Chasseurs Ardennais

TheBataillon de Chasseurs Ardennais (lit. 'Battalion of Ardennes Hunters', or more figuratively, 'Ardennes Light Infantry', officially abbreviated asChA)[a] is aninfantry formation in theLand Component of theBelgian Armed Forces. Originally formed in 1933 to ensure the defense of Belgium'sLuxembourg Province including the natural region of theArdennes and particularly noted for its role during theGerman invasion of 1940, the unit currently serves as amechanized infantry formation and forms part of theMotorized Brigade.

Battalion ofChasseurs Ardennais
Cap badge depicting the head of awild boar
Active	1830 – 1933 (as 10th Line Regiment) 1933 – present
Country	Belgium
Branch	Land Component
Type	Infantry
Part of	Motorized Brigade
Garrison/HQ	Marche-en-Famenne
Motto(s)	Résiste et Mords! (lit. 'Resist and bite!')
Colors
March	Marche des Chasseurs ardennais
Engagements	World War II Congo Crisis Afghanistan War

TheChasseurs ardennais were first formed as alight infantry unit in 1933 from the existing10th Line Regiment [fr] to defend the largely rural region south of thefortified positions of Namur andLiège. Considered a high-value élite unit, it was formed largely of volunteers from the region and was allocated more modern equipment than other units of the Belgian Army. After Belgium's return to neutrality in 1936, the role of theChasseurs ardennais shifted and the formation expanded significantly. It eventually consisted of twoarmy divisions complete with artillery and mobile units.

At the time of theGerman invasion of Belgium in May 1940, theChasseurs ardennais proved more successful in combat than many other units and fought a number of successful small-scale actions against the German Army before the capitulation of the Belgian Army. After the war, the military traditions of theChasseurs ardennais were revived in 1946. The formation formed part of theBelgian Forces in Germany and subsequently participated in a range of international peacekeeping andNATO missions. It was reduced to its current strength in 2011.

After its inception, theChasseurs ardennais has adopted a distinctive greenbasque-style beret and insignia depicting awild boar.

History

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Creation and early history, 1933–1936

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A modern view of a concrete shelter in theLigne Devèze [fr] nearArlon along the south-eastern border with Germany and Luxembourg created as part of the policy for the "integral defense of the territory" before its abandonment in 1936.

Belgian military planners had long been aware of the particular vulnerability of theProvince of Luxembourg in the south-east which was situated in a relatively undefended region south of theFortified Position of Namur and theFortified Position of Liège.Albert Devèze, Liberal Minister of Defence from 1932 to 1936, demanded the creation of a new élitelight infantry unit in theBelgian Army to protect the frontier in the region as part of his plan for the "integral defence of the territory" (défense intégrale du territoire) in the context of theongoing military alliance with France. Similar ideas about the importance of frontier defence had circulated for several decades previously.^[1] The idea was partly inspired by the France'sChasseurs alpins and Italy'sAlpini.^{[citation needed]} Devèze's policy was criticised by some at the time, including GeneralÉmile Galet, for diluting the strength of the Belgian Army across the entire length of the country's eastern frontier and therefore making it impossible to concentrating the army's strength effectively in any one place.^[2]

On the initiative of Devèze and GeneralAlbert Hellebaut [fr], the existing10th Line Regiment [fr] (10^e Régiment de Ligne) based atArlon was renamed the Regiment ofChasseurs ardennais (Régiment de Chasseurs ardennais, abbreviated to ChA) byroyal decree on 10 March 1933.^[3] The new unit would be composed largely of volunteers rather than conscripts. Although the idea of a distinctive uniform was rejected, theChasseurs adopted a distinctive greenBasque-style beret in the style of theChasseurs alpins. At the time, they were the only unit in the Belgian Army to wear a beret.^[3] At the same time, a series of 375pillboxes were built along the Belgian frontier for theChasseurs ardennais to defend as part of the so-calledLigne Devèze [fr].^[1] As a replacement for the 10th Line Regiment, the14th Line Regiment was created in June 1934.^[4]

Chasseurs ardennais pictured in theinterwar years, wearing the units' distinctive green berets, carryingHotchkiss machine guns

After its foundation, theChasseurs ardennais underwent a significant period of organisational change and expansion. The original regiment was replaced by three separate battalions ofChasseurs ardennais in August 1934 which were intended to form part of three "mixed groups" based at Arlon,Vielsalm, andBastogne, where they would be supported by recently formed and highly mobileFrontier Cyclists Units (Unités cyclistes frontière) as well as supporting artillery formations.^[3] These latter units were absorbed into the new Artillery Group of the Chasseurs Ardennais (Groupe d’Artillerie des Chasseurs ardennais) in September 1934.^[5] The three mixed groups and the artillery group were, in turn, merged into a single "Corps ofChasseurs ardennais" (Corps des Chasseurs ardennais) in November 1934 based in Arlon and laterNamur.^[5]

