Thursday 29 November 2007

Austrian Feld Jäger Corps

The Jäger Corps was raised as a small unit in 1758, made a large independent unit in 1761, but disbanded in 1763. It was distinguished at Torgau.

Uniform: Black leather casquet with black plume and white border to the front. Black stock. Hechtgrau or pike grey coat, waistcoat and breeches with green cuffs, turnbacks and collar. Yellow metal buttons. Black long boots, white inner stocking.

Austrian Pioneer

The pioneer battalion was raised in 1758 to give commanding officers a force able to move with the advance guard "to widen and repair roads and set up light timber bridges" (Duffy, Army of Maria Theresa). They were so useful the unit was more than doubled in size in 1759 but the unit was most unfortunately disbanded as part of the drastic economies of 1761-2.

Uniform: Plain black leather casquet. Black stock, hechtgrau coat and waistcoat with grass green collar, cuffs and turnbacks, white breeches. Yellow metal buttons, black gaiters.

Austrian Sapper

The Sapeur-Corps was raised in 1760 to provide a body of skilled labour for siege warfare and rapidly distinguished itself, notably at the siege of Schweidnitz in July 1760. It was again distinguished in the defence of Schweidnitz in 1762, where out of 24 sappers 10 were killed and 11 wounded. 3 officers were awarded the Military Order of Maria Theresa, which Christopher Duffy says "must have been a record for a unit of this size" (Army of Maria Theresa, p.120).

Uniform: Black casquet with yellow lace and decorations, green and white cockade, red inner, white outer feather. Black stock. Hechtgrau (pike grey) coat, waistcoat and breeches, with carmine red cuffs and collar (and possibly red turnbacks pre-1762). Yellow metal buttons. Black gaiters with white inner stocking.

Uniform details from Duffy (various) and Albertina manuscript 1762.

Wednesday 28 November 2007

Coming very soon...

Austrian sapper, pioneer and jäger templates.

Jager Corps Digital ID: 91140. New York Public Library