Büchsenjäger

Büchsenjäger of the Prussian Napoleonic Freikorps Krockow, 1807.
Büchsenjäger, first from left, of the Prussian Napoleonic Freikorps von Krockow, 1807

Büchsenjäger (Büchsenschütze), the Jäger armed with the Büchse hunting rifle and Hirschfänger sidearm, to differentiate from the musket and bayonet-armed Bajonettjäger, with whom he occasionally serves in the same unit. When both are deployed as a pair of skirmishers, the Büchsenjäger typically acts as the shooter, and the Bajonettjäger serves as his second, supporting him, and never letting him get out of his sight.

It appears to be sufficient, that a mixed Jäger formation consist of ⅛ Büchsenjägers and ⅞ Bajonettjägers, because no more than ¼ of the men are actually skirmishing at any one time, the remainder form soutiens, closed supports, behind the skirmish line. When Büchsenjäger and Bajonettjäger are paired as skirmishers, a fully deployed skirmish line consists of one half rifle-armed Büchsenjägers, whereas the soutiens are entirely made up of Bajonettjägers.

Jäger Miniatures