ions ▁ ▁We ap ons ▁Despite ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁conflict ▁to ▁be ▁fought ▁by ▁mechan ized ▁means , ▁tren ch ▁ra iding ▁was ▁very ▁similar ▁to ▁medieval ▁war fare ▁in so far ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁fought ▁face - to - face ▁with ▁cru de ▁weapon ry . ▁T rench ▁ra iders ▁were ▁light ly ▁equ ipped ▁for ▁ste alth y , ▁un imp eded ▁movement . ▁Typ ically , ▁ra iding ▁parties ▁were ▁armed ▁with ▁dead ly ▁hom em ade ▁tren ch ▁ra iding ▁clubs , ▁bay on ets , ▁ent rench ing ▁tools , ▁tren ch ▁kn ives , ▁h amm ers , ▁h atch ets , ▁pick ax e ▁handles ▁and ▁br ass ▁kn uck les . ▁The ▁choice ▁of ▁weapon ry ▁was ▁deliber ate : ▁the ▁ra iders ' ▁intention ▁was ▁to ▁kill ▁or ▁capture ▁people ▁quietly , ▁without ▁drawing ▁attention ▁to ▁their ▁activities . ▁Clear ly , ▁this ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁impossible ▁if ▁they ▁had ▁rout in ely ▁used ▁fire ar ms ▁during ▁ra ids . ▁T rench ▁ra iders ▁were ▁also ▁armed ▁with ▁more ▁modern ▁weapons ▁such ▁as ▁p ist ols , ▁shot g uns , ▁subm achine ▁guns , ▁and ▁hand ▁gr en ades , ▁though ▁these ▁were ▁only ▁intended ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁an ▁emer gency ▁i . e . ▁if ▁the ▁enemy ▁discovered ▁their ▁activities ▁and ▁raised ▁the ▁alarm . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁Hand - to - hand ▁combat ▁ ▁Peace ful ▁pen etr ation ▁ ▁T rench