text:
Bayonet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Bayonet (disambiguation).
British infantryman in 1941 with a long WWI-style bayonet affixed to his rifle
Bayonet with fuller, along with its scabbard, for the Lee–Enfield Rifle No. 5 Mk I "Jungle Carbine" rifle
A bayonet (from French baïonnette) is a bladed weapon similar to a knife or short sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar firearm, augmenting the firearm to allow use as a pike.[1] Starting in the 17th century, it was a weapon of primary importance for infantry attacks, even up to World War Two, but more a weapon of last resort since then. In this regard, it is an ancillary close-quarter combat weapon. When detached from the gun barrel, knife-like bayonets have long been utilized by soldiers in the field as a general-purpose survival knife. Some modern bayonets, such as the one used on the British SA80 assault rifle and the one used on the AK47, are designed to be wire cutters when combined with their scabbards.
Contents
[hide]
1 Early history
1.1 Plug, ring, and socket bayonets
2 19th century and the multi-purpose bayonet
3 The "reach" controversy
4 Bayonet charge
4.1 Tactical decline
5 Contemporary versions
5.1 Russian Federation
5.2 United States
5.3 People's Republic of China
5.4 Belgium
5.5 United Kingdom
5.6 Germany
5.7 Austria
5.8 France
5.9 Photo gallery
6 Linguistic impact
7 Badges and insignias
8 See also
9 References
10 Further reading
11 External links
Early history[edit]
14th century Chinese fire lance
16-17th century Chinese breech-loading musket with a plug bayonet attachment
18th-century plug Bayonet
Early 19th-century spike bayonet
The term bayonette dates back to the end of the 16th century, but it is not clear whether bayonets at the time were knives that could be fitted to the ends of firearms, or simply a type of knife. For example, Cotgrave's 1611 Dictionarie describes the Bayonet as "a kind of small flat pocket dagger, furnished with knives; or a great knife to hang at the girdle". Likewise, Pierre Borel wrote in 1655 that a kind of long-knife called a bayonette was made in Bayonne but does not give any further description.[2]
The concept of the bayonet, which is essentially the idea of improvising a firearm as a pike, probably evolved from the early concept of spears having firearms being attached to them, also known as "fire lances". Various forms of fire lances were recorded in the 14th century Chinese gunpowder military treatise Huolongjing including the Pear Flower Lance. These examples demonstrated a clear need for a form of hybrid weapon as such weapons only have a firing range of 3 meters or less, meaning reloading is almost impossible during an encounter with enemy forces and an immediate melee backup weapon is necessary. The first clearly recorded instance of a bayonet proper is found in the Chinese military treatise Binglu published in 1606, in the form of the Son-and-mother gun, a breech-loading musket that was issued with a plug bayonet that was roughly 57.6 centimetres in length and have an overall length of 1.92 meters with the bayonet attached. It was labelled as a "gun-blade" with it being described as a "short sword that can be inserted into the barrel and secured by twisting it slightly" that it is to be used "when the battle have depleted both gunpowder and bullets as well as fighting against rebels/bandits, forces closing into melee or encountering an ambush" and if one "cannot load the gun within the time it takes to cover two bu (3.2 meters) of ground they are to attach the bayonet and hold it like a spear".
A possibility is that the bayonet originated as a hunting weapon: early firearms were fairly inaccurate and took a long time to reload, thus a hunter of dangerous animals such as wild boar could easily have been exposed to danger if his bullet missed the animal.[3][4] The bayonet may have emerged to allow a hunter to fend off wild animals in the event of a missed shot. This idea was particularly persistent in Spain where hunting arms were usually equipped with bayonets from the 17th century until the advent of the cartridge era. The weapon was introduced into the French army by General Jean Martinet and was common in most European armies by the 1660s.[citation needed]
The usefulness of such a dual-purpose arm soon became apparent. Early muskets fired at a slow rate (about two rounds per minute when loading with loose powder and ball, and no more than three to four rounds per minute using paper cartridges), and could be both inaccurate and unreliable, depending on the quality of manufacture. Bayonets provided a useful addition to the weapons system when an enemy charging to contact could cross the musket's killing ground (a range of approximately 100 yards/meters at the most optimistic) at the expense of perhaps only one or two volleys from their waiting opponents. A bayonet on a 5-foot (around 1.5 meters) tall musket achieved a reach similar to the infantry spear, and later halberd, of earlier times. The bayonet/musket combination was, however, considerably heavier than a polearm of the same length.[citation needed]
Plug, ring, and socket bayonets[edit]
Early bayonets were of the "plug" type, where the bayonet was fitted directly into the barrel of the musket.[5] This allowed light infantry to be converted to heavy infantry and hold off cavalry charges. The bayonet had a round handle that slid directly into the musket barrel. This naturally prevented the gun from being fired. In 1671, plug bayonets were issued to the French regiment of fusiliers then raised. They were issued to part of an English dragoon regiment raised in 1672 and disbanded in 1674, and to the Royal Fusiliers when raised in 1685. The danger incurred by the use of this bayonet (which put a stop to all fire) was felt so early that the younger Puységur invented a socket bayonet in 1678 that fitted over the muzzle using a circular band of metal, allowing the musket to be loaded and fired. However, it was not widely adopted at the time.
Socket of a bayonet
The defeat of forces loyal to William of Orange by Jacobite Highlanders at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689 was due (among other things) to the use of the plug-bayonet;[5] and shortly afterwards the defeated leader, Hugh Mackay, is believed to have introduced a ring-bayonet of his own invention. Soon "socket" bayonets would incorporate both ring mounts and an offset blade, keeping the bayonet well away from the muzzle blast of the musket barrel.
An unsuccessful trial with socket or zigzag bayonets was made after the battle of Fleurus in 1690, in the presence of King Louis XIV, who refused to adopt them, as they had a tendency to fall off the musket. Shortly after the Peace of Ryswick (1697), the English and Germans abolished the pike and introduced ring bayonets; and pictures of them are shown in Surirey de St. Remy's Mémoires d'Artillerie, published in Paris in that year. In 1703, the French infantry adopted spring-loaded locking system that prevented the bayonet from accidentally separating from the musket. Henceforward, the socket bayonet became, with the musket or other firearm, the typical weapon of the French infantry. A triangular blade was introduced around 1715 and was stronger than the previous single or double-edged models, creating wounds which were harder to treat due to the propensity of healing scar tissue to pull apart the triangular incision.
The socket bayonet had by then been adopted by most European armies. The British socket bayonet had a triangular blade with a flat side towards the muzzle and two fluted sides outermost to a length of 15 inches (38 cm). However it had no lock to keep it fast to the muzzle and was well-documented for falling off in the heat of battle.[5]
19th century and the multi-purpose bayonet[edit]
