Swords Retained as Military and/or Police Weapons?

Delta Force

Banned
It seems a sword could be useful for guarding a ship or submarine against internal threats due to the reduced risk of damaging vital equipment or the hull. Swords could also be useful for defending against people armed with knives and other melee weapons, both as a tool of intimidation and as a way to help the user maintain their distance. Within a certain distance it is quite possible for someone with a firearm to be physically attacked before being able to bring a firearm to bear, but that wouldn't be an issue with a sword. Swords are also less likely to injure bystanders by their very nature.

For police use there would be the issue of issuing a lethal weapon in a role similar to the non-lethal truncheon, but it still seems like there could be a naval use? Is there a big enough niche for swords to see issue as a modern military and/or police weapon?
 
Insider

Insider

Banned
Well since even a semi qualified swordsman can use his blade in non-lethal way (by striking with a flat side) it can work as good as the truncheon. I don't see any use of it on submarines except ceremonial for captain and officers, because if a submarine had to deal with a boarding party someone has messed up already. But, I see its use on a coast guard's patrol ships to keep the boat people cowed.
 

darthfanta

I think they could have potentially still existed in the form of sword-bayonets,which were phased out due to WWI.
 
GarethC

GarethC

Donor
Swords really don't have a non-lethal role, unlike truncheons or tonfas whatever you call your funky t-shaped police baton thingy. You make with the stabby and all the blood comes out, which tends to make interrogation and prosection of the suspect difficult and indeed moot. Which may not be seen a proportionate response to shoplifting a couple of lipstick, so they're pretty much contraindicated for police.

Shipboard, there's two roles here - there's defending your ship from boarding actions, where you want a firearm to kill the bad guys before they get on board at all, and there's onboard security, where most likely the person you are opposing is either a crew member or a customer, and both of those, again, you don't want to actually kill outright as much as control, subdue, and then leave in the brig until the rum has worn off, because stabbing either employees or customers tends to result in vastly expensive lawsuits and stonkingly huge insurance premiums.

So no, not swords mostly, but rather guns or batons.
 

Cryhavoc101

Donor
The Royal Navy kept Cutlasses until the mid 30s and the USN into the 40s but were very rarely used even then

The advent of reliable pistols, carbines and SMGs capable of rapid fire - possibly in the hands of the enemy created this situation
 

jsb

What can a sword do that a bayonet cant at 1/3 the weight to carry? Since you have the gun anyway.
 

ppaul16

How will the American media react when a squadron of police breaks up a protest by charging in swinging swords at everyone?
 
Insider

Insider

Banned
ppaul16 said:
How will the American media react when a squadron of police breaks up a protest by charging in swinging swords at everyone?
Click to expand...
As usual it depends where it happened. It could be anything from "our soldiers are keeping the peace and American flag flying in" or "it is a sad, but predictable event" to "OMG! State terrorism! Police is worse than criminals!"
 

Carl Schwamberger

Still have mine. Used it a few years ago to poke a Racoon in the butt to hurry it on out the garage door. Its a nice bit of steel. Oddly USMC weapons regs specify a sharp point, but it is not to be edged. This one has a deadly point, but would bludgeon & not slash.
 

Catsmate

Stenz said:
I would suggest their lack of use today is due to those considerations you've listed being looked at and the end result being there's no need for them.
Click to expand...
Plus they require training, and quite a lot of it. Blunt instruments are more useful. Despite the ravings of Tom "Space Marine" Kratman...
That said the Prussian police carried shortswords into the 1930s and I knew a deputy sheriff who carried one in the 1990s.
 

fastmongrel

Cryhavoc101 said:
The Royal Navy kept Cutlasses until the mid 30s and the USN into the 40s but were very rarely used even then

The advent of reliable pistols, carbines and SMGs capable of rapid fire - possibly in the hands of the enemy created this situation
Click to expand...

The RN used Sword bayonets and a Cutlass when HMS Cossack boarded the Altmark in Norwegian waters. The Captain didnt want anyone killed so boarding with blades in the Nelson fashion was used.
 

Cryhavoc101

Donor
fastmongrel said:
The RN used Sword bayonets and a Cutlass when HMS Cossack boarded the Altmark in Norwegian waters. The Captain didnt want anyone killed so boarding with blades in the Nelson fashion was used.
Click to expand...

Apparently the Crew of the Cossack have no recollection of that actually happening ;)
 
CECBC

CECBC

Banned
Have the League of Nations ban rifled guns in war after WWI, similar to the later bans on chemical and bio weapons and the earlier bans on hollow point bullets in war.
 

riggerrob

Disagreeing with GarethC,
A sword can be used 4 or more ways and only the last 2 are lethal.
Sabre-rattling (inside scabbard) can scare off the least-motivated assailants.

Un-sheathing a sword reminds bad guys that you are serious. Most mobs will break up as soon as they see bare steel.

Striking with the flat of the blade only leaves bruises and reminds bad guys that they are too close to emerge unscathed.

Striking with the back of the blade breaks bones.

Slashing produces lots of blood scaring off the squeamish.

Only stabbing is guaranteed to kill.

One-handed, edged weapons are far easier to maneuver in a trench or confined spaces.

Swords limit "collateral damage" to only those foolish enough to stay within reach of a sword-wielding constable.
 
KuboCaskett

KuboCaskett

I can think of two countries that used sword as an official military weapon as late as the 1940's, Japan and China; Japan in using the katana in field combat (notably the charging at the enemy aspect) and China with the Dao as well.
 

Balaur

A sword is long and awkward to carry for a situational weapon. Why go to the trouble of bringing one when you can just take a knife-bayonet that has more reach when mounted on a rifle, is easier to use in close quarters when not mounted, and can be used as a tool as well while being much easier to carry?

The only role I can see for swords in modern combat is some sort of machete like blade being used as a multipurpose tool and melee weapon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top