Trench guns

[Rifleman65]

I would like to see some u.s. Troops with the 1897 Winchester 12 gauge shotgun. Also u.s. Troops with the bar.

[Rifleman65]

The Germans hated the u.s. Shotgun so much they tried to get it banned . Has anyone else heard of this.a friend of mine, who is a ww2 veteran, told me some ww1 vets told him this.   

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

They weren't keen, and did try to get them banned under the Geneva convention, but you are allowed to use mustard gas!

https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/RC-Weapons.pdf

[Rifleman65]

A very interesting document, thanks, I think the gas is a much more cruel weapon myself!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

It was my thought that both gas, and WP were banned as chemical weapons, whilst shot guns are banned due to the nature of the ammunition, which causes excessive wounding....

IanS

[Leon]

Votes added!

[John Cook]

The German cited the 1907 Hague Convention in 1918 which forbade the use of any weapon that caused "unnecessary suffering" and threatened to execute any American caught using a shotgun.  The American response was that they'd execute any Germans using flame throwers or saw bayonets.

Neither shotguns nor White Phosphorus are banned by the Geneva Convention.