The 19th century introduced the concept of the sword bayonet, a long-bladed weapon with a single- or double-edged blade that could also be used as a shortsword. Its initial purpose was to ensure that riflemen could form an infantry square properly to fend off cavalry attacks when in ranks with musketmen, whose weapons were longer. A prime early example of a sword bayonet-fitted rifle is the British Infantry Rifle of 1800-1840, later known as the "Baker Rifle". The hilt usually had quillons modified to accommodate the gun barrel and a hilt mechanism that enabled the bayonet to be attached to a bayonet lug. A sword bayonet could be used in combat as a side arm. When attached to the musket or rifle, it effectively turned almost any long gun into a spear or glaive, suitable not only for thrusting but also for slashing.
Bayonet assembly system of the Chassepot
While the British Army eventually discarded the sword bayonet, the socket bayonet survived the introduction of the rifled musket into British service in 1854. The new rifled musket copied the French locking ring system.[5] The new bayonet proved its worth at the Battle of Alma and the Battle of Inkerman during the Crimean War, where the Imperial Russian Army learned to fear it.[5]
In the United States Navy before the American Civil War, bayonet blades were even affixed to single-shot pistols, although they were soon proved useless for anything but cooking.
From 1869, some European nations began to develop new multi-purpose sword bayonets suitable for mass production and for use by police, pioneer, and engineer troops.[6] The decision to redesign the bayonet into a multi-purpose tool was viewed by some as an acknowledgement of the decline in importance of the fixed bayonet as a weapon in the face of new advances in firearms technology.[7] As a British newspaper put it, "the committee, in recommending this new sword bayonet, appear to have had in view the fact that bayonets will henceforth be less frequently used than in former times as a weapon of offence and defence; they desired, therefore, to substitute an instrument of more general utility."[7]
One of these multipurpose designs was the 'sawback' bayonet, which incorporated saw teeth on the spine of the blade.[6] The sawback bayonet was intended for use as a general-purpose utility tool as well as a weapon; the teeth were meant to facilitate the cutting of wood for various defensive works such as barbed-wire posts, as well as for butchering livestock.[1][7][8][9] It was initially adopted by the German states in 1865; until the middle of WWI approximately 5% of every bayonet style was complemented with a sawback version, countries such as Belgium in 1868, Great Britain in 1869 and Switzerland in 1878; (the latter introduced their last model in 1914).[1][7][8][9][10] The original sawback bayonets were typically of the heavy sword-type, they were issued to engineers, with to some extent the bayonet aspect being secondary to the "tool" aspect. Later German sawbacks were more of a rank indicator than a functional saw. The sawback proved relatively ineffective as a cutting tool, and was soon outmoded by improvements in military logistics and transportation; most nations dropped the sawback feature by 1900.[1] The German army discontinued use of the sawback bayonet in 1917 after protests that the serrated blade caused unnecessarily severe wounds when used as a fixed bayonet.[1][9]
The trowel or spade bayonet was another multipurpose design, intended for use both as an offensive weapon as well as a digging tool for excavating entrenchments.[11][12] From 1870, the US Army issued trowel bayonets to infantry regiments based on a design by Lieutenant-Colonel Edmund Rice, a US Army officer and Civil War veteran, which were manufactured by the Springfield Armory.[13] Besides its utility as both a fixed bayonet and a digging implement, the Rice trowel bayonet could be used to plaster log huts and stone chimneys for winter quarters; sharpened on one edge, it could cut tent poles and pins.[13] Ten thousand were eventually issued, and the design saw service during the 1877 Nez Perce campaign.[14] Rice was given leave in 1877 to demonstrate his trowel bayonet to several nations in Europe.[14] One infantry officer recommended it to the exclusion of all other designs, noting that "the intrenching [sic] tools of an army rarely get up to the front until the exigency for their use has passed."[13] The Rice trowel bayonet was declared obsolete by the US Army in December 1881.[14]
The "reach" controversy[edit]
Prior to World War I, bayonet doctrine was largely founded upon the concept of "reach"; that is, a soldier's theoretical ability, by use of an extremely long rifle and fixed bayonet, to stab an enemy soldier without having to approach within reach of his opponent's blade.[1][15][16] A combined length of rifle and bayonet longer than that of the enemy infantryman's rifle and attached bayonet, like the infantryman's pike of bygone days, was thought to impart a definite tactical advantage on the battlefield, and military authorities engaged in endless discussions over the supposed advantages of longer rifle/bayonet combinations.[1][16][17][18]
French infantry bayonet charge during the First World War. The men are carrying 1886 Lebel rifles.
In 1886, the French Army introduced a 52 cm (20.5 in)-long quadrangular épée spike for the bayonet of the Lebel Model 1886 rifle, the Épée-Baïonnette Modèle 1886, resulting in a rifle and bayonet with an overall length of six feet (1.8 m). German ordnance authorities responded by introducing a long sword bayonet for the Model 1898 Mauser rifle, which had a 29-inch barrel. The new bayonet, designated the Seitengewehr 98, had a 50 cm (19.7-inch) blade.[17] With an overall length of 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m), the German Army's rifle/bayonet combination was second only to the French Lebel for overall bayonet 'reach'.[17]
After 1900, Switzerland, Britain, and the United States adopted rifles with barrel lengths shorter than that of a rifled musket, but longer than that of a carbine.[1][19] These new rifles were intended for general use by both the infantry and cavalry.[19] Due to the reduction in barrel length, the overall "reach" of the new short rifles with attached bayonet was reduced.[1] In the case of Britain, this occurred when the British Army adopted a shortened Lee–Enfield rifle, the SMLE, in 1904.[1][19] As a consequence, the German M1898 Mauser rifle and attached sword bayonet was a full eight inches longer than the British SMLE and its P1903 bayonet, which used a twelve-inch blade.[1][20] While the British P1903 and its similar predecessor, the P1888, had proved completely satisfactory in service, a storm of criticism soon arose regarding the effective reach of the new short rifles when equipped with a fixed bayonet.[1][17][19][21] One military writer of the day warned: "The German soldier has eight inches the better of the argument over the British soldier when it comes to crossing bayonets, and the extra eight inches easily turns the battle in favour of the longer, if both men are of equal skill."[17]
German soldiers at bayonet practice in 1914
In 1905 the German Army adopted a shortened (37 cm or 14.6-inch) bayonet, the Seitengewehr 98/06 for engineer and pioneer troops, and in 1908, a short rifle as well, the Karabiner Model 1898AZ, which was produced in limited quantities for the cavalry, artillery, and other specialist troops.[22] However, the long-barreled 98 Mauser rifle remained in service as the primary infantry small arm.[23] Moreover, German military authorities continued to promote the idea of outreaching one's opponent on the battlefield by means of a longer rifle/bayonet combination, a concept prominently featured in its infantry bayonet training doctrines.[18] These included the throw point or extended thrust-and-lunge attack.[24] Using this tactic, the German soldier dropped into a half-crouch, with the rifle and fixed bayonet held close to the body.[24] In this position the soldier next propelled his rifle forward, then dropped the supporting hand while taking a step forward with the right foot, simultaneously thrusting out the right arm full length with the extended rifle held in the grip of the right hand alone.[24] With a maximum 'kill zone' of some eleven feet, the throw point bayonet attack gave an impressive increase in 'reach', and was later adopted by other military forces, including the U.S. Army.[24][25]
