Weapons

& Armoury

Various weapons and ordnance used by the British Army and her Allies, including the Japanese Imperial and German Armies during the First World War and Second World War. Additional audio files are courtesy of the British Library

Hand-to-Hand Weapons.
Anything a desperate man could get his hand on including Trench knives, Clubs, Bayonets, hatchets, picks, Planks of wood, stones, shovels and entrenching tools.... or all he had. Tooth and nail.

Close Quarter.
Close quarter fighting between opposing trenches could be less than a hundred metres apart.
Grenades, Small Arms and Trench Mortars.

Grenades WW1.
Grenades were relied on to some extent that the rifle was left down while the bomb was thrown at an advancing attack or trench raiding party. In the event that any attacker breeched the trench to the throwers left or right flank, the unarmed grenadier was then an easy fellow for the Bayonet, Punch Dagger or Knobkerrie Trench Club.
An example can be found in the Album WW1 Paintings and Sketches
An illustration by the artist Fortunino Matania of German and British troops in close quarter battle following a gas attack.
A German soldier on the left of the image can be seen throwing a stick grenade, leaving his underarm exposed to the bayonet.

Small Arms: .445 Colt, Lee-Enfield .303 SMLE, Mauser Gewehr 98

Light and Heavy Machine Guns: Bren Gun, Vickers

Sources