sorcery-warped supersoldiers, specifically designed to combat the titular Powder Mages. |
| 77 | * In ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'', rifle with bayonet eventually becomes a weapon of choice for Imperial Charisian Army. With a little help of old Earth's libraries, they create a tactics for them that make them nigh-unstoppable in battle -- it's said that any Charisian force can take on four times as big Temple Loyalist unit and ''win''. |
| 78 | * In Sri Lanka, a corrupt government official arranges for a gang of low rent thugs to seek out and kill Literature/AbleTeam. They're tipped off when they see several of these thugs lining up at a marketplace grinding stone in a futile attempt to get the government issue AKM bayonets they're carrying sharpened. The team escapes serious injury during the ensuing attack because the AKM bayonet is designed for stabbing or cutting wire, not slashing--which is what they thugs try to use them for. Turns out the corrupt official thought the bayonets ''looked'' dangerous but DidNotThinkThisThrough. |
| 79 | [[/folder]] |
| 80 | |
| 81 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 82 | * Being set in UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, the miniseries ''1915'' shows both the bayonet training the Diggers recieved, and its usage at Gallipoli and other battlefields. |
| 83 | * ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'': Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie uses a shotgun with an axe-head on the tip, which he can also turn around to act as a proper bayonet with the pointed hook. |
| 84 | * ''Series/BandOfBrothers'' features a badass bayonet charge across a field in Holland. Bull Randleman also duels a German soldier with his bayonet (in reality he was involved in two bayonet duels during the war). |
| 85 | * ''Series/BurnNotice'': Fiona once gives Michael a World War I bayonet as a birthday present. It's the payoff to a BrickJoke from earlier in the episode: After Michael's mom complained to her that loving him was "like trench warfare", Fiona decided he should arm himself. |
| 86 | * ''Series/DadsArmy'': Corporal Jones was always advocating the use of the bayonet -- see the page quote. PlayedForLaughs when they tried to adapt his van (working as a makeshift armoured car) to run on literal gas, stored in a bag attached the roof. And the order was given to point the guns upwards through the openings in said roof... |
| 87 | * ''Series/DeadliestWarrior'': As attachments for the musket of the musketeer and the AK-47 of the Taliban. |
| 88 | * PlayedForLaughs and absurdism in ''Series/GenerationKill''; one of the many, many blunders of [[TheNeidermeyer Captain America]] includes charging into an ''empty'' airfield with his bayonet from ''way'' outside the range a bayonet would be useful, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhGIFLWadEU to general dismay]]. |
| 89 | -->'''Sgt. Colbert:''' He's got his fucking bayonet out. Doing his Rambo. |
| 90 | * Seen occasionally in ''Series/{{Sharpe}}''. The elite Rifles use longer bayonets for their weapons, which [[InsistentTerminology must be referred]] to when deployed as "fix swords!" rather than "fix bayonets!" as for the musket-wielding regulars.[[note]]The Baker rifle was shorter than the standard-issue British muskets of the time. Rifle units were issued longer sword bayonets so that the length of their weapons matched that of regular infantry muskets so that the two different units could work together in formations. Rifle units in the British Army still use the command "Fix swords" to this day.[[/note]] |
| 91 | * Though we've never seen the bayonet used in ''Series/StargateSG1'' attached to a rifle, the handy thing about modern bayonets is that they work just as well as knives. [[http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Stargate_SG-1_-_Season_2#Phrobis_M9_bayonet IMFDB identified]] the knife Jack O'Neill [[ImpaledPalm put through Heru'ur's hand]] in "Secrets" as an M9 bayonet instead of a KA-BAR knife. |
| 92 | * Seen in the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "[[{{Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS02E19BloodOath}} Blood Oath]]". Jadzia and the Klingon swordmasters Kor, Kang, and Koloth attack the stronghold of a crime lord who killed the Klingons' firstborn, one of whom was also the godson of the Dax symbiont's previous host. They use technobabble to disable the {{mooks}}' energy weapons, and the crime boss orders them to mount bayonets. [[spoiler:The defense proves lethal to Kang and Koloth.]] |
| 93 | * A scene from a documentary on Creator/TheBBC about the officer training school Sandhurst: |
| 94 | -->'''Sergeant:''' What is the purposes of the bayonet?\ |
| 95 | '''Cadets:''' To kill! Kill! Kill!\ |
| 96 | '''Sergeant:''' I didn't know I had the girls' platoon today. What is the purpose of the bayonet?\ |
| 97 | '''Cadets:''' TO KILL! KILL! KILL! |
| 98 | [[/folder]] |
| 99 | |
| 100 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 101 | * Some systems allow you to fix bayonets as a standard action. This turns your gun/crossbow into a polearm, and often prohibits firing the weapon. |
| 102 | * Available in the ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' RPG, appropriately titled ''Mechwarrior''. Bayonets are cheap, commonly available accessories for a gun. ''Any'' gun. There is no mounting requirement listed. More notably, they can be carried and used as standard knives and do substantially more damage (9 points maximum) than the basic knife (5 points maximum) in 2nd Edition while weighing the same amount. By-the-rulebook [=GMs=] might find themselves with player characters mounting bayonets on any available firearm to justify having the stronger bayonet in a fight. |
| 103 | ** A rare infantry weapon, the [[https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Mauser_960_Assault_System Mauser 960 laser/grenade launcher combo]], has a retractable bayonet. Not unusual, except that it is also a {{Vibroweapon}}, making it much deadlier than a garden-variety blade. |
| 104 | * ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' (3.5e) would allow this, and indeed, gave the player two choices of bayonet to use: knife or sword. This turned their crossbow into the statistical equivalent of a shortspear or spear, respectively, at the cost of -4 to their attack rolls for lack of weapon proficiency. [[SwissArmyWeapon Oh, and you can still fire the crossbow without fouling either the bolt or the bayonet.]] |
