Jäger (German:[ˈjɛːɡɐ]ⓘ;German for 'hunter';sg.[der] Jäger,pl. [die] Jäger) is a German military term referring to specificlight infantry units.
InGerman-speaking states during theearly modern era, the termjäger came to denote light infantrymen whose civilian occupations (mostly hunters and foresters) made them well-suited to patrolling and skirmishing independently, rather than as part of a large military unit or traditional line infantry.Jäger was used to describeskirmishers,scouts,sharpshooters andrunners.[2]
The word's usage and derivatives broadened,Feldjäger was the name given by thePrussian Army to scouts and runners. In the modernGerman army (Bundeswehr),Feldjäger is the name given tomilitary police.
Jäger is usually translated into English as:
In EnglishJäger is often written asjaeger (both pl. and sgl., which is the alternative German spelling withoutumlaut) or anglicised asjager (pl.jagers) to avoid the umlaut completely, or rendered phonetically asyeager.
According to a popular theory, the earliest knownjäger unit was a company formed in about 1631 inHesse-Kassel, underWilliam V, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. Wilhelm supposedly formed an elite light infantry unit for theHessian Army, around a core drawn from his personal staff ofgamekeepers (revierjäger; "game preserve hunter"),forest rangers and professional hunters.
It was not until the first half of the 18th century that the widespread recruitment began in various German states of gamekeepers, huntsmen and foresters employed on crown estates or those of noble landowners, for specialized units of riflemen and skirmishers.[3]
By the early 19th century, because of their civilian occupations,jäger were usually familiar with the first true rifles, rather than themuskets used by regular infantry. While earlylong rifles took longer to load than thesmoothbore musket of the line infantry, they had greater range and accuracy. The men were drawn from a "well-esteemed class".[4]Jäger became primarily used forreconnaissance,skirmishing or screening bodies of heavier troops.
Prussia, Hesse, theAustrian Empire, theRussian Empire and many smaller states raisedjäger-type small units during theSeven Years' War and thereafter. Initially these specialist units were formed for the duration of a particular campaign and thereafter disbanded. Russia maintained itsjäger companies on a permanent basis for frontier service against theOttoman Empire andHis Majesty's Lifeguard Jäger Regiment continued in service until 1917.[5]
The PrussianJäger corps of Frederick the Great dated back to a mounted detachment raised in November 1740 and quickly expanded to two squadrons. Employed in wartime as guides and scouts, they eventually proved a usefulfrontier guard, catching deserters and seizing contraband. After 1744, they were joined by an infantry branch of footJägers, initially divided into independent companies and then brought together as a full regiment by 1784.[6]For fighting at close quarters theJäger carried a straight-bladedhunting dagger (Hirschfänger), a short sabre or afalchion.
While the English term "ranger" is older, emerging during the 17th century to describe highly-mobile ("ranging") foot andmounted infantry units inBritish North America, it became strongly associated withJäger during the late 18th century, when German-speakingHessian regiments served as part of theBritish Army in North America.
Interest inlight infantry tactics increased across Europe after theBattle of Valmy, where thePrussianline infantry proved unable to break through theTirailleur (French sharpshooters). Initially soldiers were drawn directly from the line infantry to fight as skirmishers instead, but in time many German-speaking states adoptedJäger to fulfil this role. In theory theJäger operated in pairs to protect each other while reloading, and remained within 100–200 yd (91–183 m) of close-order infantry on which they could fall back if they were endangered by cavalry or driven off by infantry. However, it was admitted that, due to the difficulty of controlling troops spread out in open-order and in the thick of battle, these guidelines might not always be followed.Jäger were allowed to act with a certain amount of initiative on the battlefield, unlikeline infantry who were rigidly drilled and kept under tight control by their officers. For this reason, it was the most energetic and daring soldiers who were selected to become aJäger.
The Prussians in particular developed their light infantry tactics during the early Napoleonic era. There was much disagreement over how much emphasis should be placed onJägers, though and reform was for the most part at the regimental level by more energetic commanders such asLudwig Yorck von Wartenburg. It was not until the reorganization of the army led byGerhard von Scharnhorst that theJäger corps was strengthened on a national level. Having suffered crippling defeats atBattle of Jena-Auerstedt and theBattle of Lübeck, the Prussian army undertook reforms, in many ways following the example of theFrench Revolutionary Army, becoming a nationalized force.
Foreign mercenaries were removed, corporal punishment became rare (and was abolished forJäger troops), and promotions were based onmerit rather thannobility. New volunteers from abourgeois background were organized to resistNapoleon's invasion and occupation of Central Europe. Continuing the earlier traditions, in Prussia theseJäger were patriotic volunteers, bearing the cost of their weapons and uniforms at their own expense or with the help of contributions from friends and neighbours, and often organizing themselves into clubs and leagues. As one of the early adopters of skirmish tactics, Yorck became inspector-general of the light infantry in Prussia and oversaw the increase and improvement of the newJäger troops during the years of peace after theTreaty of Tilsit. The most famous of the PrussianJäger were the volunteers of theLützow Free Corps.
