Produced by Brian Coe, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) BAYONET TRAINING MANUAL USED BY THE BRITISH FORCES _Reprinted from INFANTRY JOURNAL May, 1917_ [Illustration] NEW YORK D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY MILITARY PUBLISHERS 25 PARK PLACE 1917 COPYRIGHT, 1917 U. S. INFANTRY ASSOCIATION PREFACE. Training in the use of the bayonet is receiving much attention from all the combatant nations in Europe. The aim of the instruction is twofold: 1. To develop great alertness of mind, readiness of muscle, and habit of quick obedience to command. 2. To develop fighting spirit. Physical drill and bayonet training go hand in hand and their drill periods follow each other. The physical drill consists of calisthenic exercises for fifteen or twenty minutes, followed by some game or exercise requiring great quickness of movement. To accomplish the aims of this training, especially the first named above, it is necessary to execute with snap the movements in the physical drill. The following is from the latest British Training Manual (1916), which is based on their experience, and the forces are now being trained in accordance therewith. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I INTRODUCTORY 1 II PRELIMINARY BAYONET LESSONS 9 III THE TACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE BAYONET 35 IV TACTICAL PRINCIPLES TO BE OBSERVED DURING BAYONET TRAINING 45 V GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR BAYONET TRAINING PRACTICE 53 VI PROGRESSIVE PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION 57 VII A GUIDE FOR THE TRAINED SOLDIER’S DAILY PRACTICE 65 BAYONET TRAINING. CHAPTER I To attack with the bayonet effectively requires _good direction, strength and quickness_ during a state of wild excitement and probably physical exhaustion. The limit of the range of a bayonet is about five feet (measured from the opponent’s eyes), but more often the killing is at close quarters, at a range of two feet or less, when troops are struggling _corps à corps_ in trenches or darkness. The bayonet is essentially an offensive weapon--go straight at an opponent with the point threatening his throat and deliver a thrust wherever an opening presents itself. If no opening is obvious, then create one by beating off the opponent’s weapon or making a “feint thrust” in order to make him uncover himself.