| 105 | * ''TabletopGame/MutantChronicles'' features both the "underslung chainsaw"- and knife-on-a-gun variants. The Dark Legion tend not to use them, but their weapons come [[SpikesOfVillainy pre-spikified]], so that's okay. |
| 106 | * In one ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}'' mission, the experimental equipment from R&D includes a bayonet attachment for a cone rifle. This being ''Paranoia'', it breaks the rifle (which was designed to be used as, y'know, a ''rifle'', not withstand being banged around like a sword or club). It's also worth noting that despite the name, a cone rifle is actually closer to a bazooka in size. |
| 107 | * ''TabletopGame/SeventhSea'' allows plug and socket variations on muskets, with bayonet attacks using the Polearm skill (initially misprinted as Heavy Weapons). Montaigne has a swordsman school dedicated to fighting with musket and bayonet that grants both skills. In-universe, Montaigne is the only nation to use socket bayonets instead of plug bayonets, though the rules don't require a character with their socketed bayonet fixed to compensate for its weight the way a real musketeer would. |
| 108 | * ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000''. |
| 109 | ** While not commonly seen on the battlefields of the 41st Millennium, many patterns of bolt weaponry used by the [[SuperSoldier Adeptus Astartes]], particularly those that date from the era of the Great Crusade, have bayonet attachments that some of the more aggressive Chapters still utilise. The style of blade used as a bayonet varies and can range from monomolecular combat blades to [[ChainsawGood small chainblades]]. |
| 110 | ** The silver bayonet (the "straight silver") is one of the symbols of the [[Literature/GauntsGhosts Tanith First]] Imperial Guard regiment. Imperial Guard's standard-issue lasguns are regularly depicted with bayonets fixed in the tabletop though actual gameplay statistics make it rare for the PunyEarthling Guardsmen having to use them actually win against their usually exotically physically-capable alien opponents -- the Tanith First in particular frequently fight against other (more or less) bog-standard human beings serving Chaos when the odds of this are much less likely for the Imperial Guard in the tabletop. |
| 111 | ** Chainsaw bayonets are most popular as an attachment for [[SwissArmyWeapon double-barreled fully-automatic armor-piercing rocket-propelled grenade launcher flamethrowers]] as used by Chaos Space Marine Terminators, but definitely show up elsewhere as well. |
| 112 | ** [[TheFairFolk Drukhari]] warriors have mono molecular ones at the ends of their splinter rifles. |
| 113 | ** [[DisintegratorRay Gauss Flayers]] used by Necron warriors have not a bayonet blade but an ''axe'' one under their barrels. |
| 114 | ** Orks guns don't usually have bayonets, since they're so covered in spiky bits that they're not needed. |
| 115 | ** Ogryns use specially-designed shotguns that are meant to be used as clubs, often upgraded by adding huge power bayonets (an energy field that desintegrates everything it goes through, used as melee anti-tank weapons). |
| 116 | ** The [[AmazonBrigade Adepta Sororitas]] have the Sarissa[[note]]a weapon from the 3rd Edition rules[[/note]], a vicious spiked blade that Battle Sisters attach to their bolt weapons to turn them into effective close combat weapons. In game terms these combat blades gave the wielder a re-roll to wound when they charged. |
| 117 | [[/folder]] |
| 118 | |
| 119 | [[folder:Toys]] |
| 120 | * British firm {{Airfix}} pioneered sets of even smaller one inch tall toy soldiers, that came with 48-50 infantry figures to a box. Other manufacturers such as Revell and ESCI/Italeri followed the Airfix idea. Without exception, any set of figures depicting soldiers of the rifle age will have a goodly number posed aggressively with fixed bayonets. Napoleonic-era sets always have figures posed as kneeling and presenting fixed bayonets to ward off cavalry attacks, or to build an infantry square with. |
| 121 | * ''Toys/{{BIONICLE}}'': Kopaka Nuva's Blizzard Blade in his AdaptiveArmor form. When attached to his [[SlowLaser Midak Skyblaster]], he can simultaneously shoot [[LightEmUp Light]] and [[AnIcePerson Ice]]. |
| 122 | [[/folder]] |
| 123 | |
| 124 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 125 | * Musketeers in ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresIII'' use bayonets as their melee attacks. It's fairly effective [[AntiCavalry against cavalry]]. |
| 126 | * ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' |
| 127 | ** Ezio's left Hidden Blade in [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII the three]] [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood games he]] [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations stars in]] can be considered a rare, inverted example, where a miniature pistol is built onto the blade instead of the other way around. |
| 128 | ** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'' takes place during the American Revolutionary War, where it is played straight featuring rifles with bayonets, and there are plenty to spare. What better way to assassinate British soldiers than to stab them with a musket and fire right through? |
| 129 | ** This proud tradition is held in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIIILiberation'' and ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag''; both Aveline de Grandpre and Edward Kenway (as well as Adéwale, in ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedFreedomCry Freedom Cry]]'',) are perfectly capable of picking up an unattended musket (or [[BallisticDiscount making a musket unattended]], or relieving a still-living enemy of their musket using their bare hands,) and using the bayonet as a vicious melee weapon. |
| 130 | ** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedUnity'' continues the trope, as Arno can carry one of several rifles, which occupy both his gun and melee weapon slots, though none of the standard rifles he can use feature bayonets; the enemies retain bladed muskets however. ''Dead Kings'' also gives him access to Guillotine Guns, which are ''grenade launchers'' with ''axes'' on the ends of the barrels. |
| 131 | * In the first-person areas of ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie,'' Kazooie can eventually learn the Beak Bayonet to perform an ammo-less melee attack. It's only ''used'' for one task, but it's useful in the first-person areas in general. |
