WWI GERMAN G98 RIFLE M1898 “BUTCHER” BAYONET SCABBARD. WWI GERMAN M1898 “BUTCHER” BAYONET & SCABBARD. Each federal state had its own preferences concerning equipment at the turn of the century. This was also the case with bayonets, called “Seitengewehr” in German, which means protection arm to be carried at the side of the body. The German bayonets were influenced by the French when they adopted bayonets. The basic rifle at the outbreak of the Great War 1914 was Mauser M1898. It was important for the Military to have equal length of rifle including bayonet as the main enemy – the French. The result was a long slender bayonet M1898.