A German soldier with a saw tooth bayonet stands in a dugout wearing his brow plate slid down to his neck. Presumably, this would allow him to keep the weight off his head until he raised it to place it over his helmet lugs, #WorldWarOne. The saw tooth bayonet was a weapon considered to be too brutal in an already barbaric war. When plunged into the victim, it caused severe pain, also pulling out the victim's insides when removed. Therefore, any prisoners captured with this version of bayonet were immediately executed. Photo courtesy of Michael Welch.
Pioneer, or "Sawback/Sawtooth" bayonets are quite fearsome looking, but were developed for rather practical application. Pioneers, i.e. sappers, were soldiers deployed in advance of the larger force and use it to dismantle enemy defenses. The hefty, serrated bayonet that these troops were issued was intended to simply their job, a tool of the trade. Although they became infamous because of allegations levied during the First World War against the Germans (which we'll return to shortly), the concept was hardly new at that point, nor unique to the Germans. This is an example from my own collection of a Swiss bayonet for a K11 for instance, and the British at the very least had been issuing saw-back bayonets as early as 1871 for the Martini-Henry, and been experimenting with the design as early as 1801 - experimental examples exist for the Baker Rifle. Likewise for the Germans, I have found examples dating at least to the M1871, and they may have used it earlier than that which simply isn't mentioned.
So the point is that there was nothing necessarily unusual about this bayonet type, even if the Germans used them more prominently. Issued to German troops during the First World War, there is much contention surrounding them, but the truth is less clear. It is often said that the French feared the bayonet so much that they would immediately execute any German soldier unfortunate enough to be captured with them in their possession. And certainly, its practical purpose aside, the 'fearsome' looking teeth did add an extra element of revulsion to the thought of being stuck with it, compared to a 'regular' bladed bayonet. However, the claim of this occurring seems to trace back to Remarque's "All's Quiet on the Western Front", which, while certainly based on his experience in the war, is nevertheless a work of fiction. It may reflect beliefs that circulated through the German troops, but finding verified accounts of these executions taking place, for that reason, are less clear. Especially in light of alleged atrocities committed during the "Rape of Belgium", which were trumpeted in Allied propaganda, with a propensity to bayonet featured prominently, we can see why rumors of this type, at least, would erupt with the German troops who were aware of their portrayal across "No-Man's Land". The Sawtooth bayonet was phased out of use - filed down, or turned over to troops far to the read - and production ended by 1917.
So what can we say with certainty on the French side? Well, whether or not they were carrying out these alleged executions, they were most definitely taking note of the 'Sawbacks', and the German rumors, and eventual phaseout, were undoubtedly related to the decision of the French to in 1916 make a declaration that they believed serrated bayonets were a violation of Article 23(e) of the Hague Convention, which banned weapons intended to "kill or wound treacherously individuals belonging to the hostile nation or army". But while with a similar invocation of Article 23(e), where the Germans attempted to declare American use of shotguns to be similarly illegal, the French did nothing further. The Commission of Inquiry simply made its decision, and made no attempt, that I have found, to then open a dialogue with Germany, via Switzerland, to settle the matter. The reports found there way to Germany, but evidently not as proper diplomatic communications. So while there is almost certainly some level of cause and effect here, the French nevertheless were fairly limited in the official actions taken, and simply seem to have let the matter resolve itself.
In the end though, the only citations I've found, looking into this in the past, for French troops carrying out these reprisals track back to Remarque. The French seem to have done a good job keeping mum about it, and due to his stature, he simply dominates any attempt to find other German sources. So while I certainly feel confident enough saying the French distaste was known, it is not quite a step to clear corroboration of Remarque's allegations. It is certainly possible that the French were carrying out such bloody reprisals, but it seems unlikely based on the available sources, or at least unlikely that it was systematic or widespread. There are numerous sources out there which I likely have overlooked, especially memoirs unpublished in English, which I'd welcome further insight into, so I don't mean this to be the final word, but this is still the conclusion that sources out there point to.
marinamaral on November 15th, 2017 at 20:16 UTC »
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A German soldier with a saw tooth bayonet stands in a dugout wearing his brow plate slid down to his neck. Presumably, this would allow him to keep the weight off his head until he raised it to place it over his helmet lugs, #WorldWarOne. The saw tooth bayonet was a weapon considered to be too brutal in an already barbaric war. When plunged into the victim, it caused severe pain, also pulling out the victim's insides when removed. Therefore, any prisoners captured with this version of bayonet were immediately executed. Photo courtesy of Michael Welch.
cabukn on November 15th, 2017 at 20:43 UTC »
These pictures make me truly appreciate the life I have.