| 132 | * ''VideoGame/Battlefield1'' gives the option of mounting bayonets for rifles, shotguns, and submachine guns. When equipped, the player can perform a charge to either instantly kill an enemy (including including the otherwise [[IncrediblyDurableEnemies incredibly durable]] Elite Classes) or quickly cross open ground to new cover, in exchange for increasing the time it takes to fire from sprint and recover from recoil. |
| 133 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Bladeslinger}}'', your main weapon is a gun with a big blade attached to it. |
| 134 | * ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' |
| 135 | ** ''VideoGame/Borderlands1'' features handguns with huge blades attached to them that increase melee damage, though the animation is a slash rather than a stab (which is fairly inconvenient, as it ''doubles'' the melee animation length for no bonuses). The only other weapons able to provide a melee damage bonus are shotguns, which can have a spike near the grip for gun butt action. Although they don't actually give a melee BONUS, there are a couple rifle models that ''show'' bayonets, which spawned the rather [[MemeticMutation memetic]] cry among fans of "Why does my sniper rifle need a bayonet?!" The answer is "for when those Psychos run right up to you, bloody axe in hand, of course". |
| 136 | ** In ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'', ''any'' gun can have a blade attached, even rocket launchers and sniper rifles, and they all add 50% damage to your melee. The game doesn't feature a lengthened melee animation like its predecessor either, so if you wanna go happy stabbity-stab with a knifed pistol, rifle, SMG or shotgun (or get caught with your bladed sniper or bazooka out by a PersonalSpaceInvader, a situation where said guns are impractical or even dangerous to use) you know what to do. Heck, two guns (the Law and the Rapier) have the bayonet as their main gimmick. |
| 137 | * ''VideoGame/BravelySecond'': Aimee Matchlock carries the Guncleaver, a rifle with an ''axe'' as a bayonet. |
| 138 | * Several weapons in ''VideoGame/{{Brink}}'' feature a bayonet as a possible customization; equipping it improves melee power, but melee strikes will no longer knock enemies down. |
| 139 | * ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyWorldAtWar'': You could get a bayonet attachment for the bolt-action rifles, the M1 Garand, the M1897 shotgun, and the Type 99. It gave you a much longer melee range, at the expense of a longer melee recovery time. |
| 140 | ** One oddity about the melee on the shotgun was that it would gib enemies, while other bayonets would not do the same. |
| 141 | * Unlike the vanilla game, ''VideoGame/COD2SpanishCivilWarMod'' lets you use bayonets which are more effective in disposing of enemies than the regular butt or pistol whipping. However, they cannot be dismounted and used to stealthily kill enemy soldiers. |
| 142 | * In ''VideoGame/ConquerorsBlade'', Kriegsrat Fusiliers are the only musket infantry to use bayonets as sidearms instead of knives or swords. |
| 143 | * ''VideoGame/DeadRising2'', which uses {{Macgyvering}} as a gimmick, gives you the option of creating a shotgun with a pitchfork bayonet. |
| 144 | * ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'': Lady's signature weapon, Kalina Ann, is a [[{{BFG}} rocket launcher]] with a bayonet attached that can be fired away as a GrapplingHookPistol. |
| 145 | * An early version of ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' includes the rifle's bayonet as the melee weapon. This was later dropped in favor of fists/chainsaw. ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'' is adding the bayonet for real... on the Super Shotgun. Except it's actually a two-pronged hookshot, so instead of shooting-charging-stabbing you're stabbing-charging-shooting no matter where your demon is. |
| 146 | * ''VideoGame/EmpireTotalWar'': |
| 147 | ** Bayonets are a technology that can be researched. First plug bayonets, which can be fixed but prevent firing the weapon, then ring and socket bayonets. Each increase the melee ability of line infantry substantially. |
| 148 | ** Another technology increases damage for bayonet charges. The description states that the musketeers are simply drilled now to charge with the bayonets held at waist height instead of head height, as one would with a spear. Stopping a cavalry charge, however, requires the use of the square formation, allowing the unit to defend all angles and brace the bayonets. |
| 149 | ** Despite this, several melee units in the game can be more effective than musketeers, if they can get close without being battered down by volleys, that is. The Indian Gurkhas with their [[KukrisAreKool kukri]] swords can easily cut up a squad of professional musketeers... though that may be because they are [[UsefulNotes/NepaliWithNastyKnives Gurkhas]]. |
| 150 | * Haken Browning of ''VideoGame/EndlessFrontier'' wields the Night Fowl assault rifle with an underslung pile-driver below the rifle's barrel in place a normal bayonet. However, the ''actual'' bayonet is a fold-out variant built into the stock of the rifle. |
| 151 | * Bayonets are optional attachments for a wide range of weapons in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}''. You can attach them to simple pipe rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, and even rocket launchers and miniguns! |
| 152 | ** In the case of the minigun, the bayonet attachment is less like a knife and more like massive blades chained to the barrels. The modification even has a different name: the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Shredder]]. |
| 153 | * ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'': |
| 154 | ** Imperial monks' rifles are equipped with bayonets in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', though they never use them. |
| 155 | ** In ''VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII'' the Secutors from the Order of Light have submachine gun bayonets. |
| 156 | * ''{{VideoGame/Foxhole}}'' added bayonets in 0.2, which can be fixed to carbines or rifles. They deal a OneHitKill attack in melee range and you can sprint while extending your bayonet as a DashAttack. |
| 157 | * ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'': the Lancer has a ''[[ChainsawGood chainsaw]]'' bayonet. The original has a blade, though, but they crammed the chainsaw in when they discovered that the Locust were MadeOfIron, and could just shrug off a regular bowie-knife bayonet. |
