The First World War brought many changes to warfare and in some regards, it revived older practices. As the stalemate of trench warfare asserted itself on the Western Front, the war came to resemble a massive siege as in older times only now with modern weapons. However, some older weapons were also revived and modified. One such weapon was the trench club. Reminiscent of Medieval maces, trench clubs were improvised from a variety of materials, all with the aim of creating a weapon that would kill or incapacitate the enemy in the close-quarters of the trenches. Normal rifles with fixed bayonets were of limited utility and not everyone had access to a pistol. Trench clubs were perfect for the muddy and wet conditions of the trenches, requiring no ammunition and not subject to mechanical breakdown.
Trench clubs used a variety of materials and while at first they were improvised by individuals, they were later manufactured in quantity in army workshops. Below are a few pictures:
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| German field workshop- They worked on making and/or refurbishing various items including machine gun mounts. In the front to the left is a pile of freshly made trench clubs. |
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| Close Up View |
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| One example of a trench club weighted with lead at the end. |
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| Various exampled of of trench clubs on display at the Bavarian Army Museum at Ingolstadt. |
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