US M1917 (trench dagger)

The US M1917 trench knife, partly also knuckle duster, is an American-made trench dagger from 1917. The weapon was used in the First World War .

History and conception

The US Army was poorly equipped for trench warfare . In some cases, the conditions for this warfare were not recognized or denied by leaders. After the first failures, attempts were made to learn from the experience of the French and the first American trench dagger of the First World War was designed based on a design by Henry Disston and Sons. The design of the Poignard de tranchée Mle 1915 was the inspiration for this. Just like the French construction, it was a stiletto . As a special feature, the knuckle duster was equipped with a brass knuckle . The construction did not prove itself at the front. Often the thin blade broke off. The needs of the troops could hardly be met either. This led to the replacement of the knuckle dusters with the US M1918 trench dagger . This differed only slightly and was also the circumstances do not meet the grave War and was the redesign of the 1918 Mark I replaced.

See also

• Trench warfare
• Trench warfare

literature

• Stephens, Frederick J, 1985: Fighting Knives, Arms and Armor , London, p 69 (ref 339).
• Cole, MH, 1968: (A) Collection of US Military Knives 1861-1968 , Cole, Birmingham, Alabama, p 22.

Web links

• '' knuckle-duster knife - trench knife, Model 1917 : Imperial War Museum
• '' knuckle-duster knife - trench knife, Model 1917 : Imperial War Museum
• 'American Model 1917 Knuckleduster Dagger : Australian War Memorial

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Wolfgang Peter Michel: Trench Daggers: Military Combat Knives of the First World War , 2017, ISBN 978-3-8423-7719-6 , p. 177.