| 158 | ** ''Gears of War 3'' features regular bayonets on the older Pendulum war era variant of the Lancer, the Retro Lancer. At first look, [[GameplayAndStorySegregation the regular bayonet seems perfectly effective at killing Grubs]], though that weakness of the bayonet may be considered to be represented by how the bayonet on the Retro Lancer cannot be used unless the player builds up enough momentum from charging for a few seconds -- melee attacking with the Retro Lancer will have the player swing with the rifle's back end instead, and running into a target with the Retro Lancer charge's with insufficient momentum will be ineffective. |
| 159 | * ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'': |
| 160 | ** Brute weapons like the Spiker, Mauler and Brute Shot (that the Brutes put a bayonet on a grenade launcher tells you all you need to know about their combat mentality) usually have blades attached. The Gravity Hammers meanwhile have blades on them, but they can't be used in the games (melee attacks are hits with the handle instead); these blades are used in some books and cutscenes though. In ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'', the reverse-end bayonet on the Brute Shot was the second best weapon at dismembering Flood forms and the second best melee weapon in multiplayer right behind the [[LaserBlade Energy Sword]], and comes with the added bonus of not running out of charges. |
| 161 | ** ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians''[='s=] Warzone allows you to attach energy bayonets to your basic loadout weapons. |
| 162 | * ''VideoGame/HotDogsHorseshoesAndHandGrenades'': Two firearms have bayonets attached to them by default and can be used how you'd expect. The SKS Classic and the TOZ-81 Mars both have integrated, non-removable bayonets that can be folded out. |
| 163 | ** On top of that, some firearms have bespoke bayonets that can ONLY be fitted to a specific weapon. The AK and AR pattern bayonets can only be fitted to weapons of their respective patterns (the G36 is an exception however, since AK bayonets are so plentiful in Germany) |
| 164 | ** Further still the 'Lee Enfield', 'Grillfork', 'Spatula' and 'Mosin Bayonet' can be fitted to ANY firearm that can accept muzzle devices (like suppressors or compensators) provided the barrel doesn't already have something on it. |
| 165 | * ''VideoGame/HuntShowdown'' features bayonets as unlockable for a few weapons (the Martini-Henry IC1, the Vetterli 71 Karabiner, the Mosin Nagant M1891, [[AKA47 the Specter 1882, the Winfield M1873 and the Winfield Vandal]]). They're very useful in-game as you will always want a melee weapon on you and these will allow you to have that while freeing up an equipment slot for something else potentially useful. |
| 166 | * ''VideoGame/{{Incubation}}'' provides bayonets on Advanced Combat Guns and Standard Assault Rifles, the second and third weapons the player receives. Since the blade's damage is great (easily enough to decimate lesser aliens) and ammo's very limited, the fairly weak SAR remains a mainstay through much of the game. |
| 167 | ** The expansion pack ''finally'' introduced another bayoneted weapon, the Light Plasma Gun... which has good damage and unlimited ammo ''anyway'', making it pointless. |
| 168 | * ''VideoGame/IntoTheRadius'': In an older version of the game the SKS used to have a folding bayonet that was permanently attached to the rifle. Aside from the current versions maps being split up into numerous, smaller zones, the bayonet was removed because it was ''far'' too powerful. |
| 169 | ** Using the bayonet only took off a small amount of the SKS's durability which, provided you brought enough cleaning oil and a toothbrush, could be constantly repaired to full durability after use. |
| 170 | ** The bayonet could one-shot almost every enemy in the game no matter where they were hit. Fragments only needed to have their core struck, Sliders needed a head-stab to insta-kill, and the Harvester had too much health to even consider killing it with ''a gun.'' |
| 171 | * ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'': The Blade weapon class is a divine version of this, varying between obviously looking like projectile weapons and having an edge appear in melee, or looking like swords and firing spontaneous projectiles from a distance. Despite their name, they usually function faithfully to this trope due to the nature of the game encouraging ranged combat; if an enemy gets close enough to melee, Pit's priority should be to put distance between them again, [[TacticalWithdrawal one way]] or [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom another]]. |
| 172 | * As of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', shotguns can be equipped with bayonets, which increase melee damage and change the sound so it's a little less ''thwack'' and a bit more ''stab''. The Graal Spike Thrower, a shotgun designed for hunting giant sand worms, is said to have a spike as an absolute last resort weapon for use while ''being eaten''. Downloadable GunAccessories include omni-blade bayonets for assault rifles and, later, shotguns (the shotgun ones have a weight penalty). |
| 173 | * ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorPacificAssault'' has permanent bayonet attachments for the Arisaka Type 38, Type 96 Light Machine Gun and M1 Garand Rifle. Japanese soldiers equipped with the first two will try to attack you with the bayonets. |
| 174 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManZero 4'''s [[TheDragon Commander Kraft]] carries a huge multipurpose rifle. One of his strongest attacks is a simple bayonet charge. He will impale Zero, then eject Zero and the blade across the screen before the blade detonates as he draws another one. |
| 175 | * ''Videogame/{{Metro 2033}}'''s Uboinik shotgun secondary fire normally results in Artyom [[PistolWhipping bludgeoning the enemy to death with the stock]], but a special modified version can be found that mounts a bayonet for quick, lethal stabs. Because it's pretty lethal and uses no ammo, it's a favorite for anyone who's ever played the game on [[NintendoHard Hardcore]] or [[HarderThanHard Ranger.]] Sadly, the bayonet is missing on the Uboinik's descendant, the Shambler, in ''Videogame/MetroLastLight'', which has iron sights instead of a melee attack. |
| 176 | * ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' (Xbox) has mooks will use bayonets on their rifles if you will come too close to them. Some of them will [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice pierce you, lift your body in the air]] and THEN shoot the rifle. |
| 177 | * ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'': Various character skins will have firearms with a bayonet attached, but they are merely ornamental and do not affect melee attacks. |
