(TFT) Training v. Real Combat

["grabowski" <grabowski@erols.com>]

Charles states,

<This last is why the military still trains its footsoldiers in the use of
the bayonet. While there is seldom any military need for it (the number of
bayonetings in recent conflicts has been vanishingly small) the training is
still used to help the recruits unlearn their inhibitions and instincts and
prepare them for battle. It is very effective at that.>

Even with training like this a soldier resorts to whatever means necessary
to dispatch an opponent.  A good example is from the American Civil War.
Generally, members of the Army of the Potomac were given training in the use
of the bayonet from a published (McClellan's) drill manual.  But even with
this training, most soldiers in HTH combat with the enemy would use the
musket butt to strike their opponent rather than use the bayonet.  The
reason for this is bayonets get stuck in bodies slowing down reaction and
leaving you defenseless.  I'm not saying that bayoneting did not happen
because it did but the majority of wounds sustained in HTH combat were blunt
trauma rather than puncture.  One of my favorite lithographs from the Civil
War is from the Battle of Gettysburg, in this you can see what I mean.  In
the foreground you see individual Union and Confederate soldiers doing
fisticuffs.  Beyond these men you see the backs of the Confederate line
meaning these individual Yankee soldiers have been overrun but still
fighting with whatever they had to fight with.  Another instance is at the
Second Bull Run, where the Corn'feds ran out of ammunition and threw stones
from a railroad at the Union soldiers advancing on them.

And then Charles says,

<Again, these are just suggestions. I like them, but I doubt anyone else
will. And that's ***fine***! To those who see utility here, bon appetit!>

AGREED but keep them coming.

Yours in Cidri,
Justin



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