I would like to respond to a couple of things.
Dangus,
No I do not believe a battlefield is an organized place. Concerning changing magazine after hitting the deck and the enemy rushes you. First to use the bayonet you are going to have to stand and the time it would take to do that you could send another magazine into the magazine well and fire.
I’ll tell you from actual experience what you do in an ambush in jungle. Once you assess the situation your unit has to do one thing first and that is to gain fire superiority real quick. Once done, if the enemy doesn’t break off contact you will send a maneuver element to their side and or rear position. From the ambushes I’ve been in the NVA broke contact within a short period of time.
Concerning the M-60 being of no use after 600 rounds. While I was an M-60 gunner my basic load carry load was 3, 100 round belts the assistant gunner and squad members carrying an additional 1200 for a basic load of 1500 rounds.
Your also right about a bayonet being intimation that is right up to the point of the trigger being pulled.
STLRN
Concerning bayonet attacks in Vietnam how many may occurred? Check out this web site for casualties no mention of bayonets maybe the other category but I doubt it
http://members.aol.com/warlibrary/vwc1.htm
Concerning a defensive position. I totally agree nothing is 100% but you also need to ask how may fire bases were over ran in Vietnam. Letting your guard down is what will get you overrun unless there is a vastly superior force.
Concerning my previous post concerning a platoon taking on a company something I left out was that as soon the enemies where about’s were known, Red Leg would have been screaming down on them.
My personal opinion is a bayonet is good for crowd control.
I might add during my 364-day tour in Vietnam only one person in my squad carried a bayonet and maybe 3-4 in the platoon. It was a not an issue.
Turk