| 178 | * In ''VideoGame/ParasiteEve2'', one of the numerous [[GunAccessories attachments]] you could get for the assault-rifle was... a humble Bayonet. Considering that you could, instead, mount it with a [[FireBreathingWeapon flamethrower]], a triple-size magazine, a giant [[StaticStunGun Taser]], or [[SlowLaser Slow Lasers]], you probably won't use it. Ever ... unless you play on '[[HarderThanHard Nightmare]]' difficulty, where most of the good weapons and attachments simply aren't there, and ammo is rare. Then that bayonet becomes a lifesaver which will carry you through the later half of the game. |
| 179 | * ''VideoGame/PirateHunter'' have bayonets being used on both sides, by pirate riflemen or the Redcoats assisting your titular hero. |
| 180 | * ''VideoGame/ProjectReality'' features this as one of several melee combat options depending on class and weapon. Because of limitations with the game engine, you have to switch to it like if it is a separate weapon, opposed to being able to use it while still being able to fire your gun. |
| 181 | * ''VideoGame/RedOrchestra'' allows standard riflemen to attach bayonets to their rifles. |
| 182 | ** ''VideoGame/RedOrchestra2HeroesOfStalingrad'' has bayonets as unlockable attachments for the Karabiner 98, Mosin-Nagant, Gewehr 41, MKB-42 (H), and SVT-40. |
| 183 | ** ''VideoGame/RisingStorm'' has the Arisaka rifles equipped with sword bayonets by default, while the M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, M1903 Springfield, Type 96 and Type 99 light machine guns, and Type 100 SMG receive bayonets as upgrades. |
| 184 | ** ''VideoGame/RisingStorm2Vietnam'' also has bayonets for the AKM, its Chinese variant Type-56, SKS (the latter two with foldable bayonets), M16, M14, M37 Shotgun "Trench gun" variant, M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, the venerable Mosin-Nagant, the [=L1A1=] rifle and even for a ''submachine gun'' with the Australian F1. However, due to the prevalence of self-loading and fully automatic guns in this game, bayonets are harder to use and thus less frequently used compared to previous titles in the series. |
| 185 | * The [=M5A2=] Carbine from ''VideoGame/{{Resistance}} 3'' has a bayonet as its first upgrade. |
| 186 | * Andrew of ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'' wields a rifle with a large bayonet as his weapon. His fighting style is described as "Bayonet drills handed down through the family lineage for generations", and his moveset largely revolves around the bayonet as his primary weapon rather than the actual gun itself. |
| 187 | * Saika Magoichi of ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'' has a bayonet on his arquebus. The blades get bigger and bigger as his weapons get better. The way he uses it, it's as much a sword as it is a gun. |
| 188 | * ''VideoGame/SevenSamurai20XX'': Eight's weapon of choice is a rocket launcher heavier than he is with a large bayonet attached to the top, which he brandishes as a spear. |
| 189 | * ''VideoGame/SniperElite5'', unlike previous games, allows you to equip a bayonet on any weapon that realistically has a bayonet lug. For example, The Lee-Enfield will accept a bayonet, while the Delisle Carbine will not. Attaching a bayonet significantly alters the gun's handling, but allows you to perform frontal instant kill attacks on any enemy, where normally you can only do it on {{Mooks}}, and EliteMooks were immune. |
| 190 | * Early [[SpaceMarine Marine]] designs for ''VideoGame/StarCraftIIWingsOfLiberty'' had bayonets attached to their gauss rifles. The community [[FanDumb did not approve]]. Cut to the ''A Card To Play'' cinematic in the shipped game, where BadAssNormal General Warfield is ambushed by the Zerg and runs out of ammo. He brings out the bayonet and... [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome the rest is history]]. TakeThat indeed. |
| 191 | * In ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'', a number of Klingon rifles feature prominent bayonets -- most notably the Honor Guard Battle Rifle and Pulsewave Rifle. One disruptor has a wicked-looking blade permanently mounted under the barrel, [[ExaggeratedTrope as well as another serving as the trigger guard]]. They appear to be purely cosmetic, and Klingon warriors are all carrying swords anyway. |
| 192 | * The Burasta of the ''VideoGame/{{Super Robot Wars Z}}2: Hakai-hen'' carries the Bayonet Spiker, where its handheld gun emits an energy-variant of a bayonet. Should the player make the Burasta a melee-oriented machine, its ultimate attack works in conjunction with its SPIGOT-VX {{Attack Drone}}s to create an [[BiggerIsBetter even bigger bayonet]]. |
| 193 | * ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' has Wolf, whose blaster has a claw on the end of it that can deal an extra hit in addition to the fired shot. |
| 194 | * ''VideoGame/{{Unturned}}'' uses a Gun Accessory system and bayonets are a rare option for tactical accessories. While its short-ranged and only moderately powerful, a bayonet can quickly protect you in an emergency without needing to switch weapons. |
| 195 | * One of ''VideoGame/WayOfTheSamurai 3''[='s=] DLC weapons is a bayonet affixed to a rifle (specifically, a harquebus), using the stance and moveset of spears already available in the game. The bayonet itself works well; it's the rifle that can't shoot... |
| 196 | * ''VideoGame/WildArms2'': The bayonet is Ashley's weapon of choice. |
| 197 | * ''VideoGame/XCOM2'': Mutons are the only ADVENT unit to wield a weapon with a bayonet. They'll happily use it if they can get adjacent to the enemy, or if said enemy tries to go for a melee attack, which Mutons {{Counter|Attack}} with a parry-and-swipe. |
| 198 | [[/folder]] |
| 199 | |
| 200 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 201 | * ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' took the Brute Shot from ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' and made it the signature weapon of one of its scariest villains, The Meta. |
| 202 | [[/folder]] |
| 203 | |
| 204 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 205 | * ''LetsPlay/{{Mahu}}'': In "Crownless Eagle", the armies of the Commonwealth Republic make use of the bayonet whenever they run out of ammo or are trying to push the foe back during an assault to an enemy fortress. These hand-to-hand battles can either be short-lived, if the enemy is demoralized due to losses taken already, or long, bloody grinds. |
| 206 | * [[http://pimpmygun.doctornoob.com/ Pimp My Gun]] allows you to fit your [[OffTheShelfFX kitbashed]] guns with bayonets. |
