Austro-Hungarian military police
The Feldjäger were set up as a hunter troop in the Austrian Empire in 1808 and were later included in the Joint Army of Austria-Hungary as regular infantry , from which they differed only in their peace uniform. The designation hunter for the crew and military police for the troop had purely historical reasons, since the light infantry and the skirmishers had already been abolished in 1866.
Uniformity
The hat made of matt black, waterproof felt served as parade headgear for the hunter troops and the kk Landwehr . It consisted of the neck and brim and was equipped with a green round cord, the hunter's emblem and a plume of black rooster feathers. The hat string was made of sheep's wool, had a push button and at each end an acorn covered with green wool and braided over like a net at the ends. The two acorns were attached to the back of the hat lintel. The cord for officers was made of black woven gold thread.
The lintel was in the shape of an oval cone with a moderately bulged bottom. The brim was laid flat 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 lintel there was a backward sloping sleeve made of hat felt to attach the spring bush. The hat emblem - made of gold-colored metal - consisted of the hunter's horn. In the winding light of the Kaiserjäger the Tyrolean eagle was affixed, the battalion number made of silver-plated pakfong for the military police. The emblem was attached over the spring sleeve so that the eagle or number pointed in the same oblique direction as the bush sleeve. The plume was tied in the shape of a cock's tail on a 1.5 mm thick piece of iron wire. The length of the plume was 29 cm. The bush was put into the sleeve on the hat so that the feathers hung down in an arched manner.
The infantry field cap was used as a field march .
The tunic of the hunters was - among the men and officers - on average like the infantry. The team's skirt, made of pike-gray cloth, had armpit clasps, shoulder pads, collars and cuffs of a grass-green color. The buttons of all the hunter formations were yellow and marked with the battalion number.
The hunter's blouse was the same color as the tunic. The troop category was indicated by grass-green parolis. With regard to the other equipment, there was no difference to the line infantry .
units
In 1914 there were 29 independent military police battalions and a Bosnian-Herzegovinian military police battalion .
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 1
- Established: 1808 - XIV Army Corps - 8th Infantry Troop Division - 16th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 62% German - 36% Czech - 2% other
- Battalion language: Czech, German
- Garrison: Tione di Trento
- Supplementary district: Theresienstadt
- Commanding officer: Lieutenant Colonel Richard von Vittorelli
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 2
- Established: 1808 - XIV Army Corps - 8th Infantry Troop Division - 122nd Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 74% Czechs - 26% German
- Battalion language: Czech, German
- Garrison: Lienz
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Königgrätz
- Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Hugo Mayer
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 3
- vacant
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 4
- Established: 1808 - XIV Army Corps - 3rd Infantry Troop Division - 6th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 77% Poles - 23% others
- Battalion language: Polish
- Garrison: Braunau
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Rzeszów
- Commanding officer: Lieutenant Colonel Felix Schultz
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 5
- Established: 1808 - III. Army Corps - 6th Infantry Troop Division - 12th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 39% Germans - 25% Czechs - 25% Poles - 11% others
- Battalion language: Czech, German, Polish
- Garrison: Tarvisio
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Olomouc
- Commanding officer: Lieutenant Colonel Carl Pöscheck
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 6
- Established: 1808 - XIV Army Corps - 8th Infantry Troop Division - 122nd Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 69% Czechs - 30% German - 1% others
- Battalion language: Czech, German
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Pilsen
- Garrison: Sillian
- Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Franz Kahler
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 7
- Established: 1808 - III. Army Corps - 28th Infantry Troop Division - 94th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 85% Slovenes - 15% others
- Battalion language: Slovenian
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Ljubljana
- Garrison: Canale
- Commanding officer: Lieutenant Colonel Wilhelm Staufer
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion "Kopal" No. 10
- Established: 1813 - XIV Army Corps - 8th Infantry Troop Division - 15th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 98% German - 2% other
- Battalion language: German
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: St. Pölten
- Garrison: Vigo di Fassa
- Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Oswald Eccher von Eccho, Edler v. Marienberg
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 11
- Erected: 1813 - III. Army Corps - 28th Infantry Troop Division - 56th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 52% Germans - 44% Magyars - 4% others
- Battalion language: German, Hungarian
- Supplementary district and replacement company cadre: Győr
- Garrison: Gradisca
- Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Norbert Frass
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 12
- Established: 1813 - XIV Army Corps - 8th Infantry Troop Division - 15th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 67% Czechs - 32% German - 1% others
- Battalion language: Czech, German
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Jungbunzlau
- Garrison: Innsbruck
- Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Dante Bontadi
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 13
- Established: 1849 - XIV Army Corps - 8th Infantry Troop Division - 15th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 47% Poles - 36% Ruthenians - 17% others
- Battalion language: Polish
- Supplementary district and replacement company cadre: Krakow
- Garrison: Cavalese
- Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig Ritter von Stampfer
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 14
- Established: 1914 - XIV Army Corps - 8th Infantry Troop Division - 16th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 47% Ruthenians - 43% Poles - 1% others
- Battalion language: Polish
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Przemyśl
- Garrison: Mezzolombardo
- Commanding officer: Major Alfred von Hankenstein
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 15
- vacant
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 16
- Established: 1849 - XIV Army Corps - 8th Infantry Troop Division - 16th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 56% German - 34% Czech - 10% others
- Battalion language: Czech, German
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Troppau
- Garrison: Levico
- Commanding officer: Major Karl Lerch
