Original Austro-Hungarian WWI San Martino Model Trench Raiding Club - Featured in “At Arms Length: Trench Clubs and Knives” by David F. Machnicki - Only Known Example of Type

Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. Purchased directly from David F. Machnicki, the author of At Arm's Length Trench Clubs and Maces (Vol. II), where this very club is featured on page 7! Please note that the attached page image from the book is copyrighted material and the use of the page is done by permission of the author. A printed copy of the page will accompany the purchase of this club. This is one of the most unique examples of a WWI Trench Club we have ever offered, being of the San Martino type, named for Mount San Martino, where during the summer of 1916, the Italian Army had captured and confiscated clubs from the Austro-Hungarian Army.

The entry reads:

“This is a rare example for a beautifully designed Austrian trench club known as the San Martino style of trench club, so named as to the location at Mount San Martino, where during the summer of 1916 (5th Battle of the Isonzo), the Italian Army had captured and confiscated clubs from the Austro-Hungarian Army. The entire club shows its age due to weathering and has a length of 582 mm and a mass of 671 grams. The head for the club is constructed from a piece of iron pipe (114 mm long), which was anchored onto the wood handle by using 20 horseshoe nails. Its handle gradually tapers away from the head only to expand again in forming a decorative design of 5 carved rings. A decorative mounting has been carved slightly above the grip to house an 18 mm wide copper bracket affixed with a small metal screw eye for the attachment of the lanyard loop. Its grip terminates in a smooth bulbous pommel.

Note: Some reference books have incorrectly identified examples for this style of club as being German.”

The small metal ring that has the loop for the lanyard is now loose but is still attached thankfully. The club measures 23 ⅝” overall and is truly one of the most astounding we have offered! The author noted that this was the only known example of this exact type, so don’t miss out!

Trench raiding clubs were homemade melee weapons used by both the Allies and the Central Powers during World War I. Clubs were used during nighttime trench raiding expeditions as a quiet and effective way of killing or wounding enemy soldiers. The clubs were usually made out of wood. It was common practice to fix a metal object at the striking end (e.g. an empty Mills bomb) in order to maximize the injury inflicted. Another common design comprised a simple stave with the end drilled out and a lead weight inserted, with rows of large hobnails hammered in around its circumference. Most designs had some form of cord or leather strap at the end to wrap around the user's wrist. Bosnian soldiers serving in the Austro-Hungarian army were fond of using maces. They were also used by officers to finish enemy soldiers wounded by poison gas attacks.

Trench clubs were manufactured in bulk by units based behind the lines. Typically, regimental carpenters and metal workers would make large numbers of the same design of club. They were generally used along with other "quiet" weapons such as trench knives, entrenching tools, bayonets, hatchets and pickaxe handles – backed up with revolvers and hand grenades.