| 207 | [[/folder]] |
| 208 | |
| 209 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 210 | * It is important to know that while they certainly look dangerous, bayonets were never a major cause of casualties during war (even as early as the Napoleonic Wars, only 2% of all wounds were caused by bayonets; military historian Trevor Dupuy's figures have all bladed weapons accounting for 15-20% of casualties in European warfare from 1750 to 1850). Instead, their effectiveness stems from psychological reasons: the possibility of being speared by a bunch of guys running at you with blades and screaming for blood is ''pants-shittingly terrifying'', much more so than getting hit by bullets you can't see, while using and training with a bayonet can help soldiers build morale and aggressiveness in the face of danger. Most bayonet charges ended with one side retreating before any combat could occur. |
| 211 | * It's worth remembering that the flintlock muskets standard in European warfare from the end of the 17th century to around the middle of the 19th were a lot longer and heavier than modern rifles - the iconic "Brown Bess" and Charleville muskets were 4'10-5'2 long and 10-11 pounds, as compared to modern rifles like the AR and AK series averaging 3 feet and 7-8 pounds empty. That is to say, attaching the musket's standard 17-inch blade made it an 11-pound, nearly 2 meter (6'7) spear, about the same length as most spears in antiquity and the Middle Ages with a proportionally larger head and considerably more mass behind it (bayonets could also be used for cutting). It was a lot more effective as a melee weapon than is often thought. |
| 212 | * BritishRoyalGuards typically march around (or stand completely still) with bayonets fixed to their guns. |
| 213 | ** It's not just for show. The Army are still very keen on their bayonets on the battlefield. There are multiple reports of firefights in Afghanistan ending when some likely lads from a Scottish battalion fix bayonets and charge. Seems the Taliban [[Series/DadsArmy don't like it up 'em]] either.[[note]] In earlier Afghan wars, British bayonets were a deciding factor in hand-to-hand engagements. Afghans have long memories.[[/note]] |
| 214 | ** Not only the Scots. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Millett "Fix bayonets and follow me."]] |
| 215 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxFgSmR0i3A "Alreet get yourselves sat doon there so you can all see... THE BAYONET!"]] |
| 216 | ** It was an uphill bayonet charge at close quarters that enabled the Parachute Regiment to break Argentinian resistance at the battle of Goose Green, against 1:3 odds, defending a position they had had ample time to prepare. |
| 217 | ** A Parachute Regiment patrol in Basra during the Iraq occupation was hit by overwhelming force and expended all its ammunition in the firefight. Rather than surrender, the patrol leader ordered his men to fix bayonets and charge. They fought on with bayonets only until a relief force arrived. |
| 218 | ** More often than not, whenever British regulars met Americans during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution, the regulars gave the Americans a thrashing. One obvious reason was that the British Army was a veteran professional force facing a bunch of American farmers who were trying to learn warfare on the fly. A second reason, however, is the bayonet. The regulars had them as standard equipment; the Americans had hardly any. So in a lot of battles, there would be some shooting, the British would fix bayonets and charge, and the American militiamen would run like hell. |
| 219 | * The last American bayonet charges were performed during the Korean War. On February 2, 1951, the Puerto Rican 65th Infantry Regiment successfully charged and captured a Chinese position in the last battalion-sized bayonet charge in US military history. The very last charge was carried out on February 7, when the 27th Infantry Regiment, led by Lewis L. Millett, successfully charged up a hill and captured an enemy position, killing 50 soldiers, over half of them with bayonets. |
| 220 | * A minor part of the unpleasantness at Kent State University in 1968, where a stand-off between student demonstrators and law enforcement agencies escalated to the point where the Ohio National Guard was called in, was that bayonets were fixed and used as intimidation against the protestors. [[note]]It went past this to the use of live rounds: four people were killed and nine were injured[[/note]]. One of the wounded students was taken to hospital with bayonet wounds, implying the US military were prepared to use them as more than a threat. |
| 221 | ** Also famously used in UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar by the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry under Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. During the battle of Gettysburg, Chamberlain's troops were suffering heavy casualties and running out of ammo, and he knew they would be unable to defend their vital position on Little Round Top against the approaching Confederate army. So, in a complete badass move, he ordered a bayonet charge, which even at the time was considered an old-school textbook maneuver, but which Chamberlain realized could be used as a simultaneous frontal attack and flanking maneuver. The Confederates were utterly cowed and the 20th Maine [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome won the day]]. Chamberlain himself received a Medal of Honor for it. |
| 222 | ** In 2010 the U.S. Army dropped the bayonet training to meet the demands of "future warfare". However, the [[SemperFi U.S. Marine Corps]] still trains with bayonets. They also insist on higher-quality bayonets than the Army (the blade is slightly longer, and more importantly thicker and sturdier). |
| 223 | * The French Army uses bayonets for both ceremonial and combat purpose, which served them well during the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vrbanja_Bridge battle of Vrbanja Bridge]] during the [[UsefulNotes/TheYugoslavWars Bosnian war]] where a bayonet charge allowed French UN peacekeepers to win the battle against the Serbs. "Baïonnette au canon" [[note]]"Bayonet to cannon[[/note]] indeed. |
| 224 | * [[http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2007/10/04/cz-pistol-with-bayonet-and-breech-teeth/ Bayonets]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORARB2uidp8 for pistols.]] The British had bayonets for their Webley revolvers in [[OlderThanTheyThink World War I]]. Not as an issue item, though; some officers bought them with their own money. Then again, they also bought their own revolvers; in those days it was an officer's responsibility to arm himself. |