In response to criticism over the reduced reach of the SMLE rifle and bayonet, British ordnance authorities introduced the P1907 bayonet in 1908, which had an elongated blade of some seventeen inches to compensate for the reduced overall length of the SMLE rifle.[1][16][19][26][27] U.S. authorities in turn adopted a long (16-in. blade) bayonet for the M1903 Springfield short rifle, the M1905 bayonet; later, a long sword bayonet was also provided for the M1917 Enfield rifle.[21]
US military bayonets; from the top down, they are the M1905, the M1, M1905E1 Bowie Point Bayonet (a cut down version of the M1905), and the M4 Bayonet for the M1 Carbine
The experience of World War I prompted a complete reversal in opinion on the relative value of long rifles and bayonets in typical infantry combat operations.[20][27][28][29] Whether in the close confines of trench warfare, night time raiding and patrolling, or attacking across open ground, soldiers of both sides soon recognized the inherent limitations of a long and ungainly rifle and bayonet when used as a close-quarters battle weapon.[20][27][28][29] Once Allied soldiers had been trained to expect the throw point or extended thrust-and-lunge attack, the method lost most of its tactical value on the World War I battlefield.[24] It required a strong arm and wrist, was very slow to recover if the initial thrust missed its mark, and was easily parried by a soldier who was trained to expect it, thus exposing the German soldier to a return thrust which he could not easily block or parry.[24][30][31] Instead of longer bayonets, infantry forces on both sides began experimenting with other weapons as auxiliary close-quarter arms, including the trench knife, pistol, hand grenade, and entrenching tool.[28][32]
Soldiers soon began employing the bayonet as a knife as well as an attachment for the rifle, and bayonets were often shortened officially or unofficially to make them more versatile and easier to use as tools, or to maneuver in close quarters.[1][27][28][29] During World War II, bayonets were further shortened into knife-sized weapons in order to give them additional utility as fighting or utility knives.[1] The vast majority of modern bayonets introduced since World War II are of the knife type.[1]
Bayonet charge[edit]
A bayonet charge during the Battle of Großbeeren (1813)
With the advent of the socket bayonet, the pike was in the process of being phased out, as infantry could now adequately defend themselves from cavalry without sacrificing firepower. Pikemen-style tactics were taught to bayonet-armed musketeers. Many armies used the bayonet frequently during the Napoleonic wars. A Russian tactical precept coined by Russian General Alexander Suvorov was "The bullet is foolish, the bayonet wise", noting that while a bullet may be fired in merely the general direction of various enemies with no concern for which, the bayonet thrust is always at a single purposely-selected target.
18th and 19th century military tactics included doctrines of massed infantry formations using a bayonet kept fixed on the infantryman's musket.[5] One of the more notable of these was the bayonet charge, an attack by a formation of infantrymen with fixed bayonets, usually over short distances, to overrun enemy strong points, capture artillery batteries, or break up enemy troop formations.
Despite its effectiveness, a bayonet charge did not necessarily cause substantial casualties through the use of the weapon itself. Detailed battle casualty lists from the 18th century showed that in many battles, fewer than 2% of all wounds treated were caused by bayonets.[33] Antoine-Henri Jomini, a celebrated military author who served in numerous armies during the Napoleonic period, stated that the majority of bayonet charges in the open resulted with one side fleeing before any contact was made. Combat with bayonets did occur, but mostly on a small scale when units of opposing sides encountered each other in a confined environment, such as during the storming of fortifications or during ambush skirmishes in broken terrain.[34] In an age of fire by massed volley, when compared to random unseen bullets, the threat of the bayonet was much more tangible and immediate – guaranteed to lead to a personal gruesome conclusion if both sides persisted. All this encouraged men to flee before the lines met. Thus, the bayonet was an immensely useful weapon for capturing ground from the enemy, despite seldom actually being used to inflict wounds.
Tactical decline[edit]
A bayonet charge during the American Civil War
As early as the American Civil War (1861–65) the bayonet was ultimately responsible for less than 1% of battlefield casualties,[35] a hallmark of modern warfare. The use of "cold steel" to force the enemy to retreat was very successful in numerous small unit engagements at short range in the American Civil War, as most troops would retreat when charged while reloading (which could take up to a minute with loose powder even for trained troops). Although such charges inflicted few casualties, they often decided short engagements, and tactical possession of important defensive ground features. Additionally, bayonet drill could be used to rally men temporarily discomfited by enemy fire.[36]
While the overall Battle of Gettysburg was won by the Union armies due to a combination of terrain and massed artillery fire, a decisive point on the second day of the battle hinged on a bayonet charge at Little Round Top when the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, running short of musket ammunition, charged downhill, surprising and capturing many of the surviving soldiers of the 15th Alabama and other Confederate regiments.
The armies of the late 19th century continued to make extensive use of the bayonet for peacetime training and drill. Imperial Russian infantry carried "triangular" bayonets fixed to their rifles on almost all occasions, rather than using the belt attached scabbards of other armies. French troops were issued with very long "sword" bayonets, giving a total reach of six feet when attached to their M1886 Lebel rifles. By contrast the British bayonet of 1903 gave a length of less than four feet and nine inches when fixed on the Lee-Enfield rifle. In 1905 the U.S. Army experimented with a "rod-bayonet" which slid into an attachment under the rifle barrel. The Japanese, Imperial German and Italian armies all developed their separate sizes and patterns of bayonets. Nearly all retained the historic principle of a thrusting spear-like weapon.[37]
The advent of modern warfare in the 20th century further decreased the bayonet's usefulness, although small unit actions still include the use of the bayonet for close-quarter fighting. During the Korean War, the French Battalion and Turkish Brigade conducted bayonet charges against their enemy.[38] United States Army officer Lewis L. Millett led soldiers of the US Army's 27th Infantry Regiment in taking out a machine gun position with bayonets, and received the Medal of Honor for the action. This was the last bayonet charge by the US Army.
A 1992 painting depicting the 65th Infantry's bayonet charge against a Chinese division during the Korean War.
In 1995, during the Siege of Sarajevo, French Marine infantrymen from the 3rd RIMA carried out a bayonet charge against the Serbian forces at the Battle of Vrbanja bridge.[39]
