The Feldjäger were established in 1808 as Jäger infantry in the Empire of Austria and later formed part of the regular infantry of the Common Army, only their peacetime uniform distinguishing them. The designation Jäger for the soldiers and Feldjäger for their units had purely historical reasons, as light infantry and skirmisher units had been abolished in 1866.
Uniform
The hat made of matte black, waterproof felt served as the parade headgear for the Jäger and k.k. Landwehr. It had a crown and brim and was decorated with a circular green cord, the Jäger hat badge and a hackle of black cock feathers. The chinstrap was made of sheep's wool, had a button and an acorn covered with green wool at each end. The two acorns were attached to the rear of the crown. The cord for officers was made of black interwoven gold thread.
The crown was in the shape of an oval cone, with a moderately bulbous base at the top. The brim was level at the back and front, but turned up on both sides. The edge of the brim was edged with black, lacquered calfskin.
On the left side of the brim was a rearward sloping pocket made of hat felt for attaching the hackle. The hat badge - made of gilt metal - depicted a hunting horn. In the space within the coil, a Tyrolean eagle (heraldic animal) was attached in the case of the Kaiserjäger, or the battalion number in the case of the Feldjäger. They were made of silver-coloured nickel silver. The badge was attached above the hackle pocket, so that the eagle or the number slanted in the same direction as the pocket. The plume was in the shape of a cock's tail tied to a 1.5-mm-thick piece of steel wire. The length of the plume was 29 cm. The plume was inserted into the pocket on the hat, so that the feathers hung down in an arc towards the back.
The infantry field cap was used in the field.
The tunic of the Jäger - for soldiers and officers - corresponded in cut to that of the infantry. The soldiers' coat of pike-grey cloth had epaulettes, shoulder patches, collar and cuffs of grass-green colour. The buttons of all Jäger units were yellow and marked with the battalion number.
The Jäger jackets were the same colour as the coat. Their arm of service was indicated by their grass-green parolis. The rest of their equipment was no different from that of the line infantry.
Units
In 1914 there were 29 independent Feldjäger battalions and one Bosnian-Herzegovinian Feldjäger Battalion.
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 1 Formed: 1808 – XIV Army Corps – 8th Infantry Division – 16th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 62 % Germans – 36 % Czechs – 2 % other Battalion language: Czech, German Garrison: Tione di Trento Recruiting district: Theresienstadt Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Richard von Vittorelli
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 2 Formed: 1808 – XIV Army Corps – 8th Infantry Division – 122nd Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 74 % Czechs – 26 % Germans Battalion language: Czech, German Garrison: Lienz Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Hradec Králové Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Hugo Mayer
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 3 vakant
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 4 Formed: 1808 – XIV Army Corps – 3rd Infantry Division – 6th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 77 % Poles – 23 % other Battalion language: Polish Garrison: Braunau Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Rzeszów Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Felix Schultz
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 5 Formed: 1808 – III Army Corps – 6th Infantry Division – 12nd Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 39 % Germans – 25 % Czechs – 25 % Poles – 11 % other Battalion language: Czech, German, Polish Garrison: Tarvis Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Olomouc Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Carl Pöscheck
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 6 Formed: 1808 – XIV Army Corps – 8th Infantry Division – 122nd Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 69 % Czechs – 30 % Germans – 1 % other Battalion language: Czech, German Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Plzeň Garrison: Sillian Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Franz Kahler
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 7 Formed: 1808 – III Army Corps – 28th Infantry Division – 94th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 85 % Slovenes – 15 % other Battalion language: Slovenian Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Laibach Garrison: Canale Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Wilhelm Staufer
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 8 k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 9 k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion "Kopal" No. 10 Formed: 1813 – XIV Army Corps – 8th Infantry Division – 15th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 98 % Germans – 2 % other Battalion language: German Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Sankt Pölten Garrison: Vigo di Fassa Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Oswald Eccher von Eccho, Edler v. Marienberg
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 11 Formed: 1813 – III Army Corps – 28th Infantry Division – 56th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 52 % Germans – 44 % Hungarians – 4 % other Battalion language: German, Hungarian Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Győr Garrison: Gradisca Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Norbert Frass
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 12 Formed: 1813 – XIV Army Corps – 8th Infantry Division – 15th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 67 % Czechs – 32 % Germans – 1 % other Battalion language: Czech, German Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Mladá Boleslav Garrison: Innsbruck Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Dante Bontadi
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 13 Formed: 1849 – XIV Army Corps – 8th Infantry Division – 15th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 47 % Poles – 36 % Ruthenians – 17 % other Battalion language: Polish Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Kraków Garrison: Cavalese Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig Ritter von Stampfer
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 14 Formed: 1914 – XIV Army Corps – 8th Infantry Division – 16th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 47 % Ruthenians – 43 % Poles – 1 % other Battalion language: Polish Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Przemyśl Garrison: Mezzolombardo Commandant: Major Alfred von Hankenstein
