A
trench knife is a
combat knife designed to kill or gravely incapacitate an enemy soldier at close quarters, as might be encountered in a trenchline or other confined area. It was developed in response to a need for a close combat weapon for soldiers conducting assaults and raids on enemy trenchlines during the
First World War. An example of a World War I trench knife is the German Army's
Nahkampfmesser (close combat knife).