IS BAJONETTE UITGEDIEN?

It is sometimes difficult for people to break with outmoded traditions, and this is particularly noticeable in the military world, where today the most modern and technological equipment is carried into battle by soldiers also equipped with a weapon of quite historic origin, the bayonet. During the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: W. Otto
Format: Article
Language:Afrikaans
Published: Stellenbosch University 2012-02-01
Series:Scientia Militaria
Subjects:
Online Access:http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/857
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author W. Otto
author_facet W. Otto
author_sort W. Otto
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description It is sometimes difficult for people to break with outmoded traditions, and this is particularly noticeable in the military world, where today the most modern and technological equipment is carried into battle by soldiers also equipped with a weapon of quite historic origin, the bayonet. During the period of the single-shot infantry weapon, the bayonet formed an essential part of the soldier's equipment, being useful in mounting or repelling assaults at close-quarters when it was impossible to reload or bring fire to bear. The advent of the automatic and semi-automatic weapon has wrought drastic changes in the infantry battle, for modern weapons can be used effectively in all but hand-to-hand combat. For the latter, the hunting-knife was found to be more practical than the bayonet by soldiers in Vietnam. It would seem then, that it is time that the bayonet joined other redundant but historic weapons, appearing only on ceremonial occasions.
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spelling doaj.art-5e50cd44f64540e7bb2ae08d39b78da12022-12-21T18:12:20ZafrStellenbosch UniversityScientia Militaria2224-00202012-02-016210.5787/6-2-857IS BAJONETTE UITGEDIEN?W. OttoIt is sometimes difficult for people to break with outmoded traditions, and this is particularly noticeable in the military world, where today the most modern and technological equipment is carried into battle by soldiers also equipped with a weapon of quite historic origin, the bayonet. During the period of the single-shot infantry weapon, the bayonet formed an essential part of the soldier's equipment, being useful in mounting or repelling assaults at close-quarters when it was impossible to reload or bring fire to bear. The advent of the automatic and semi-automatic weapon has wrought drastic changes in the infantry battle, for modern weapons can be used effectively in all but hand-to-hand combat. For the latter, the hunting-knife was found to be more practical than the bayonet by soldiers in Vietnam. It would seem then, that it is time that the bayonet joined other redundant but historic weapons, appearing only on ceremonial occasions.http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/857the bayonetsingle-shot infantry weaponessential part of the soldier's equipmentrepelling assaults at close-quartershand-to-hand combatthe hunting-knifehistoric weapons
spellingShingle W. Otto
IS BAJONETTE UITGEDIEN?
Scientia Militaria
the bayonet
single-shot infantry weapon
essential part of the soldier's equipment
repelling assaults at close-quarters
hand-to-hand combat
the hunting-knife
historic weapons
title IS BAJONETTE UITGEDIEN?
title_full IS BAJONETTE UITGEDIEN?
title_fullStr IS BAJONETTE UITGEDIEN?
title_full_unstemmed IS BAJONETTE UITGEDIEN?
title_short IS BAJONETTE UITGEDIEN?
title_sort is bajonette uitgedien
topic the bayonet
single-shot infantry weapon
essential part of the soldier's equipment
repelling assaults at close-quarters
hand-to-hand combat
the hunting-knife
historic weapons
url http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/857
work_keys_str_mv AT wotto isbajonetteuitgedien