Bayonet Charge!

[NesuD]

If you sit back and let 100 enemy with automatic weapons pin down 20 men those 20 men will be at a major disadvantage. Tactically the bayonet charge was the right response because 1)you then become a harder to hit moving target. 2) It usually surprises your attackers causing some momentary confusion. 3)It allows close contact with the enemy and splits them forcing them to direct fire at their own men in order to shoot at you. Also remember that while they were charging with fixed bayonets those bayonets were fixed to fully functional loaded automatic assault weapons that you can be sure were firing. Execution of an effective bayonet charge requires highly trained and highly disciplined soldiers. Successfully repelling a bayonet charge also requires a high degree of discipline and tactical training to be successful. I think the Brit officer in charge was well aware of his mens ability to execute the charge and knew that the irregular he was up against had probably never seen a bayonet charge and would not have the slightest clue how to repel it.

 

[Nebor]

That's just insane though. I prefer the American way, "We're pinned down! Call in air support." Mark a little thing on the GPS. A minute or so later, BLAT, they're gone.

Charging out from cover is just a stupid idea. Especially if the enemy knows your behind the cover, and is shooting at you. If you were hiding behind a wall, and I'm shooting at you, are you gonna pull out a knife, and then charge at me?

There must be more to this story.

 

[drnickriviera]

umm, anyone have a source other than 'The Sun'?

 

[Mookow]

Originally posted by: spunkz
bayonet brits

crazy.

The article doesnt really say why they charged. But since they are armed with L85's... using it as a spear or club is probably more effective than trying to shoot someone with it

 

[DainBrammage]

Those bastards dont deserve to die by bullets or even to go away in flash of blinding bright light followed by a pink mist. they should all be sliced by cold steel.

Fact: The Iraqi's arent a cohesive fighting unit and they rely on old soviet block tactics. i.e they could'nt hit the broadside of barn with any type of control. Their weapons werent meant for ppinpoint accuracy and watch the news clips they more often then not hold the AK like its a child with a loaded diaper.

Imagine 100 big dudes hauling ass with bayonets screaming and plowing your ass over. Just because its a bayonet charge doesnt mean they cant shoot. The Iraqis couldnt hit sh|t when its standing still much less a moving target.

 

[Ornery]

War 'not over' in southern Iraq

• Sadr's troops had thrown everything they had at the British: heavy machine guns, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades.
  
  The British returned fire and in the end they mounted old fashioned frontal assaults - their troops even fixed bayonets, the first time they have carried out a "bayonet charge" since the Falklands war in 1982.
  
  It is an indication of how bloody the "war" here has become. This is sometimes brutal, almost hand-to-hand fighting.

 

[StageLeft]

Try running at me with a knife and see what happens. I promise I won't get stabbed. And if it were 20 of me and 5 of you, it's even less likely that any of us would get stabbed. This story just doesn't make sense. Are the rebels terrified of knives or something? Did they throw down their guns and get stabbed?

The difference is, as the second post in the thread mentinoed, trained soldiers > idiots with guns. Time and time again it's proven that quality is better than quantity. It was true in thermopylae and it's true today.

These guys got owned straight-up, just like those guys by that one-man army marine mentioned yesterday.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Mookow

Originally posted by: spunkz
bayonet brits

crazy.

The article doesnt really say why they charged. But since they are armed with L85's... using it as a spear or club is probably more effective than trying to shoot someone with it

If I were them I would have given up on the SA80/L85 long ago and just reissued L1A1s and bought some M4s for shorter range work.