The M3 Fighting Knife, also known as the M-3 Trench Knife was a design that was produced to be issued to US forces that were unable to utilise a rifle bayonet. They were issued to troops using Thompson, M1 Carbines, BARs and other support weapons. As a result, many were issued to Airborne and Ranger troops. In excess of 2.5 million were manufactured between 1943 and 1945