The British Army mounted bayonet charges during the Falklands War (see Battle of Mount Tumbledown), the Second Gulf War, and the war in Afghanistan.[40] In 2004 in Iraq at the Battle of Danny Boy, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders bayonet-charged mortar positions filled with over 100 Mahdi Army members. The ensuing hand-to-hand fighting resulted in an estimate of over 40 insurgents killed and 35 bodies collected (many floated down the river) and nine prisoners. Sergeant Brian Wood, of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, was awarded the Military Cross for his part in the battle.[41] In 2009, Lieutenant James Adamson, aged 24, of the Royal Regiment of Scotland was awarded the Military Cross for a bayonet charge whilst on a tour of duty in Afghanistan: after shooting one Taliban fighter dead Adamson had run out of ammunition when another enemy appeared. He immediately charged the second Taliban fighter and bayoneted him.[42] In September 2012, Lance Corporal Sean Jones of The Princess of Wales's Regiment was awarded the Military Cross for his role in a bayonet charge which took place in October 2011.[43]
Contemporary versions[edit]
Today the bayonet is rarely used in one-to-one combat.[44][45][46] Despite its limitations, many modern assault rifles (including bullpup designs) retain a bayonet lug and the bayonet is still issued by many armies. Also, the bayonet is still used for controlling prisoners, finishing off wounded enemies, and as a weapon of "last resort."[44] In addition, some authorities have concluded that the bayonet serves as a useful training aid in building morale and increasing desired aggressiveness in troops.[47][48]
Today's bayonets are often multi-purpose knives such as the American M9 which is also an effective fighting knife or the Soviet AKM bayonet which was also a ground breaking survival knife that can be used as a wire-cutter when combined with its scabbard. Some bayonets can also be used as utility knives, bottle openers or throwing knives.[49][50] Also, issuing one modern multi-purpose bayonet/knife is obviously more cost effective than issuing separate specialty bayonets, field knives and combat knives.
Russian Federation[edit]
Multi-purpose AKM Type I bayonet of the Nationale Volksarmee shown cutting a wire when combined with its scabbard
The original AK-47 has an adequate but unremarkable bayonet. However, the AKM Type I bayonet (introduced in 1959) was a revolutionary design.[51] It has a Bowie style (clip-point) blade with saw-teeth along the spine, and can be used as a multi-purpose knife and wire-cutter when combined with its steel scabbard.[51][52] This design was copied by other nations and formed the basis of the US M9 bayonet.[51][53] The AK-74 bayonet 6Kh5 (introduced in 1983) represents a further refinement of the AKM bayonet. "It introduced a radical blade cross-section, that has a flat milled on one side near the edge and a corresponding flat milled on the opposite side near the false edge."[51] The blade has a new spear point and an improved one-piece moulded plastic grip, making it a more effective fighting knife.[51] It also has saw-teeth on the false edge and the usual hole for use as a wire-cutter.[51] The wire cutting versions of the AK bayonets each have an electrically insulated handle and an electrically insulated part of the scabbard, so it can be used to cut an electrified wire.
United States[edit]
The American M16 rifle used the M7 bayonet which is based on earlier designs such as the M4, M5 and M6 models, all of which are direct descendants of the M3 Fighting Knife and have a spear-point blade with a half sharpened secondary edge. The newer M9 has a clip-point blade with saw-teeth along the spine, and can be used as a multi-purpose knife and wire-cutter when combined with its scabbard. It can even be used by troops to cut their way free through the relatively thin metal skin of a crashed helicopter or airplane. The current USMC OKC-3S bayonet bears a resemblance to the Marines' iconic Ka-Bar fighting knife with serrations near the handle.
People's Republic of China[edit]
The AK-47 assault rifle was copied by China as the Type 56 assault rifle and include an integral folding spike bayonet, similar to the SKS rifle.[54] Some Type 56s may also use the AKM Type II bayonet.[54][55] The latest Chinese rifle, the QBZ-95, has the multi-purpose knife bayonet similar to the US M9.
Belgium[edit]
The FN FAL has two types of bayonets. The first is a traditional spear point bayonet. The second is the Type C socket bayonet introduced in the 1960s.[56] It has a hollow handle that fits over the muzzle and slots that lined up with those on the FALs 22 mm NATO-spec flash hider.[56] Its spear-type blade is offset to the side of the handle to allow the bullet to pass beside the blade.[56]
United Kingdom[edit]
The current British L3A1 socket bayonet is based on the FN FAL Type C socket bayonet with a clip-point blade.[57] It has a hollow handle that fits over the SA80/L85 rifles muzzle and slots that lined up with those on the flash eliminator. The blade is offset to the side of the handle to allow the bullet to pass beside the blade. It can also be used as a multi-purpose knife and wire-cutter when combined with its scabbard.[44] The scabbard also has a sharpening stone and folding saw blade.[44]
Germany[edit]
The H&K G3 rifle uses two types of bayonets, both of which mount above the G3s barrel.[58] The first is the standard G3 bayonet which has a blade similar to the American M7.[58] The second is an EICKHORN KCB-70 type multi-purpose knife bayonet, featuring a clip-point with saw-back, a wire-cutter scabbard and a distinctive squared handgrip.[58] For the H&K G36 there was little use of modified AKM type II blade bayonets from stocks of the former Nationale Volksarmee (National People's Army) of East Germany. The original muzzle-ring was cut away and a new, large diameter muzzle ring welded in place. The original leather belt hanger was replaced by a complex web and plastic belt hanger designed to fit the West German load bearing equipment.[59]
Austria[edit]
The Steyr AUG uses two types of bayonet. The first and most common is an Eickhorn KCB-70 type multi-purpose bayonet with an M16 bayonet type interface. The second are the Glock Feldmesser 78 (Field Knife 78) and the Feldmesser 81 (Survival Knife 81), which can also be used as a bayonet, by engaging a socket in the pommel (covered by a plastic cap) into a bayonet adapter that can be fitted to the AUG rifle.[60][61][62] These bayonets are noteworthy, as they were meant to be used primarily as field or survival knives and use as a bayonet was a secondary consideration. They can also be used as throwing knives and have a built-in bottle opener in the crossguard.[49][50]
France[edit]
The French use a more traditional spear point bayonet; the current FAMAS bayonet is nearly identical to that of the M1949/56 bayonet.[63]
Photo gallery[edit]
Russian AK-47 bayonet and scabbard.
Soviet AKM type II bayonet, multi-purpose knife and wire-cutter when combined with its scabbard.
Soviet AKM type II bayonet and scabbard in wire-cutter configuration.
Afghan policeman with AKM and AKM Type II bayonet.
The US M5 Bayonet and scabbard used with the M1 Garand
The US M6 bayonet and scabbard used with the M14 rifle
M7 Bayonet and M8A1 Sheath used with the M16 rifle
Adopted in 1984, the US M9 bayonet and scabbard used with the M16 rifle and M4 carbine.
M9 bayonet and scabbard in wire-cutter configuration.
M9 bayonet fitted M4 carbine firing during secondary target drills.
The USMC OKC-3S Bayonet
US Marines at bayonet practice
Folding an SKS-type bayonet
A Chinese sailor with a Type 56 in 1986. Note the integral folding spike bayonet.
Chinese soldier with QBZ-95 rifle and multi-purpose knife bayonet.
Indian Army Gurkha with L1A1 (FN FAL) and traditional bayonet
Brazilian Army SOF. Note FN FAL type rifles with Type C socket bayonets.
