HISTORY OF THE BAYONET.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1375, 18 March 1915, Page 4

HISTORY OF THE BAYONET.

Most people must at some time or other have speculated as to the origin oi the bayonet, the weapon of which so much is being beard in the present campaign. In view of this, a note in the Petit Journal, of Paris, is interesting : “It is to the bayonet, an arm of French origin, that our infantry has always owed the greater part of its victories. This weapon takes its name from the town in which it was invented—Bayonne. It was in i64r, during an engagement between Basque peasants and smugglers, that t':-'- deadly instrument was discovered. Laving used up their i mraunl-ion, the Basques hit upon the it., a c. attaching their knives to ■>

of their muskets, and using ti‘"n ior repulsing their adver'ari-s. This spontaneous application rf a weapon, which was Jbl w J tl definite form entirely chang. d U’system of mlrtary art in Europe. The bayr.net was l -’ tor uae first time in France, by d-p reg : meot of King’; Fusib. rs, in 1670. In 1674 and 1675, other regiments were supplied wM. tb w. The Dragoons receiveu it 1070; the

Grenadiers in 1675. At this time the bayonet entered the tube of the gun, but improvements were made in 16S8. The first bayonet charge was made in 1703, at the bailie of Spire. This weapon suited so well the dash of our soldiers that the Prince of Ligne called it a typical French weapon. It has played a mo"t brilliant part in the history of our military campaigns.”