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 17
- Erected: 1849 - III. Army Corps - 6th Infantry Troop Division - 12th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 63% Czechs - 36% German - 1% others
- Battalion language: Czech, German
- Supplementary district and replacement company cadre: Brno
- Garrison: Judenburg
- Commanding officer: Major Rudolf Dückelmann
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 18
- Established: 1914 - XIV Army Corps - 8th Infantry Troop Division - 16th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 59% Ruthenians - 31% Poles - 10% others
- Battalion language: Polish
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Lemberg
- Garrison: Trento
- Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Maximilian Lauer
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 19
- Erected: 1849 - III. Army Corps - 6th Infantry Troop Division - 12th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 58% Slovaks - 32% Magyars - 10% others
- Battalion language: Slovak, Hungarian
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Komorn
- Garrison: Klagenfurt
- Commanding officer: Major Ernst Mathes
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 20
- Erected: 1849 - III. Army Corps - 28th Infantry Troop Division - 56th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 58% Slovenes - 31% Trento / Trieste - 21% others
- Battalion language: Slovenian, Italian
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Trieste
- Garrison: Kremaun
- Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Franz Schöbinger
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 21
- Erected: 1849 - III. Army Corps - 6th Infantry Troop Division - 11th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 98% German 2% other
- Battalion language: German
- Supplementary district: Vienna
- Garrison: Mitrovica
- Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Johann Haas
- Established: 1849 - XIV Army Corps - 8th Infantry Troop Division - 16th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 70% German - 28% Czech - 2% others
- Battalion language: German, Czech
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Eger (Bohemia)
- Garrison: Borgo Valsugana
- Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Wenzel Ort
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 23
- Established: 1849 - VII Army Corps - 34th Infantry Troop Division - 68th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 68% Romanians - 28% Magyars - 4% others
- Battalion language: Romanian, Hungarian
- Supplementary district and replacement company cadre: Marosvásárhely
- Garrison: Pancsova
- Commanding officer: Major Theodor Althoff
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 24
- Erected: 1849 - III. Army Corps - 28th Infantry Troop Division - 55th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 86% Magyars - 14% others
- Battalion language: Hungarian
- Supplementary district and replacement company cadre: Budapest
- Garrison: Rovigno (a company in Parenzo)
- Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Emmerich Gerö
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 25
- Established: 1849 - II Army Corps - 25th Infantry Troop Division - 49th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 75% Czechs - 22% German - 3% others
- Battalion language: Czech, German
- Supplementary district and replacement company cadre: Brno
- Garrison: Vienna (Schönbrunn Palace barracks / two companies of wall barracks)
- Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Colonel Arnold Barwick
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 26
- vacant
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 27
- Established: 1914 - XIV Army Corps - 8th Infantry Troop Division - 121st Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 54% Romanians - 27% Ruthenians - 19% others
- Battalion language: Romanian, Polish
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Chernivtsi
- Garrison: Hall in Tirol
- Commanding officer: Major Friedrich Nürnberger
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 28
- Established: 1859 - VII Army Corps - 34th Infantry Troop Division - 68th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 73% Romanians - 27% various
- Battalion language: Romanian
- Complementary District: Arad
- Garrison: Kevévara
- Commanding officer: Lieutenant Colonel Augustin Dorotka von Ehrenwall
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 29
- Erected: 1859 - III. Army Corps - 28th Infantry Troop Division - 56th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 29% Magyars - 67% Slovaks - 4% other
- Battalion language: Hungarian, Slovak
- Supplementary district command, replacement company cadre: Losoncz
- Garrison: Monfalcone
- Commanding officer: Lieutenant Colonel Desiderius Farkas
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 30
- Established: 1859 - XIV Army Corps - 3rd Infantry Troop Division - 6th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 70% Ruthenians - 30% different
- Battalion language: Polish
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Stanislau
- Garrison: Steyr
- Commanding officer: Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Jungl
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 31
- Erected: 1859 - XIII. Army Corps - 7th Infantry Troop Division - 14th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 95% Croatian / Serbian - 5% other
- Battalion language: Serbo-Croatian
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Zagreb
- Garrison: Bruck an der Mur
- Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Eduard Hospodarž
- kuk Feldjäger Battalion No. 32
- Established: 1859 - XI. Army Corps - 30th Infantry Troop Division - 60th Infantry Brigade
- Nationalities: 74% Slovaks - 26% different
- Battalion language: Slovak
- Supplementary district and replacement company squad: Eperjes
- Garrison: Trembowla
- Commanding officer: Lieutenant Colonel Carl Strohmer
structure
Peacetime
26 officers, 390 men, 20 horses
- Battalion headquarters
- 4 field companies
- 1 hunter machine gun division
- Replacement company cadre with augmentation magazine (growth)
War status
26 officers, 1,100 men, 70 horses
- Battalion headquarters
- 4 field companies
- 1 hunter machine gun division
- Troop train
- Replacement companies (in the home garrison)
swell
- Austrian State Archives / War Archives in Vienna
Footnotes
- ↑ the buttons were not actually yellow, but consisted of zinc sheet covered with tombac - they were actually gold in color
literature
- Peter Fichtenbauer , Christian Ortner : The history of the Austrian army from Maria Theresa to the present in essays and pictorial representations , Verlag Militaria, Vienna 2015, ISBN 978-3-902526-71-7
- Johann C. Allmayer-Beck, Erich Lessing: The Kuk Army. 1848-1914 . Bertelsmann publishing house, Munich 1974, ISBN 3-570-07287-8 .
- kuk war ministry “Dislocation and division of the kuk army, kuk navy, kk landwehr and ku landwehr” in: Seidel's small army scheme - published by Seidel & Sohn Vienna 1914
- Captain V. Pech: Army Tables Teaching and Learning Aids for Military Education Institutions and Reserve Officer Schools , Prague 1915
- Stefan Rest: The emperor's rock in the First World War . Verlag Militaria, Vienna 2002, ISBN 3-9501642-0-0