COLD STEEL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLV, Issue XLVIII, 19 December 1914, Page 5

COLD STEEL

RUSSIANS AND THE BAYONET. After the brilliant Russian bayonet charges at Gumbinnen it may. be interesting to consider the use of cold steel by the, Russian troops, writes LieutenantColonel Roustam Bek in the London "Daily Express". Napoleon himself admitted after his enormous army had tasted the Russian bayonet charge that with such men he would "conquer the world." .The Slavonic nationals are born for fighting with cold steel, and their bayonet attack is a terrible one. History shows that the Russians in close fighting were always victorious . The vast conquest in Asia and the success in the long wars with 'Turkey proves it. . . .. . For instance," during the Russo-Turkish w jr the Turkish Army had better rifles tha n » the Russians. The Turks were armed with the Martini-Henry, when only the Russian fusilier? and the Life-Guard regiments had. the Berdan. Even the artillery of the W ■<*« superior. But nevertheless S&&*, Kars and Plevna were taken, and sh* bayonet charge and attacks by Russian. Cossacks and regofcr ■ cavalry played a ves imP°**a»* The famous Russian FieliMyshad bouvoroff fully realised that, a n <* bjs. WPf used the bayonet as the moSfe important weapon. \ n - The Japanese experienced the v^*™? B *™ bavonet charge, too, and did not K^ e .J t * At the beginning of the war, Yalu battle, the remainder of the llui. and 12th Eastern Siberian Fusiliers, surrpunded by about" three divisions of the enemy, cut their way through with, bayonets only, and saved their honour and their colours. Qn the forts, and entrenchments *; .of Port Arthur the Japanese w.ere always repulsed with bayonets, and only the terrible fire of the enemy's artillery made them preponderath. They, swarmed into the forts which were abandoned and blown up by Russians,, and sometimes bayonet struggles took place in the underground galleries. The great Russian strategist, General Dragomiroff, who, next to Skobeleff, was the best judge of the temper of the Russian soldier, .said : "The. bullet is stupid, the bayonet is always clever." The French army during the Napoleonic wars,, learned from the Russians how to charge with bayonet. The Bulgars arid Servians,, pupils:of Russia, imbibed the love for the bayonet, and one can see the results or this method alike in the recent .Balkan war.arid in the successes- of the Servians over the Austrians. The English, who as sportsmen are good fighters with swords and bayonets, have used it in their wars, and they know how the Russians, though in a minority, used the bayonet at the storming of the Malakoff. Now _ the gallant British soldiers tried it on the Germans, and they will not forget it.