War Crime Wednesday: Bayonets

             Today’s War Crime Wednesday is another common myth. This time, regarding bayonets. The idea is that bayonets that are serrated or triangular are a war crime. The truth is, neither of these are war crimes at all. Serrated bayonets were originally utilized by German combat engineers in World War One. Allied propaganda used these serrated edges to paint the Germans as savage monsters who only want to cause suffering. In reality, the serrated edge was primarily for cutting barbed wire or other obstacles. Using this serrated edge against an enemy combatant is not illegal as the serrated edge was not specifically designed to cause suffering. As for triangular bayonet, it is still not a war crime. The myth stems from the idea that a triangular wound cannot be stitched shut. However, using certain stitching techniques, a triangular wound can be stitched shut with relative ease. The reason triangular bayonets are not in use anymore is because they are simply obsolete compared to the flat bladed bayonets. The flat blades provide more utility as a tool than their triangular counterparts ever could.