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Explanation: In WW1, novel and daring tactics were developed as part of a pattern of ‘trench raids’, wherein small groups of highly-motivated troops would assault an enemy trench by surprise, clearing it out, either for later troops to hold, or just to damage and demoralize the enemy.
While firearms were still widely used in these attacks, especially pistols, shotguns, and the then-new submachinegun, many trench raiders found that the most effective tools were speed, stealth, grenades, and a positively medieval level of close-combat. Crawl up to grenade throwing range, saturate the trench with grenades, then go in and finish off the dazed occupants. Canadian forces were noted to be particularly good at trench raiding.
On the Western Front, brass knuckles, maces, and spikes were used; on the Italian Front, the Italian Arditi, a kind of proto-special forces, used narrow daggers - stereotypically held between the teeth to keep the hands free and allow a grenade to be thrown first.
The Arditi, in particular, prided themselves in charging before the grenade exploded - timing their charge so that they would be just before the lip of the trench when the grenade went off. This was highly effective - having some lunatic with a knife on you 0.4 seconds after an explosion is a hard thing to fight off - but it was also noted to lead to casualties during training. If your timing is off, the momentum of being at a full dash towards a trench is unlikely to allow you to skid to a halt for the 0.2 seconds you need to not get blasted in the face by your own grenade, like every other poor bastard in the trench! That’s timing that needs practice - and practice was hard to do with anything except live ammunition…
Starting to see where certain groups of Italian fascists got their confidence from …
Veterans of the Arditi, interestingly enough, were instrumental in the streetfighting which led to the rise of Italian fascism - with other veterans of the Arditi, calling themselves the People’s Arditi, opposing them with great vigor.
Unfortunately, the People’s Arditi were supported by neither the Communist Party nor the Socialist Party of Italy, and thus, despite a daring assassination attempt on Mussolini, ultimately could not stop the rise of the better-supported fascists.
Never bring a gun to a knife fight.
Least bloodthirsty Canuck!
Yeah that German got two food cans before the grenade came in.
Doppelsöldner has entered the chat 😎
Doppelsöldner (“double-mercenaries”, “double-pay men”,[1] from German doppel- meaning double, Söldner meaning mercenary) were Landsknechte in 16th-century Germany who volunteered to fight in the front line, taking on extra risk, in exchange for double payment.
What’s the vest? Flak vest or just grenade pouches?
Grenade pouches! Armor of this period was somewhat more dieselpunk!
The lad on the right even added ventilation holes to his armour!
Strong Isonzo vibes. Very cool.
Hear they got some nasty caimans up that way