Bayonet attached to a British L85A2 rifle. Note the barrel to the left and slot in the blade to attach the wire-cutter scabbard.
A British soldier from the Royal Regiment of Scotland with a fixed bayonet on an SA80 rifle, in July 2006.
Palace guard at the royal palace, Oslo. Note the G3 type rifle with bayonet over the barrel.
Glock field knife/bayonet and its scabbard. The upper crossguard is bent forward and can be used as a bottle opener.
Irish Army Honor Guard. Note Steyr AUG with EICKHORN KCB-70 type multi-purpose bayonet
Royal New Zealand Navy Guard of Honour. Note Steyr AUG with American M7 bayonets.
French Legionnaire with FAMAS and fixed bayonet.
Type 30 bayonet used by the Japanese from 1899 to the end of the Pacific War
American Krag rifle with a bowie bayonet next to a Springfield Model 1873
Linguistic impact[edit]
The push-twist motion of fastening the older type of bayonet has given a name to:
The "bayonet mount" used for various types of quick fastenings, such as camera lenses.
Several connectors and contacts including the bayonet-fitting light bulb that is common in the UK (as opposed to the continental European screw-fitting type).
The BNC ("Bayonet Neill-Concelman") RF connector.
One type of connector for foil and sabre weapons used in modern fencing competitions is referred to as a "bayonet" connector.
In chess, an aggressive variation of the King's Indian Defence is known as the "Bayonet Attack".
The bayonet has become a symbol of military power. The term "at the point of a bayonet" refers to using military force or action to accomplish, maintain, or defend something (cf. Bayonet Constitution). Undertaking a task "with fixed bayonets" has this connotation of no room for compromise and is a phrase used particularly in politics.
Badges and insignias[edit]
The Australian Army 'Rising Sun' badge features a semicircle of bayonets. The Australian Army Infantry Combat Badge (ICB) takes the form of a vertically mounted Australian Army SLR (7.62mm self-loading rifle FN FAL) bayonet surrounded by an oval-shaped laurel wreath.[64] The US Army Combat Action Badge, awarded to personnel who have come under fire since 2001 and who are not eligible for the Combat Infantryman Badge (due to the fact that only Infantry personnel may be awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge), has a bayonet as its central motif.
The shoulder sleeve insignia for the 10th Mountain Division in the US Army features crossed bayonets. The US Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team's shoulder patch features a bayonet wrapped in a wing, symbolizing their airborne status. The brigade regularly deploys in task forces under the name "Bayonet". The insignia of the British Army's School of Infantry is an SA80 bayonet against a red shield. It is worn as a Tactical recognition flash (TRF) by instructors at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick, the Infantry Battle School at Brecon and the Support Weapons School in Warminster.
The vocation tab collar insignia for the Singapore Armed Forces Infantry Formation utilizes two crossed bayonets. The bayonet is often used as a symbol of the Infantry in Singapore.
See also[edit]
Banzai charge
Bayonet Constitution
Combatives
Jūkendō
Knife bayonet
Bayonet lug
Spike bayonet
Sword bayonet
Use of bayonets for crowd control
Wilfred Owen mention the bayonets in the poem Soldier's dream
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Brayley, Martin, Bayonets: An Illustrated History, Iola, WI: Krause Publications, ISBN 0-87349-870-4, ISBN 978-0-87349-870-8 (2004), pp. 9-10, 83-85
Jump up ^ H.Blackmore, Hunting Weapons, pg 50
Jump up ^ Blackmore, Howard L. 2000. Hunting Weapons: From the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century. Courier Dover Publications. p.66-70
Jump up ^ Boutell, Charles. 1907. Arms and armour in antiquity and the Middle Ages. Reeves & Turner. p.166
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Cold Steel - The History of the Bayonet, BBC News, 18 November 2002, retrieved 29 July 2011
^ Jump up to: a b Owen, John Ivor Headon, Brassey's Infantry Weapons of the World: Infantry Weapons and Combat Aids in Current Use by the Regular and Reserve Forces of All Nations, Bonanza Press, ISBN 0-517-24234-6, ISBN 978-0-517-24234-6 (1975), p. 265
^ Jump up to: a b c d Punch, The Soldier's Side-Companion, Punch's Almanack For 1869, Vol. 57 (7 August 1869), London: Punch Publications Ltd. (1869), p. 54
^ Jump up to: a b Knight, Edward H., Knight's American Mechanical Dictionary (Vol. 1), New York: J.B. Ford & Co, (1874), p. 252
^ Jump up to: a b c Rhodes, Bill, An Introduction to Military Ethics: A Reference Handbook, ABC CLIO LLC, ISBN 0-313-35046-9, ISBN 978-0-313-35046-7 (2009), pp. 13-14
Jump up ^ Ffoulkes, Charles J., and Hopkinson, Edward C., Sword, Lance & Bayonet: A Record of the Arms of the British Army & Navy (2nd ed.), Edgware, Middlesex: Arms & Armour Press (1967) p. 113
Jump up ^ Ripley, George, and Dana, Charles A., The American Cyclopaedia: A Popular Dictionary of General Knowledge (Vol. II), New York: D. Appleton & Co. (1873), p. 409
Jump up ^ Board of Officers Assembled at St. Louis, Missouri, Schofield, J.M. (Maj. Gen.) President, Bayonets: Resume of the Proceedings of the Board, June 10, 1870, Ordnance Memoranda, Issue 11, United States Army Ordnance Dept., Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office (1870), p. 16
^ Jump up to: a b c Belknap, William W., Trowel-Bayonet, Letter from the Secretary of War In Answer to a Resolution of the House of April 4, 1872, The Executive Documents of the House of Representative, 42nd Congress, 2nd Session (1871-1872), Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office (1872), pp. 1-20
^ Jump up to: a b c McChristian, Douglas C., Uniforms, Arms, and Equipment: Weapons and Accouterments, University of Oklahoma Press, ISBN 0-8061-3790-8, ISBN 978-0-8061-3790-2 (2007), pp. 128-142
Jump up ^ Hutton, Alfred, Fixed Bayonets: A Complete System of Fence for the British Magazine Rifle, London: William Clowes & Sons (1890), pp. v, 125, 131-132
^ Jump up to: a b c Barrett, Ashley W., Lessons to be Learned by Regimental Officers From the Russo-Japanese War, Journal of the Military Service Institution of the United States, Volume 45, (March–April 1909), pp. 300-301
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Hopkins, Albert A., Scientific American War Book: the Mechanism and Technique of Warfare, New York: Munn & Co. (1915) p. 141
^ Jump up to: a b Praktische Bajonett-Fechtschule: auf Grund der Bajonettir-Vorschrift für die Infanterie, Berlin: E.S. Mittler und Sohn (1889)
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Seton-Karr, Henry (Sir), Rifle, Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.), New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Co., Vol. 23 (Ref - Sai), (1911), p. 328
^ Jump up to: a b c Pegler, Martin and Chappell, Mike, Tommy 1914-18 (Vol. 16), New York: Osprey Publishing Ltd., ISBN 1-85532-541-1, ISBN 978-1-85532-541-8 (1996), p. 16
^ Jump up to: a b Tilson, John Q. (Hon.), Weapons of Aerial Warfare: Speech By Hon. John Q. Tilson, Delivered June 1, 1917, United States House of Representative, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office (1918), p. 84
Jump up ^ James, Gary, Germany’s Karabiner 98AZ, Guns & Ammo Magazine (June 2010), retrieved 17 November 2011
Jump up ^ Ezell, Edward C., Small Arms of the World: A Basic Manual of Small Arms, Volume 11, p. 502
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Crossman, Edward C., The Rifle of the Hun, Popular Mechanics, Vol. 30, No. 2 (1918), pp. 183-185
Jump up ^ Stacey, Cromwell (Capt.), Training in Bayonet Fighting: Throw Point, U.S. Infantry Journal, Vol. 10, No. 6 (1914) pp. 870-871
Jump up ^ Notes On Naval Progress: Section II -Small Arms, General Information Series - Volume 20, United States Office of Naval Intelligence, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office (July 1901), p. 198