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 15 vakant
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 16 Formed: 1849 – XIV Army Corps – 8th Infantry Division – 16th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 56 % Germans – 34 % Czechs – 10 % other Battalion language: Czech, German Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Opava Garrison: Levico Commandant: Major Karl Lerch
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 17 Formed: 1849 – III Army Corps – 6th Infantry Division – 12nd Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 63 % Czechs – 36 % Germans – 1 % other Battalion language: Czech, German Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Brno Garrison: Judenburg Commandant: Major Rudolf Dückelmann
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 18 Formed: 1914 – XIV Army Corps – 8th Infantry Division – 16th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 59 % Ruthenians – 31 % Poles – 10 % other Battalion language: Polish Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Lemberg Garrison: Trient Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Maximilian Lauer
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 19 Formed: 1849 – III Army Corps – 6th Infantry Division – 12nd Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 58 % Slovaks – 32 % Hungarians – 10 % other Battalion language: Slovak, Hungarian Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Komorn Garrison: Klagenfurt Commandant: Major Ernst Mathes
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 20 Formed: 1849 – III Army Corps – 28th Infantry Division – 56th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 58 % Slovenes – 31 % Trientines/Triestines – 21 % other Battalion language: Slovenian, Italian Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Triest Garrison: Kremaun Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Franz Schöbinger
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 21 Formed: 1849 – III Army Corps – 6th Infantry Division – 11th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 98 % Germans 2 % other Battalion language: German Recruiting district: Vienna Garrison: Mitrovica Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Johann Haas
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 22 Formed: 1849 – XIV Army Corps – 8th Infantry Division – 16th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 70 % Germans – 28 % Czechs – 2 % other Battalion language: German, Czech Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Eger (Bohemia) Garrison: Borgo Valsugana Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Wenzel Ort
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 23 Formed: 1849 – VII Army Corps – 34th Infantry Division – 68th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 68 % Romanians – 28 % Hungarians – 4 % other Battalion language: Romanian, Hungarian Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Marosvásárhely Garrison: Pančevo Commandant: Major Theodor Althoff
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 24 Formed: 1849 – III Army Corps – 28th Infantry Division – 55th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 86 % Hungarians – 14 % other Battalion language: Hungarian Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Budapest Garrison: Rovigno (one coy. in Parenzo) Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Emmerich Gerö
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 25 Formed: 1849 – II Army Corps – 25th Infantry Division – 49th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 75 % Czechs – 22 % Germans – 3 % other Battalion language: Czech, German Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Brno Garrison: Vienna (Schönbrunner Schloßkaserne / two companies at the Mauerkaserne barracks) Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Arnold Barwick
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 26 vakant
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 27 Formed: 1914 – XIV Army Corps – 8th Infantry Division – 121st Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 54 % Romanians – 27 % Ruthenians – 19 % other Battalion language: Romanian, Polish Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Czernowitz Garrison: Hall in Tirol Commandant: Major Friedrich Nürnberger
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 28 Formed: 1859 – VII Army Corps – 34th Infantry Division – 68th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 73 % Romanians – 27 % other Battalion language: Romanian Recruiting district: Arad Garrison: Kevévara Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Augustin Dorotka von Ehrenwall
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 29 Formed: 1859 – III Army Corps – 28th Infantry Division – 56th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 29 % Hungarians – 67 % Slovaks – 4 % sonstige Battalion language: Hungarian, Slovak Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Losoncz Garrison: Monfalcone Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Desiderius Farkas
k. u. k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 30 Formed: 1859 – XIV Army Corps – 3rd Infantry Division – 6th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 70 % Ruthenians – 30 % other Battalion language: Polish Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Stanislav Garrison: Steyr Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Jungl
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 31 Formed: 1859 – XIII Army Corps – 7th Infantry Division – 14th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 95 % Croats – 5 % other Battalion language: Croatian Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Zagreb Garrison: Bruck an der Mur Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Eduard Hospodarž
k.u.k. Feldjäger Battalion No. 32 Formed: 1859 – XI Army Corps – 30th Infantry Division – 60th Infantry Brigade Nationalities: 74 % Slovaks – 26 % other Battalion language: Slovak Recruiting district and reinforcement cadre: Prešov Garrison: Trembowla Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel Carl Strohmer
ORBAT
Peace establishment 26 officers, 390 men, 20 horse Battalion staff 4 field companies 1 Jäger machine gun division Reinforcement company cadre with augmentation magazine (training)
War establishment 26 officers, 1,100 men, 70 horse Battalion staff 4 field companies 1 Jäger machine gun division Wagon train Reinforcement companies (in the home garrison)
Sources Austrian State Archives / War Archives in Vienna
Footnotes
Literature Peter Fichtenbauer, Christian Ortner: Die Geschichte der österreichischen Armee von Maria Theresia bis zur Gegenwart in Essays und bildlichen Darstellungen, Verlag Militaria, Vienna, 2015, Johann C. Allmayer-Beck, Erich Lessing: Die K.u.k. Armee. 1848–1914. Verlag Bertelsmann, Munich, 1974, .