Regimental Stories: Prussian Jaegers

"Hunt or be hunted"

There is a long tradition of huntsmanship in the German lands. The first Jäger or "Hunter" corps were formed in 1631-1632 in Hesse-Kassel under the rule of Wilhelm V. This term was used to describe elite light infantry, especially skirmishers, sharpshooters and marksmen. These men were recruited from professional gamekeepers, huntsmen and foresters employed on crown estates or those of noble landowners, and were armed with their own special rifles custom built for precision shooting. The purpose of these special units was to harass the enemy from a great distance, screening bodies of heavier troops and reconnaissance. Their background associated with hunting skills mixed with their ability to handle and maintain delicate, accurate rifles in an age when very

Wolfwnp01 — Prussian Foot Jaeger Regiment private in parade uniform, 1800

few people had any mechanical skill made them especially useful and deadly. Various German states including Prussia formed jäger corps during the Seven Years' War. Later during the Napoleonic Wars, the Prussians developed their light infantry tactics both in theory and in practice. The Prussian army gained experience as an auxiliary force in the French invasion of Russia, where the jäger were often used on the strategic level to provide support and cover for the rest of the army. The Prussian jäger corps played a significant role in the battles of the Waterloo Campaign, holding off Grouchy's corps at the Battle of Wavre. Being excellent hunters, these men did not hunt only animals, humans were their game also, many enemy officers had fallen as their prey.

Model[]

The in game model of the Prussian Jaegers is based on the parade uniform of the Prussian Foot Jaeger Regiment from the

YmjZMdP — Foot Jaeger Regiment private in 1806

period c. 1806 (Battle of Jena-Auerstedt). However, this is historically anachronistic to the time period of Empire: Total War. Also they are strangely depicted with the parade uniform instead of their field uniforms. Curiously their jackets are colored in faction color while in reality they were dark green. They are armed with the generic in game flintlock musket model which in this case most likely depicts an jaeger rifle.

Regimental Stories: Prussian Jaegers

Model[]

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