^ Jump up to: a b c d Regan, Paula (ed.), Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor, London: Penguin Ltd. ISBN 0-7566-4219-1, ISBN 978-0-7566-4219-8 (2006), p. 284
^ Jump up to: a b c d McBride, Herbert W., A Rifleman Went To War, Plantersville, SC: Small Arms Technical Publishing Co. (1935), pp. 179-185, 197, 241-243, 335
^ Jump up to: a b c Knyvett, R. Hugh (Capt.), Over There with the Australians, originally published 1918, reprinted by The Echo Library, ISBN 978-1-4068-6694-0 (2011), pp. 152-153
Jump up ^ Moss, James Alfred, Manual of Military Training, Menasha, WI: George Banta Publishing Co. (1914), p. 161: "The adversary may attempt a greater extension in the thrust and lunge by quitting the grasp of his piece with the left hand and advancing the right as far as possible. When this is done, a sharp parry may cause him to lose control of his rifle, leaving him exposed to a counter-attack, which should follow promptly."
Jump up ^ United States Marine Corps, U.S. Marine Combat Conditioning, United States Marine Corps Schools (Sep 1944), reprinted Skyhorse Publishing Inc., ISBN 1-60239-962-X, 9781602399624 (2011), p. 7: "The...'throw point' as it is sometimes called can be used to thrust from a distance an unarmed enemy who is running backwards away from you. This would probably be the only time you would actually thrust a man with a...'throw point'...because unless your enemy is off his guard and unless you have a very strong arm, there is too much chance of dropping the rifle or of his knocking it from your hands."
Jump up ^ Beith, Ian H., Modern Battle Tactics: Address Delivered April 9, 1917, National Service (June 1917), pp. 325, 328
Jump up ^ Lynn, John A. Giant of the Grand Siècle: The French Army, 1610-1715. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1997. Print.
Jump up ^ Jomini, Antoine Henri. The Art of War. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1971. Print.
Jump up ^ O'Connell, Robert L., "Arme Blanche", Military History Quarterly, Vol. 5, nº 1.
Jump up ^ The Bloody Crucible of Courage: Fighting Methods and Combat Experience of the Civil War
Jump up ^ page 558, Volume III, Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition
Jump up ^ Grey, Jeffrey (1988). The Commonwealth Armies and the Korean War: An Alliance Study. Manchester University Press. p. 29. ISBN 0-7190-2611-3.
Jump up ^ "- granulés & pellets". Retrieved 24 August 2015.
Jump up ^ Sean Rayment (12 June 2004). "British battalion 'attacked every day for six weeks'". The Daily Telegraph. London: Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
Jump up ^ Caroline Wyatt, UK combat operations end in Iraq, BBC, 28 April 2009
Jump up ^ "Military cross for bayonet charge". BBC News. 13 September 2009. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
Jump up ^ "Shropshire soldier Lance Cpl Jones awarded Military Cross". BBC News. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
^ Jump up to: a b c d http://sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=531%7CSmall Arms Defense Journal. Are We Forever Stuck with the Bayonet? story by George Kontis.
Jump up ^ Knives of War: An International Guide to Military Knives from World War I to the Present. By Gordon Hughes, Barry Jenkins, Robert A. Buerlein. Paladin Press. Copyright 2006. pages 101-110
Jump up ^ https://books.google.com/books?id=wfBslF4gUVwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=unarmed+combat&source=bl&ots=E8DTmAjhA2&sig=BAzhcrotlTvunUz7EIbuVJj7x_E&hl=en&sa=X&ei=WbOGUPaaL4a0igK3h4GIAQ&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAQ |The Elite Forces Handbook of Unarmed Combat. By Ron Shillingford. Copyright Amber Book LTD 2000. page 175-179
Jump up ^ U.S. Army Field Manual 3-25.150, 2002-12-18.
Jump up ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 2012-10-23. |The Psychology of the Bayonet. Major William Beaudoin, CD
^ Jump up to: a b Glock Field Knives Archived 22 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
^ Jump up to: a b Christian Thiel. "Review FM81 throwing knife (Glock)". Retrieved 24 August 2015.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f http://worldbayonets.com/Misc__Pages/ak_bayonets/ak_bayonets.html | Kalashnikov Bayonets Ralph E. Cobb, 2010
Jump up ^ how to use the wire cutter on an akm /ak 47 bayonet. YouTube (16 July 2009). Retrieved on 2011-09-27.
Jump up ^ http://www.tactical-life.com/online/tactical-knives/akm-47-bayonet-from-battle/%7CAKM-47 Bayonet From Battle. by Steven Dick
^ Jump up to: a b Military Small Arms Of the 20th Century. 7th Editition. Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. page 230-231.
Jump up ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-18. |Chinese AK Bayonets
^ Jump up to: a b c http://worldbayonets.com/Bayonet_Identification_Guide/fal_page/fal_bayonets.html%7CWorld Bayonets. FN FAL Bayonets
Jump up ^ http://worldbayonets.com/Bayonet_Identification_Guide/fal_page/fal_bayonets.html |FAL Bayonets
^ Jump up to: a b c "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-17. | Bayonet for Heckler & Koch rifles by R.D.C. Evans. October 2009. Bayonet Studies Series. No. 4
Jump up ^ http://worldbayonets.com/Bayonet_Identification_Guide/Germany__Post_WW_II_/germany_post_wwii_2.html#unified_germany | World Bayonets. Unified Germany
Jump up ^ http://worldbayonets.com/Bayonet_Identification_Guide/Austria/Austria_2.html | World Bayonets. Austria
Jump up ^ http://worldbayonets.com/Bayonet_Identification_Guide/Austria/feldmesser78_aug.pdf%7CWorld Bayonets. Austria. Image of Glock Knife mounted on Stryr AUG
Jump up ^ https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.armasadictos.com/aa/armas-blancas/bayoneta/6-glock-78-cuchillo-de-campo-o-bayoneta&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://www.armasadictos.com/aa/armas-blancas/bayoneta/6-glock-78-cuchillo-de-campo-o-bayoneta%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address%26rlz%3D1I7ADFA_en%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D717%26prmd%3Dimvns&sa=X&ei=MsN-UMnwOcrMigKi6YGgAQ&ved=0CCQQ7gEwAA | Glock 78 field knife or bayonet. Created on 23 July 2012. Written by Ramon A. Castella. Google Translate...Spanish to English
Jump up ^ http://worldbayonets.com/Bayonet_Identification_Guide/France/france_2.html | Bayonet Identification Guide. France
Jump up ^ Infantry combat badge
Further reading[edit]
Hunting weapons, Howard L Blackmore, 2000, Dover Publications
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bayonet". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
External links[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Bayonet
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bayonets.
World Bayonets
Infantry Tactics During the Napoleonic Wars - Bayonet Fights, Bayonet Charges
Authority control
GND: 4221983-8
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bayonet&oldid=821985771"
Categories:
Bayonets
Blade weapons
Firearm components
French inventions
Hidden categories:
Webarchive template wayback links
Use dmy dates from June 2013
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from August 2011
Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference
Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Wikiquote
Languages
العربية
Asturianu
Башҡортса
Беларуская (тарашкевіца)
Български
Bosanski
Brezhoneg
Català
Čeština
Dansk
Deutsch
Eesti
Español
Esperanto
Euskara
فارسی
Français
Gaeilge
Gàidhlig
Galego
한국어
Հայերեն
Hrvatski
Ido
Bahasa Indonesia
Italiano
עברית
Basa Jawa
Lietuvių
Magyar
മലയാളം
Bahasa Melayu
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk
Norsk nynorsk
Polski
Português
Română
Русский
Саха тыла
Scots
Shqip
Simple English
Slovenščina
Српски / srpski
Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
Suomi
Svenska
Українська
Tiếng Việt
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 23 January 2018, at 19:38.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