Georgy_K_Zhukov on November 15th, 2017 at 21:20 UTC »
Pioneer, or "Sawback/Sawtooth" bayonets are quite fearsome looking, but were developed for rather practical application. Pioneers, i.e. sappers, were soldiers deployed in advance of the larger force and use it to dismantle enemy defenses. The hefty, serrated bayonet that these troops were issued was intended to simply their job, a tool of the trade. Although they became infamous because of allegations levied during the First World War against the Germans (which we'll return to shortly), the concept was hardly new at that point, nor unique to the Germans. This is an example from my own collection of a Swiss bayonet for a K11 for instance, and the British at the very least had been issuing saw-back bayonets as early as 1871 for the Martini-Henry, and been experimenting with the design as early as 1801 - experimental examples exist for the Baker Rifle. Likewise for the Germans, I have found examples dating at least to the M1871, and they may have used it earlier than that which simply isn't mentioned.
So the point is that there was nothing necessarily unusual about this bayonet type, even if the Germans used them more prominently. Issued to German troops during the First World War, there is much contention surrounding them, but the truth is less clear. It is often said that the French feared the bayonet so much that they would immediately execute any German soldier unfortunate enough to be captured with them in their possession. And certainly, its practical purpose aside, the 'fearsome' looking teeth did add an extra element of revulsion to the thought of being stuck with it, compared to a 'regular' bladed bayonet. However, the claim of this occurring seems to trace back to Remarque's "All's Quiet on the Western Front", which, while certainly based on his experience in the war, is nevertheless a work of fiction. It may reflect beliefs that circulated through the German troops, but finding verified accounts of these executions taking place, for that reason, are less clear. Especially in light of alleged atrocities committed during the "Rape of Belgium", which were trumpeted in Allied propaganda, with a propensity to bayonet featured prominently, we can see why rumors of this type, at least, would erupt with the German troops who were aware of their portrayal across "No-Man's Land". The Sawtooth bayonet was phased out of use - filed down, or turned over to troops far to the read - and production ended by 1917.
So what can we say with certainty on the French side? Well, whether or not they were carrying out these alleged executions, they were most definitely taking note of the 'Sawbacks', and the German rumors, and eventual phaseout, were undoubtedly related to the decision of the French to in 1916 make a declaration that they believed serrated bayonets were a violation of Article 23(e) of the Hague Convention, which banned weapons intended to "kill or wound treacherously individuals belonging to the hostile nation or army". But while with a similar invocation of Article 23(e), where the Germans attempted to declare American use of shotguns to be similarly illegal, the French did nothing further. The Commission of Inquiry simply made its decision, and made no attempt, that I have found, to then open a dialogue with Germany, via Switzerland, to settle the matter. The reports found there way to Germany, but evidently not as proper diplomatic communications. So while there is almost certainly some level of cause and effect here, the French nevertheless were fairly limited in the official actions taken, and simply seem to have let the matter resolve itself.
In the end though, the only citations I've found, looking into this in the past, for French troops carrying out these reprisals track back to Remarque. The French seem to have done a good job keeping mum about it, and due to his stature, he simply dominates any attempt to find other German sources. So while I certainly feel confident enough saying the French distaste was known, it is not quite a step to clear corroboration of Remarque's allegations. It is certainly possible that the French were carrying out such bloody reprisals, but it seems unlikely based on the available sources, or at least unlikely that it was systematic or widespread. There are numerous sources out there which I likely have overlooked, especially memoirs unpublished in English, which I'd welcome further insight into, so I don't mean this to be the final word, but this is still the conclusion that sources out there point to.