The Prussian army gained experience as an auxiliary force in theFrench invasion of Russia, where theJäger were often used on the strategic level to provide support and cover for the rest of the army. They managed to escape the fate of Napoleon's French soldiers after Yorck negotiated theConvention of Tauroggen a battlefield truce withRussia when, during a rear-guard action, the French withdrew and left Yorck's troops isolated.
In theWar of the Sixth Coalition that immediately followed, theJäger of the various armies performed well against Napoleon's forces, and PrussianJäger played a significant role in the battles of theWaterloo campaign, holding offGrouchy's corps at theBattle of Wavre.
The resistance against Napoleon exacted a high toll of military casualties, officers in particular. This in combination with a shift towards a meritocratic officer corps led to many promotions within the ranks. By the end of theNapoleonic Wars, many of thejunior officers in the Germanic states' armies were formerJäger soldiers who had been promoted through the ranks.[citation needed]
By the early twentieth century,Jäger units were part of the Imperial German, Austro-Hungarian, Swedish, Dutch and Norwegian armies. They corresponded to therifles,light infantry,chasseurs à pied orbersaglieri units of the British, French, Italian and other armies. While such units still enjoyed considerable prestige and highesprit de corps, their training, equipment and tactical roles had for the most part become aligned with those of the line infantry of their respective armies.
Jäger was in Austria and Germany until 1918 the lowest rank of the Jäger regiments, equivalent to private or soldier. Other followsGemeiner private ranks -Musketier (musketeer),Grenadier,Füsilier (fusilier),Infanterist (infantryman),Dragoner (en:dragoon),Husar (hussar),Ulan (uhlan),Kanonier, (gunner),Pionier (pioneer),Sanitäter (combat medic),Trainsoldat (trainman)
Best known were the GermanJäger units who were distinguished by their peace-time wear of dark green tunics andshakos (in contrast to the dark blue tunics andspiked helmets of most German infantry). In the peacetime Prussian Army, the main component of theImperial German Army, there were one Imperial Guard Jäger battalion, theGarde-Jäger-Bataillon, and twelveJäger battalions of the line. OneJäger battalion, theGroßherzoglich Mecklenburgisches Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 14, was from theGrand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Another,Westfälisches Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 7, known as the "Bückeburg Jägers", was raised in thePrincipality of Schaumburg-Lippe, whose capital wasBückeburg. The other ten were from Prussian lands. Another Prussian Guard unit, theGuards Rifles Battalion, though not designatedJäger, was aJäger formation. Its origins were in a Frenchchasseur battalion of the Napoleonic era, and its troops wore the shako and green tunic of theJäger battalions.[7]
The army of theKingdom of Saxony added twoJäger battalions, which were included in the Imperial German Army order of battle asKgl. Sächsisches 1. Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 12 andKgl. Sächsisches 2. Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 13. The SaxonJäger had a number of dress distinctions – notably tunics of a darker green than the Prussian colour, black facings instead of red and a black buffalo-hair plume buckled to the side of the shako. The autonomous Royal Bavarian Army provided a further twoJäger battalions,Kgl. Bayerisches 1. Jäger-Bataillon andKgl. Bayerisches 2. Jäger-Bataillon, who wore the light blue of Bavarian infantry with green facings.[8]
On mobilization in August 1914, each of these Prussian, Saxon and BavarianJäger battalions raised a reserveJäger battalion. In September 1914, an additional twelve reserveJäger battalions were raised, ten Prussian and two Saxon. In May 1915, the German Army began joining theJäger battalions to formJäger regiments, and in late 1917, theDeutsche Jäger-Division was formed.
During the early stages ofWorld War I, the GermanJäger maintained their traditional role as skirmishers and scouts, often in conjunction with cavalry units. With the advent of trench warfare, they were committed to an ordinary infantry role, integrated into divisions and lost their status as independent units. CyclistJäger served in theBalkan and Russian theatres of war, while Württemberg and Bavaria raised Ski-Jäger during the winter of 1914–1915. Another specialist formation was theJäger Storm Companies, serving as trench raiders during 1917–1918.