| 225 | ** On the more practical side, some [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter combat shotguns]], such as the [[MoreDakka slam-firing]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Model_1897#/media/File:97_and_Norinco.JPG Winchester 1897 Trench Gun]] of WWI infamy have options to allow soldiers to mount a bayonet. Makes sense, considering that the tubular magazine of a combat shotgun tends to store 5 to 8, sometimes 10 shells. |
| 226 | * Before the invention of the bayonet, early gunpowder age infantry would often be split into musketeers and pikemen. The muskets fired too slowly, inaccurately, and with too short a range to reliably defend [[AntiCavalry against cavalry charges]], and proved less than adequate in hand to hand fighting. Therefore, it was the pikemen's job to keep the horsemen at bay with a medieval style pike formation, while also serving as a buffer between the gunmen and hand to hand combat. It was obvious to everyone that having the entire formation wield both pikes ''and'' muskets would be advantageous, but the weight and bulk of such a load would be impractical. But then somebody (reputedly in the southern French city of Bayonne, hence the weapon's name, but nobody actually knows for sure) realized that like a pike, a musket was a long, relatively straight piece of wood and steel; all you needed to do was attach a blade to the end. The bayonet revolutionized things by turning the musket into a spear, allowing a musketeer to both shoot volleys and stop cavalry, all while not being useless at hand to hand. Due to the early musket's aforementioned disadvantages, bayonet charges also served as a surprisingly effective means charging enemy infantry to cause them to break ranks and retreat, something a single shot gun could hardly be used for. The bayonet started out not as an emergency weapon, but as primary form of armament. |
| 227 | ** The first bayonets were of the "plug" type: little more than knives with hilt that thins at the bottom, so as to plug it into the barrel. This had the advantage of requiring no modification to the muskets they were used in, and the fact that they couldn't be fired with the bayonet attached was less of a problem than you might think: matchlock and flintlock muskets of that era were so slow to load that in a situation where the bayonet was needed, you probably didn't have ''time'' to fire more than one shot. Eventually, these gave way to ring bayonets, which mount ''around'' the barrel, thus allowing for the gun to be fired while the bayonet is attached. However, the ring bayonet, like the plug bayonet, depended on a tight fit around the barrel to stay in place, meaning it was sometimes lost when stuck in something. This paved the way for the socket bayonet, which uses an "L"-shaped socket and a lug on the barrel to attach it. This is still the standard way of attaching a bayonet.[[note]]Unlike the plug bayonet, the inventor of of the socket type is known to history: Sébastien, Marquis de Vauban introduced them in 1688.[[/note]] Some of these have knife-like blades, while others are simple spikes for thrusting attacks only. The next improvement was the sword bayonet, which effectively turned the rifle into a halberd as it enabled not only thrusting, but slashing as well. It also could be used like a short sword when not attached to the rifle. A sword bayonet could do terrible wounds, and a soldier hit with a sword bayonet, such as the German ''Schlachtmesser'' was not likely to survive. The trench warfare of World War I showed that these were too unwieldy for modern combat in close quarters, so they were superseded by the knife bayonet, which has the advantage of being usable not only as a combat knife when detached from the rifle, but also as a [[SwissArmyWeapon utility tool]]. A few rifles have also been designed with permanently attached folding bayonets. Today, almost every bayonet still in service is a knife bayonet (apart from integral bayonets, which are blades or cruciform spikes hinged onto the host rifles). Modern bayonets also often have a scabbard with tool functions, the most common being a post that when stuck through a hole in the bayonet's blade combines them into a wire cutter. |
| 228 | *** Most historians believe that it was actually hunters, not the military, who invented the first bayonets. When hunting wild boar, it was considered important to have a spear on hand in case you missed or merely wounded the boar, since unlike most game animals in France they're liable to charge at you rather than try to flee. As with the military, carrying both a musket and a spear was impractical, so hunting knives were modified into the first plug bayonets. |
| 229 | * Giuseppe Garibaldi once said "The rifle is no more than the grip of the bayonet." |
| 230 | * The Russian Field Marshal [[AFatherToHisMen Alexander Suvorov]] said, to paraphrase, that the bullet is a fool and the bayonet is wise. He never lost a single battle in his entire military career. It worked well during Suvorov's time, when many armies were primarily composed of infantry drilled to march in formation and fire massed volleys, and little else. |
| 231 | ** Russian tactical doctrine has long placed a high importance on the bayonet, in part because of Russia's traditionally large (and varied) pool of manpower, and the resultant difficulties associated with ensuring consistent levels of training. Furthermore, to be well-practiced with any firearm requires a lot of ammunition, and Russia was often short of the latter, well into the 20th century. During World War II, you'd never hear a Soviet officer saying the Russian equivalent of "fix bayonets"... because the bayonets were ''always'' fixed. The Red Army didn't even issue scabbards for their bayonets, because the place to store them was on the rifle's muzzle, and they were also big fans of the permanently-attached folding bayonet. It was the same for the Imperial Russian Army of World War I. It wasn't until the introduction of assault rifles (in the form of the AK family) that the bayonet ceased to have a primary role Russian/Soviet doctrine. Indeed, in its initial form the AK didn't ''have'' a bayonet, though this was quickly realized to be a mistake and a bayonet was promptly designed for it. However, as some veterans note, the utility knife bayonet for the AK was useless for stabbing people, and only marginally useful for camping work. |
