How Close is 'Close Combat'?

[William F. Owen]

What was the scale of issue of the SA80 bayonet in the British Army fireteam in the first half of 2004? That's when the incident happened.

3 out of 4. They did fix bayonets, and they move into contact with the enemy, but most accounts suggest the enemy had already given up, when this happened

However, I've read enough smatterings of casual accounts (see more below) to suggest that this is a worthy topic of formal research - at what range has combat occurred in Iraq & Afghanistan?

It always comes back to folks trying to prove we still need to issue bayonets. Do men use bayonets to kill? Yes, but it is incredibly rare, and many accounts are simply false, - as are many claims made by men about their conduct in battle.
I'd strongly recommend "Not Mentioned in Dispatches" and "The Real Bravo-Two-Zero," as two books that showed how two popular accounts of battles or actions were largely invented.
...that may be a good subject for academic study!