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Organisation
Austria at the time was also known as the Austro-Hungarian empire.
Line Regts were termed either "German" or "Hungarian"
depending on where the Regt drew its recruits from.
Between 1798 and 1805, each German Line Regt was organised into:
- 2 field battalions of 6 fusilier coys each
- 2 coys of grenadiers
- 1 depot battalion of 4 coys
Nominal strength of each coy was 4 officers and 230 men. However
on campaign, the average coy was about 150 men strong - giving
a battalion strength of around 900 men.
Hungarian Regts were organised along the same lines as the German
Regts. However, Hungarian Regts had 3 field battalions.
In 1805, just before the Austerlitz campaign,
hasty reforms were pushed through.
Each Line Regt was reorganised into:
- 1 grenadier battalion - of 4 coys
- 4 fusilier battalions - of 4 coys each
Nominal coy strength was reduced to 160 men. Each coy probably
averaged 100-120 men on campaign - giving a battalion strength
of around 400-500 men.
However, it is uncertain if many Regts actually implemented the
new regulations. There is evidence to show that Archduke Charles
did not apply the new regulations as it was likely to cause confusion
- coming into force just before a major campaign.
In 1807, these regulations were abolished and Regimental organisation
reverted to the previous organisation.
After the defeat at Wagram, 1809, loss of recruiting grounds resulted
in the disbanding of the 13th, 23rd, 38th,43rd, 45th, 46th, 50th
and 55th Regts. All 3rd battalions were reduced to cadres, and
coy strength was reduced to 60 men in German regts, and 100 men
in Hungarian ones.

To replace the light battalions, a regiment of Tyrolean Jagers was formed in 1801, three battalions each of six companies. Prior to this date, Jagers (riflemen) had been deployed in individual companies, with the 46th regiment two six company battalions, and a four-company rifle battalion recruited from the Tyrol, which traditionally supplied the army's riflemen. The new unit was numbered 64 and styled the Tyroler-Jager-Regiment, its personnel coming from the previous Tyrolean Sharpshooters, d'Aspre and Le Loup Frei-Corps and the 46th's Tyroleans. The Inhaber was the Marquis de Chasteler, commander of the Tyrol area, but after its loss in 1805 the designation became Jager-Regiment Chasteler. Uniformed similarly to the light infantry, they wore grey with green facings and helmet crest and black leatherwork; officers carried grenadier sabres, and at least in part were armed with the 1798 rifle.
In 1808 nine 'divisions' of Jagers were formed, four in Bohemia, two each in Austria and Moravia and one in Inner Austria. Each had a peacetime establishment of a staff officer , two assistant surgeons, three quartermaster staff, two Hauptleute (captain or captain-lieutenant), two Oberleutnants, and Unterleutnants, four Oberjagers and 16 Unterjagers, (NCOs), four hornists, two pioneers, 240 Jagers and six servants. On December 1st , 1808 each 'division' was expanded into six-company battalion, each company with two officers, seven NCOs, ten Patrouillefuhrers ('patrol ;eaders', equivalent to corporals), a hornist and between 50 and 60 men; in wartime each battalion was expanded to 860 men.
Jagers wore pike grey breeches and single breasted jacket, grass green collar, cuffs and turnbacks, yellow buttons bearing the battalion number, and black 'Corsican hat' (Korsehut) with a feather and a leather chinstrap; this 'round hat' with an upturned brim had a 6.5cm high brassshield specified, bearing the battalion number, but this is not shown by all sources. Hornists had grass green wings laced white. Officers wore cocked hats with gold lace and loop, and gold horn turnback badges; field officers had the usual sword belts and gold cuff lace, leatherwork for lower ranks being black. Their breeches were pike grey with gold braid thigh knots and 1.5cm wide stripes. Overcoats for 'other ranks' were dark 'mixed grey' with six buttons, for officers of dark 'Moorish grey' with gass green collar and cuffs. NCOs had black and gold sword knots and light yellow gloves, Oberjagers carrying 'Spanish reed' canes, Unterjagers and Stabstrompeters hazel canes with black straps. Cadets had gloves and sword knots.

In the 1790's composite battalions were formed for active service, and they fought well in Italy, Switzerland and Germany. However, reinforcements were difficult to find, as the frontier defences had to be maintained; and unrest__leading to mutiny in June 1800__was caused by reports of conditions at home. Some generals thought that the 'shiftless, false, and totally undisciplined' Grenzers should be disbanded; but an investigative commission decided that the organisation should remain. It declared the futility of training them as Line infantry, which negated their value as skirmishers, was contrary to their temperament, and impossible to reconcile with their part-time training, as the men had to maintain their farms in order to live. Successive re-organisation led to Grenz regiments in 1805 mustering three battalions of four companies each, but ill-equipped, partially trained and somewhat ineffective; some 48,000 men served at that time.
The raising of the establishment to three battalions of six companies each, and a new code of law for the Military Borders (May 1808) did little to alleviate the economic hardships or the resentment of the peasants at having to supply so many men for active service. Nevertheless, it was Grenzers who mounted in 1809 the heroic defence of Marlborgeth and Predil, the 'Austrian Thermopylaes'. Though nominally light infantry, they continued to be neither one thing nor the other.
In 1809 the 17 Grenz regiments each had
two field battalions of 2,966 men, 240 sharpshooters and 44 gunners,
plus a reserve battalion of 1,437 men. Each of the 13 regular
regiments (the Transylvanians, Nos. 14 - 17, counted as 'irregulars')
had a Landwehr battalion of 675 men. The defeat of 1809 led to
ceding of territory to France, regts. 1-4, 10 and 11 going into
French service; by 1814 all had been recovered.
In peacetime the Grenzers wore their ordinary brown coat, a felt
cap (Klobuk), and ordinary trousers. When mobilised, the official
uniform was white waistcoat and breeches. The 1797 mobilisation
of composite battalions had white buttons, 'German' cuffs and
facings as follows:
Szekler Btn., rose pink
Transylvanian (Siebenburgische), parrot green
Banalisten, dark brown
Slavonier (Brooder, Peterwardeiner and Gradiscaner), pale red
(mauve)
Warasdiner, crab red
1st Karlstadt (Licaner and Otocaner), violet
2nd Karlstadt (Szluiner and Oguliner), orange yellow
Banater, crimson
and the two composite sharpshooter battalions, violet.
In 1808 the difference between ordinary ('Haus') and field uniform was suspended, though the white uniform was apparently retained by some despite the regulations which authorised, a shako, dark brown infantry coat with regimental facings, and sky blue Hungarian breeches. Knotel, for example, lists for 1812 the 6th, 12th, 13th and 15th in brown, and the 5th, 7th-9th, 14th, 16th and 17th white, with facings as above.
Issued equipment included a canvas haversack, cloth mittens, and forage cap, but depended upon availability; black leather equipment was often carried instead of white. NCOs had leather gloves and sword knots. The traditional short pikes were no longer carried; in 1805 the sharpshooters carried sabres on shoulder belts. In 1809 their equipment included carbine and bayonette with black leather sabre belts. Red cloaks were an unusual distinction.
In addition there existed a regiment of Grenz Hussars; and a battalion of pontoneers, the Czaikisten, who wore blue faced crab red, their coats originally cut loose to facilitate rowing with oars, Hungarian breeches and black leatherwork. In 1809 their blue Hungarian jackets had red facings and blue collar with red patch, sky blue breeches with the usual Hungarian braid, and a shako with black and yellow pompom and a brass anchor badge.