Belgian neutrality and expansion, 1936–1940

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After the end of Belgium's alliance with France in 1936 and its return toneutrality, the idea of frontier defence was abandoned as militarily impractical. TheChasseurs ardennais were briefly threatened with disbandment.^[1] Their new role in the event of a German invasion was to launch delaying actions whilst withdrawing to the other side of theMeuse river.^[1] Otherwise, theChasseurs ardennais remained largely unchanged and continued to expand. The "mixed groups" were renamed "regiments" and thecorps upgraded todivision-status between March and July 1937.^[5] The artillery group, in turn, was expanded and became the Regiment of Artillery of theChasseurs Ardennais (Régiment d'Artillerie des Chasseurs ardennais) in September 1938.^[5] Following themobilization of the Belgian Army in late 1939 this division comprised 35,000 men, and a second division of three more regiments was created.^{[citation needed]} The 1st Division was commanded at the outbreak of war by General Victor Descamps; the 2nd Division by General François Ley.^[1]

From its inception, theChasseurs ardennais received an unusually large portion in receiving modern equipment. These included the newMauser Model 1935 rifle andFN Model 1930 machine gun.^[5] By 1938, each regiment had 16T-13 tank destroyers and threeT-15 light tanks.^[5]

Second World War, 1940

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Monument commemorating the resistance by the 5th Regiment ofChasseurs ardennais at the bridge over theMeuse river atYvoir (Province of Namur) on 10-12 May 1940

TheGerman invasion of Belgium began in the early morning on 10 May 1940. Attacking with the benefit of surprise, the initial phase of the attack included the deployment ofparachute units atNives [fr;it] andLéglise in Belgian Luxembourg (Operation Niwi) to aid the main ground offensive. Consequently, lines of communications between the Belgian command with the local headquarters at Neufchâteau were disrupted and a number ofChasseurs ardennais units posted at the frontier did not receive the order to withdraw. An individual company of the 1st ChA resisted the main attacks from the1st Panzer Division with considerable success atBodange [fr] on theSauer river throughout much of the first day of the invasion. Another company from the 3rd ChA similarly resisted the7th Panzer Division atChabrehez [fr].^[1]

As the Belgian Army withdrew across the Meuse river on 10-11 May 1940, it proved impossible to establish a viable defensive position. The 1stChasseurs Ardennais Division regrouped north of Namur and suffered heavy losses to German aerial attacks atBelgrade andTemploux suffering several hundred casualties.^[1] The two divisions were ordered to withdraw to theLeie (Lys) river in Flanders.Chasseurs ardennais units successfully held the front atGottem,Deinze andVinkt during the ensuingBattle of the Lys (24–28 May 1940) before the ultimate capitulation of the Belgian Army on 28 May 1940.^[6] The success of their resistance at Deinze and Vinkt provoked reprisal attacks against local civilians by the German225th Infantry Division in theVinkt massacre. As the historian Alain Colignon notes, theChasseurs ardennais were "about the last to have maintained their cohesion and "fighting spirit" and performed significantly better than other Belgian infantry units in combat.^[1]

Postwar history, 1945–present

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A detachment of the Regiment ofChasseurs Ardennais mustering ahead of theBelgian National Day parade on 21 July 1989 inBrussels.

After theLiberation of Belgium in 1944, the Belgian Army was gradually reformed and a number of newly-recruited units were sent for training inNorthern Ireland in the final months of the conflict. A number of former members of theChasseurs ardennais had been recruited into the 1st Battalion of the newly founded 4th "Steenstraete" Infantry Brigade which returned to Belgium in November 1945 and was later deployed as part of theBelgian Army of Occupation to participate in theAllied occupation of Germany. As part of the reorganisation of Belgian unit traditions, this battalion became the Battalion ofChasseurs Ardennais (Bataillon des Chasseurs Ardennais) in March 1946 and subsequently the 1st Battalion ofChasseurs ardennais, assuming the traditions of the earlier 1st Regiment. The green beret was reinstated in February 1947. Five further battalions were later also re-established.

In subsequent years,Chasseurs ardennais units were deployed to theBelgian Congo andRuanda-Urundi at the time ofdecolonisation. It also participated inpeacekeeping operations with theUnited Nations Protection Force (UNIPROFOR) and laterKosovo Force (KFOR) in the formerYugoslavia at the time of theYugoslav wars. As part of the cuts to defense spending after theCold War, the regiment was reduced to battalion-strength in 2011. It consisted of 415 men in 2015.^[6] Elements from theChasseurs ardennais served as part of theInternational Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in theAfghanistan War.^[7]

Battle honours

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The unit's flag carries the following citations, some of which were inherited from the 10th Line Regiment:

Namur
Termonde
Yser
Esen
Kortemark
Ardennes
La Dendre 1940
Vinkt

Saint Hubertus is the patron saint of the unit.^[8]

Uniform and insignia

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TheChasseurs ardennais have, since their inception, worn a distinctive light green Basque-style beret. This is larger than the berets subsequently adopted by other units of the Belgian Land Component in the post-war period. Thecap badge depicts the head of awild boar which are found in the Ardennes region.