value: a

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

attrs: href class title

values:
/wiki/Bayonet_(disambiguation)
mw-disambig
Bayonet (disambiguation)

attrs: role class

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

value: img

attrs: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

attrs: href title

values:
/wiki/Muzzle_(firearm)
mw-redirect
Muzzle (firearm)

values:
/wiki/World_War_Two
mw-redirect
World War Two

values:
/wiki/Close_quarter_combat
mw-redirect
Close quarter combat

values:
/wiki/Wire_cutter
mw-redirect
Wire cutter

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2011)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

values:
/wiki/Black_powder
mw-redirect
Black powder

values: Edit section: Plug, ring, and socket bayonets

values:
/wiki/King_Louis_XIV
mw-redirect
King Louis XIV

values:
/wiki/Peace_of_Ryswick
mw-redirect
Peace of Ryswick

values: Edit section: 19th century and the multi-purpose bayonet

values:
/wiki/Edmund_Rice_(general)
mw-redirect
Edmund Rice (general)

values:
/wiki/Close-quarters_battle
mw-redirect
Close-quarters battle

values:
/wiki/Hand_grenade
mw-redirect
Hand grenade

values:
/wiki/Hand_to_hand_combat
mw-redirect
Hand to hand combat

values:
/wiki/Lewis_L._Millett
mw-redirect
Lewis L. Millett

values:
/wiki/Battle_of_Vrbanja_bridge
mw-redirect
Battle of Vrbanja bridge

values:
/wiki/Nationale_Volksarmee
mw-redirect
Nationale Volksarmee

values:
/wiki/M3_Fighting_Knife
mw-redirect
M3 Fighting Knife

values: Edit section: People's Republic of China

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values:
/wiki/OKC-3S_Bayonet
mw-redirect
OKC-3S Bayonet

values:
/wiki/Photographic_lens
mw-redirect
Photographic lens

values:
/wiki/Bayonet_Constitution
mw-redirect
Bayonet Constitution

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A847532

values:
/wiki/Telegraph_Media_Group_Limited
mw-redirect
Telegraph Media Group Limited

values:
/wiki/Infantry_combat_badge
mw-redirect
Infantry combat badge

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values: Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition

values:
nofollow
http://worldbayonets.com/
external text

values:
nofollow
external text
https://d-nb.info/gnd/4221983-8

values: Category:Webarchive template wayback links

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from August 2011

values: Category:Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference

values: Category:Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica

values: Category:Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Bayonet
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values:
/w/index.php?title=Bayonet&action=edit
Edit this page [ctrl-alt-e]
e

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

values:
uls-settings-trigger
Language settings
0
button
true

values:
https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayoneta
Bayoneta – Asturian
ast
ast
interlanguage-link-target

values: Багнет – Belarusian (Taraškievica orthography)

values:
https://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajonet
Bajonet – Bosnian
bs
bs
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://br.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baionetez
Baionetez – Breton
br
br
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baioneta
Baioneta – Catalan
ca
ca
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajonet
Bajonet – Czech
cs
cs
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajonet
Bajonet – Danish
da
da
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajonett
Bajonett – German
de
de
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayoneta
Bayoneta – Spanish
es
es
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajoneto
Bajoneto – Esperanto
eo
eo
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baioneta
Baioneta – Basque
eu
eu
interlanguage-link-target

values: سرنیزه – Persian

values:
https://ga.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaignit
Beaignit – Irish
ga
ga
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baioneta
Baioneta – Galician
gl
gl
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajunet
Bajunet – Croatian
hr
hr
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://io.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayoneto
Bayoneto – Ido
io
io
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayonet
Bayonet – Indonesian
id
id
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baionetta
Baionetta – Italian
it
it
interlanguage-link-target

values: כידון רובה – Hebrew

values:
https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durtuvas
Durtuvas – Lithuanian
lt
lt
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szurony
Szurony – Hungarian
hu
hu
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayonet
Bayonet – Malay
ms
ms
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajonet
Bajonet – Dutch
nl
nl
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajonett
Bajonett – Norwegian Nynorsk
nn
nn
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagnet
Bagnet – Polish
pl
pl
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baioneta
Baioneta – Portuguese
pt
pt
interlanguage-link-target

values: Ыстыык – Sakha

values:
https://sco.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayonet
Bayonet – Scots
sco
sco
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajoneta
Bajoneta – Albanian
sq
sq
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajonet
Bajonet – Slovenian
sl
sl
interlanguage-link-target

values: Бајонет – Serbian

values:
https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajonet
Bajonet – Serbo-Croatian
sh
sh
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pistin
Pistin – Finnish
fi
fi
interlanguage-link-target

values:
https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajonett
Bajonett – Swedish
sv
sv
interlanguage-link-target

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Bayonet rootpage-Bayonet skin-vector action-view