| 232 | ** Chinese have since taken up the torch by producing an AK-47 copy (known as Type 56) with a permanently attached folding spike bayonet similar to that on their version of the SKS. |
| 233 | ** Unlike most other weapons, Mosin-Nagant rifle was traditionally zeroed with bayonet fixed. Ditto for the SKS carbine, which actually ''couldn't'' be zeroed without one, as it is this aforementioned weapon that has a permanently attached folding bayonet. |
| 234 | * At the battle of Eylau, has the Russian forces progressed towards his HQ, Napoleon ordered general Dorsenne to stop their advance with the 2nd regiment of foot grenadiers of the Old Guard and the 2nd regiments of Chasseurs. Seeing one of the grenadiers take aim with his rifle, Dorsenne ordered "Grenadiers, l'arme au bras ! La vieille garde ne se bat qu'à la baïonnette." (Grenadiers, weapons at rest! The Old Guard only fights with bayonets). The Russian assault was then routed by the Old Guard. |
| 235 | * In the UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar and UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo, the [[UsefulNotes/KatanasOfTheRisingSun army and navy]] of UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan not only followed the standard practice of having a bayonet for every rifle, they were also one of the last hold-outs in the use of sword bayonets instead of switching to the knife type (perhaps because their involvement in UsefulNotes/WorldWarI didn't include trench warfare). Moreover, they took the unusual but not unique step of putting bayonets on their submachine guns, and the ''entirely'' unique step of putting bayonets on ''light machine guns''. Needless to say, this could hardly be less practical (an LMG is way too heavy and bulky to effectively thrust like a spear), but it reflected the general obsession with blades and melee combat that resulted from the Japanese ultra-nationalists' attempt to revive samurai culture. |
| 236 | * There is a lot of footage of the 101st Airborne [[UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement desegregating the schools in Little Rock, Arkansas]] with bayonets fixed. They never had to actually ''use'' them, [[WeaponForIntimidation just look scary with them.]] This more or less normal for soldiers assigned to crowd control, as the blade of a bayonet intimidates on a direct and visceral level a gun may not. |
| 237 | * The Japanese martial arts ''jukendo'' is about bayonet fighting. With [[AnachronismStew wooden dummy rifles]] and UsefulNotes/{{kendo}} armour. |
| 238 | * In the latter half of the nineteenth century, almost every army in Europe expected to carry an assault to the enemy with a bayonet charge. Even as tactics were modified (skirmish formations and fire-and-maneuver rushes) when breech-loading rifles were widely issued, it was almost universally accepted that only a bayonet charge could carry the soldiers onto the enemy's defenses. The Boer War, (to a lesser extent) the Russo-Japanese War, and World War I discredited these tactics when they proved less effective against defenders armed with smokeless powder weapons, machine guns and barbed wire. |
| 239 | * The Finnish Army standard assault rifle, [=RK62=], has a bayonet specifically designed to double as a fighting knife. They are not usually used at barracks, except when on guard duty. Yet the service regulations have chapters for bayonet usage, and command ''Pistimet -- kiinnitä!'' ("Bayonets -- attach!") is considered as that business [[LetsGetDangerous gets now really serious]]. |
| 240 | * The Swedish Royal Guards stationed in Stockholm and Drottningholm always have their bayonets fixed on duty, and they also point them in halfway in front of them, or otherwise outwards, as if to say 'Sure, [[SchmuckBait come closer]] -- accidents happen all the time'. It's one of the reasons they tend to be bothered by tourists ''much'' less than, say, [[BritishRoyalGuards their British counterparts]]. |
| 241 | * Favored by Mexican Autodefensas in the Mexican War on Drugs for the fact that a bayonet turns your gun into a spear, which is a very nice thing to have when you have a very real possibility of a huge muscular guy with a machete trying to chop off your head. |
| 242 | * Although rarely used outside ceremonial duty, there were bayonet design for SMG as shown [[http://worldbayonets.com/Bayonet_Identification_Guide/submachine_gun_bayonets/submachine_gun_bayonets.html here]]. |
| 243 | * Bayonets make it impractical for unfriendly people to snatch rifles from their users, especially when the bayonets are sharpened blades. In a building-clearing operation, soldiers have to deal with going around corners or through doors, usually with the interior lights turned out by the other team. For soldiers and special police called in as support against rioters, the purposes of the bayonets are intimidation and weapon retention. If any police department ever issues pistols or revolvers with bayonets, [[https://www.forgottenweapons.com/luxembourg-model-1884-gendarmerie-nagant odds are that the bayonets are to prevent muggers and rioters from stealing policemen's guns]]. |
| 244 | * One of the biggest problems with bayonet development is the overall design philosophy of whomever issues equipment. Do you go for a pure fighting tool or do you issue a bayonet that doubles as something else? Here's a very honest and [[https://www.forgottenweapons.com/a-new-enfield-for-a-new-war-the-no4-mki/#comment-3656755 not-very-flattering account]] on the M9 bayonet and the AK bayonet. The veteran in question notes that cruciform spike bayonets perform very well in getting into victims and getting out without getting stuck on bones, whereas the "universal knife bayonets" often broke or even flew off the host rifle's muzzle when thrust forward into thin air. |
| 245 | * The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oka_Crisis 1990 Oka Crisis in Canada]]. It started as a protest against the seizure of native Mohawk lands for development purposes that escalated into a 78-day long siege, and grew violent. On August 29, 1990, a 14 year old girl named [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waneek_Horn-Miller Waneek Horn-Miller]] was stabbed in the heart by a Canadian soldier's bayonet. She survived, and as an adult, went on to become a torchbearer for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. |
| 246 | * Upon being shown a flamethrower for the first time, legendary Marine Chesty Puller asked "where do you put the bayonet?" |
| 247 | [[/folder]] |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Main / BayonetYa
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