In 1897, existing dispatch rider units within the Prussian Army were converted toDetachments Jäger' zu Pferde. Further mountedJäger squadrons were subsequently raised, including short-lived Bavarian and Saxon detachments. After 1901, the original dispatch carrying role of the mountedJäger was discontinued. Five newly raised squadrons were brought together to form a combined MountedJäger Regiment the same year. The experiment proved a successful one and between 1905 and 1913 a further 13 mountedJäger regiments were created.[9]
TheAustro-Hungarian Army in 1914 included four regiments ofTirolerKaiserjäger, descended from a unit first raised in 1801. There were also 29 battalions ofFeldjäger recruited from different regions across the Empire (including 7 Hungarian, 5 Bohemian and 4 Galician battalions) and one Bosnian-HerzegovinianFeldjäger Battalion (Bosnisch-hercegovinisches Feldjägerbataillon). All worepike grey uniforms faced in green, with a form ofbowler hat carrying a distinctive plume of dark green feathers. The exception was theBosnian-Herzegovinian Feldjäger Battalion which wore thefez. Later, an additional three Feldjäger battalions and seven Bosnian-Herzegovinian Feldjäger Battalions were formed.
After the First World War, theJäger units of the Imperial German Army were disbanded, but their traditions were carried by infantry regiments of the 100,000-manReichswehr of theWeimar Republic. After the Nazis came to power in 1933 and the rearmament of Germany began, the newWehrmacht revived the nameJäger for various types of units:
Jäger (short:Jg; English: hunter) is the lowestsoldier rank ofenlisted men of the modern day's GermanBundeswehr for soldiers belonging to the light infantry, paratroopers and mountain troops. It is grouped as OR1[10]) inNATO, and might be comparable toPrivate (rank) in theUnited States Army as well as British Army, or to other Anglophone armed forces.[11]
Reflecting military tradition, in German speaking armed forces there are a number of OR1-rank descriptions – including "Jäger" – used as the lowest rank of an individual soldier. These may vary according to the service branch (Heer, Luftwaffe, Bundeswehr, medical service etc.). Other examples areGrenadier for mechanized infantrymen andKanonier for artillerymen.
The GermanBundeswehr rejected the termFeldgendarmerie and instead kept the termFeldjäger for its military police units. To emphasize the traditional connection with the PrussianReitendes Feldjägerkorps, rather than theWehrmacht military police units, theFeldjäger of theBundeswehr wear a red beret with star badge (theGardestern) of theOrder of the Black Eagle, Prussia's highest chivalric order. TheReitendes Feldjägerkorps had been granted the right to wear theGardestern in 1847.
In addition, at certain periods, light infantry units of theBundeswehr were designated asJäger, and wore a green beret with a beret badge patterned after theJäger sleeve patch of theWehrmachtJäger units. Each battalion ofJäger,Fallschirmjäger andGebirgsjäger, has a "heavy company" of Wiesel weapon-carriers equipped with 20 mm cannon, TOW launchers or 120 mm mortars.
The modernJäger-type infantry units are distinguished as follows:
With a former restructuring of the German Army, only one new air-mobile regiment,Jägerregiment 1 (JgRgt 1), two battalions,Jägerbataillon 291 (JgBtl 291) andJägerbataillon 292 (JgBtl 292) (both battalions are part of theFranco-German Brigade) and two other new bataillons of the mechanised brigades are the only regularJäger retained. On the other hand,Fallschirmjäger has become the most important infantry type, due to its versatility and the nature of modern-day peacekeeping missions abroad.
With the last restructuring of the German Army, Jägerregiment 1 was reduced to Jägerbataillon 1 (JgBtl 1), not air-mobile any longer. Two new battalions were established: Jägerbataillon 91 and Jägerbataillon 413.
In the AustrianBundesheer, ″Jäger″ is the official military technical term forinfantry units (contrary tomechanized infantry being designated asPanzergrenadiers similar to corresponding GermanBundeswehr andSwiss Armed Forces units). In addition, the Austrian Army'sSpecial Forces unit which was established in 1963 is called ″Jagdkommando″.
In August 1788, the HessianJohann Ewald was hired to form a jagercorp in Sleswig. He had seen plenty of combat in North America as the commander of both mounted jägers and jägers on foot.From then on until the late 1850s the Danish army had a number of jagercorps, battalion-sized light infantry units mainly armed with rifles.
Under the army law of 1842 a total of five out of 23 battalions of infantry were jägers. By 1860 all five had been converted to ordinary infantry as the 18th-22nd Battalions, since all infantry were now armed with rifles and were trained to fight in heavy skirmish lines as the main way of fighting. This change ended a specific jäger tradition in the Danish army.
In the modern day Danish army,Jæger is used for the special forces unitJægerkorpset (Jaeger Corps). In 2019, the 13th Light Infantry Battalion was created at the Haderslev garrison as the only regular light infantry unit in the army as part of the rebornSlesviske Fodregiment.
In present-day Lithuania theVytautas the Great Jäger Battalion (Lithianian: Vytauto Didžiojo jėgerių batalionas)[12] forms part of theLithuanian Special Operations Force.