text:
List of most-followed Instagram accounts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Selena Gomez is the most followed individual on Instagram, with over 135 million followers.
This list contains the top 25 accounts with the most followers on the social photo-sharing platform Instagram.[1] As of March 2018, the most followed user is Instagram's own account, with over 234 million followers. Selena Gomez is the most followed individual, with over 135 million followers.[2] Nine accounts have exceeded 100 million followers on the site.
Contents
[hide]
1 Top accounts
1.1 All-time
1.2 By country
2 See also
3 References
Top accounts
All-time
The following table lists the top 25 most followed accounts on Instagram, with each total rounded to the nearest million followers, as well as the profession of each user and country of origin.[1]
Rank
Chg
Account name
Owner
Followers
(millions)
Profession
Country
1. @instagram Instagram 234 Social media platform USA
2. @selenagomez Selena Gomez 136 Musician and actress USA
3. @cristiano Cristiano Ronaldo 124 Footballer POR
4. @arianagrande Ariana Grande 118 Musician and actress USA
5. @beyonce Beyoncé 114 Musician and actress USA
6. @kimkardashian Kim Kardashian 110 Reality TV personality USA
7. @kyliejenner Kylie Jenner 107 Reality TV personality USA
8. @taylorswift Taylor Swift 107 Musician and actress USA
9. @therock Dwayne Johnson 103 Actor and professional wrestler USA
10. @justinbieber Justin Bieber 98 Musician CAN
11. @neymarjr Neymar 92 Footballer BRA
12. @leomessi Lionel Messi 90 Footballer ARG
13. @kendalljenner Kendall Jenner 89 Model USA
14. @natgeo National Geographic 87 Magazine USA
15. @nickiminaj Nicki Minaj 86 Musician TRI
16. @nike Nike 77 Sportswear multinational corporation USA
17. @mileycyrus Miley Cyrus 75 Musician and actress USA
18. @khloekardashian Khloé Kardashian 74 Reality TV personality USA
19. @jlo Jennifer Lopez 74 Musician and actress USA
20. @katyperry Katy Perry 69 Musician USA
21. @ddlovato Demi Lovato 67 Musician and actress USA
22. @kourtneykardash Kourtney Kardashian 62 Reality TV personality USA
23. @badgalriri Rihanna 61 Musician BAR
24. @victoriassecret Victoria's Secret 59 Lingerie retailer USA
25. @kevinhart4real Kevin Hart 58 Comedian USA
As of April 17, 2018[update]
By country
The following table lists the top 14 most followed accounts on Instagram by country of origin, with each total rounded to the nearest million followers, as well as the profession of each user.[1]
Rank
Chg
Country
Account name
Owner
Followers
(millions)
Profession
1. United States @instagram Instagram 234 Social media platform
2. Portugal @cristiano Cristiano Ronaldo 123 Footballer
3. Canada @justinbieber Justin Bieber 98 Musician
4. Brazil @neymarjr Neymar 91 Footballer
5. Argentina @leomessi Lionel Messi 89 Footballer
6. Trinidad and Tobago @nickiminaj Nicki Minaj 86 Musician
7. Barbados @badgalriri Rihanna 61 Musician
8. Spain @realmadrid Real Madrid C.F. 57 Football club
9. Colombia @shakira Shakira 46 Musician
10. United Kingdom @emmawatson Emma Watson 45 Actress
11. Hong Kong @9gag 9GAG 44 Social media platform
12. Sweden @iamzlatanibrahimovic Zlatan Ibrahimović 31 Footballer
13. France @chanelofficial[3] Chanel 27 Clothing retailer
14. Indonesia @raffinagita1717[4] Raffi Ahmad & Nagita Slavina 22 Presenter and musician
As of March 31, 2018[update]
See also
List of most-liked Instagram pictures
List of most-followed Twitter accounts
List of most-subscribed YouTube channels
List of most-viewed YouTube videos
List of most streamed artists on Spotify
List of most streamed songs on Spotify
References
^ Jump up to: a b c "Top 100 Instagram Users by Followers- Socialblade Instagram Stats - Instagram Statistics". Socialblade. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
Jump up ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee (November 29, 2017). "Selena Gomez holds on to Instagram crown with most followers in 2017". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
Jump up ^ "@chanelofficial". Instagram. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
Jump up ^ "@raffinagita1717". Instagram. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
[show]
v
t
e
Facebook
Website
Features
Beacon
Bluetooth Beacon
Credits
EdgeRank
Graph Search
Instant Articles
Like button
Live
facebookcorewwwi.onion
Platform
Safety Check
Stories
Watch (List of original programs)
Zero
Other
products
Current
Atlas Solutions
Express Wi-Fi
Free Basics
Instagram
Hyperlapse
List of most liked pictures
Messenger
MSQRD
Oculus Rift
Onavo
tbh
WhatsApp
Workplace
Former
Camera
FriendFeed
Home
HTC First
M (virtual assistant)
Paper
Poke (app)
Riff
Slingshot
Wirehog
People
Founders
Mark Zuckerberg (28% equity)
Dustin Moskovitz (7%)
Eduardo Saverin (5%, formerly)
Chris Hughes (1%, formerly)
Andrew McCollum
Board
Mark Zuckerberg
Jim Breyer (11%)
Peter Thiel (2%)
Sheryl Sandberg
Marc Andreessen
Erskine Bowles
Susan Desmond-Hellmann
Donald E. Graham
Reed Hastings
Executive
officers
Current
Mark Zuckerberg (Chairman and CEO)
Sheryl Sandberg (COO)
David Wehner (CFO)
Mike Schroepfer (CTO)
Former
Sean Parker (4%, formerly)
Owen Van Natta
Gideon Yu
Adam D'Angelo
Chris Kelly
Bret Taylor
David Ebersman
Notable
employees
Current
Chris Cox (VP of Product)
Elliot Schrage (VP of Global Communications, Marketing and Public Policy)
Lars Rasmussen (Graph Search director)
John Carmack (CTO of Oculus VR)
Hugo Barra (VP of Oculus VR)
Naomi Gleit (VP of social good)
Caryn Marooney (VP of Communications)
Former
Blake Ross (Director of Product)
Ted Ullyot (VP, General Counsel, and Secretary)
Matt Cohler
Charlie Cheever
Randi Zuckerberg
Yishan Wong
George Hotz
Joe Lockhart
Andrei Alexandrescu (research scientist)
Open source
Apache Cassandra
Apache Hive
Apache Thrift
Buck
FQL
Hack
HHVM
HipHop for PHP
MyRocks
Open Compute Project
Phabricator
React
RocksDB
Scribe
Tornado (web server)
Mass media
The Facebook Effect
The Accidental Billionaires
The Social Network
Concepts
Activity stream
Social graph
Friending and following
Reblogging
Fan-gating
Facebook diplomacy
Facebook like button
Business
History
Timeline
Acquisitions
f8 conference
IPO
Censorship
Criticism
Cambridge Analytica data scandal
Litigation
Divisions
Facebook AI Research
Facebook Creative Labs
Related
Priscilla Chan (wife of Mark Zuckerberg)
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Aquila Internet relay drone
Willow Village
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_most-followed_Instagram_accounts&oldid=838048816"
Categories:
21st century-related lists
Lists of Internet-related superlatives
Hidden categories:
Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages
Use mdy dates from January 2018
Articles containing potentially dated statements from April 2018
All articles containing potentially dated statements
Articles containing potentially dated statements from March 2018
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
View source
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
فارسی
Edit links
This page was last edited on 24 April 2018, at 16:24.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

attrs: class id

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

attrs: href class

attrs: class style

value: sup

values:
headerSort
0
columnheader button
Sort ascending

attrs: alt src title width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values:
/wiki/Professional_wrestler
mw-redirect
Professional wrestler

values:
/wiki/National_Geographic_(magazine)
mw-redirect
National Geographic (magazine)

values: plainlinks noexcerpt noprint asof-tag update

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values:
/wiki/Facebook_Live
mw-redirect
Facebook Live

values: List of original programs distributed by Facebook Watch

values: List of mergers and acquisitions by Facebook

values: Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible collapsed navbox-inner

values: Category:Lists of Internet-related superlatives

values: Category:Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages

values: Category:Use mdy dates from January 2018

values: Category:Articles containing potentially dated statements from April 2018

values: Category:All articles containing potentially dated statements

values: Category:Articles containing potentially dated statements from March 2018

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values:
This page is protected.
You can view its source [ctrl-alt-e]

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values: لیست پروفایل‌های اینستاگرام با بیشترین دنبال کننده – Persian

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-List_of_most-followed_Instagram_accounts rootpage-List_of_most-followed_Instagram_accounts skin-vector action-view