Jääkäri /jägare (Finnish /Swedish word for "jäger") is the lowest rank (private) in peacetime infantry formations (in wartime Finnish Army all jägers serve in the operative forces while 'regular' infantry typically consisting of older reservists is split between regional and local forces) of theFinnish Army and in themarines of theNyland Brigade (part of theFinnish Navy). In the Finnish Border Guards, the private rank is calledrajajääkäri ("border jäger").
The rank pays homage to the role of the World War I eraJäger Movement in securing Finnish Independence.
Besides riflemen, specialists such as drivers, medics, military police and mortar squad members in the above-mentioned infantry formations usually hold the rank ofjäger. The rank-and-file mortar crew members in regional and local forces hold the rank of Private as mortar crews are seen as part of infantry rather than artillery. They use the green background of infantry/jägers on their unit insignia while the forward observers directing their fire, though viewed as part of infantry, use the red of artillery. In units other than infantry, equivalent ranks such astykkimies ("gunner") orviestimies ("signalist") are used (seeFinnish military ranks). In all other Navy units except the Uusimaa Brigade, the private rank ismatruusi ("sailor").
The old infantry rank ofsotamies ("private", lit. "soldier") is no longer used in peacetime training units, but remains reserved for war-time regular infantry usage as opposed to "jääkäri" used by light and/or specialized infantry.
The wordjäger is also used to indicate a) in general the best trained and equipped combat arms troops of the Defence Forces and b) specifically for the following troops.
Finnish Army
Finnish Navy
Border Guards
In addition to the above, some non-infantry units (such asJääkäritykistörykmentti (JTR), "Jäger Artillery Regiment", formerlyJääkäripatteristo (JPsto), "Jäger Artillery Battalion" & the defunctHämeen Ratsujääkäripataljoona (HämRjP), "Häme Mounted Jäger Battalion"-) use the wordjäger in their name to show direct lineage to the original Jäger Movement.
Jeger is the general term indicating highly trained soldiers and operators capable of conducting militaryISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance) operations independently behind enemy lines. There are several units using thejeger term, both conventional forces and special operation forces.
Within theNorwegian Armed Forces there are twospecial operations forces with the jeger name. The commando name refers to the Norwegian specialised forces from World War 2 likeNorwegian Independent Company 1.[13]
In the Norwegian Armed Forces, there are several jeger units of troop and company size, who fill the criteria as special operations, but are not designated as such by the Norwegian military. These units are a mix composed of professional soldiers andconscripts. The units also consists ofJTAC operators.
The armed forces includes ranger troops providing ISTAR for their own units.
Swedish"jägare" are troops such as commandos orlight infantry. The former now consist of:
Historically, the first units to be named "jägare" were infantry and cavalry units stationed in the sparsely populated border province ofJämtland:Jämtlands hästjägarkår in 1834 andJämtlands fältjägarkår from 1853.
After World War II, theArmy Ranger School, laterLapplands jägarregemente, was formed inKiruna. In the following years, the then cavalry regiments mainly developed into either ranger regiments (K 3 andK 4) or into tank regiments.
After the Napoleonic period, the Jager Battalions were incorporated into the line infantry and disappeared as such (except for the Colonial Jager units destined for the West Indies). Their role was taken over by theflank companies of each battalion, one of every four battalions in an 'Afdeeling' or Regiment was designated a Flank Battalion (Light Infantry).
In 1829, a new Royal Guard was raised, which included aGrenadier Regiment and a Jager Battalion. These were immediately sent into action during the Belgian Secession (1830–1832). During that war, voluntary units like Van Dams' Jagers and several Voluntary Student Companies, were dressed and equipped as Jagers, including a mounted Jager detachment; after the war, these voluntary units were disbanded.
In 1995, after a long history as separate units, the Guard Grenadiers and Jagers were united into theGrenadiers' and Rifles Guard Regiment.
In 1950, several Infantry Regiments were disbanded; their traditions were transferred to a new regiment, which was located and closely tied toLimburg Province. Since it took over the traditions of the Jager Contingent of theGerman Confederation, which was provided by Limburg Province, the Regiment was called the Limburgse Jagers and adopted the French horn in their emblem.[15] Currently the active troops of this infantry regiment are located in Oirschot, just outside their home province inNorth Brabant, but close ties to the province remain.
As of December 2022, the Ukrainian armed forces had three Jaeger brigades, each with around 2,000 servicemen, the13th,68th, and the71st Jaeger Brigade.[16]They are likely forest-specialized infantry forces, with the 71st also doubles as airmobile infantry.
The first of the Jaeger Brigades, the 61st, which was activated in 2016 as motorized infantry under the 4th Reserve Corps, was transformed into a mechanized infantry brigade in 2022.
