Light infantry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For regiments in the British Army, see The Light Infantry and The Rifles.
War

Military History
Eras
Battlespace
Weapons


Tactics
Strategy
Organization
Logistics
Lists

War Portal   v • d • e 

Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight formations that were the core of large battles. Light infantry often fought in close co-ordination with heavy infantry, where they could screen the heavy infantry from harassing fire, and the heavy infantry could intervene to protect the light infantry from attacks of enemy heavy infantry or cavalry. Heavy infantry originally had heavier arms and more armour than light infantry, but this distinction was lost as the use of armour declined and gunpowder weapons became standardized.

Contents

[edit] History of the light infantry

[edit] Antiquity

The concept of a skirmishing screen is a very old one and was already well-established by Greek and Roman times in the form, for example, of the Greek peltast and the Roman velites. As with so called 'light infantry' of later periods, the term more adequately describes the role of such infantry rather than the actual weight of their equipment. Peltast equipment for example grew steadily heavier at the same time as hoplite equipment grew lighter. It was the fact that peltasts fought in open order as skirmishers that made them light infantry, and that hoplites fought in the battle line as a phalanx that made them heavy infantry.

[edit] Modern age

Regular armies usually relied on irregulars to perform the duties of light infantry skirmishers. Later, the dragoons of the 17th century were the light infantry skirmishers of their day – lightly-armed and armoured infantrymen who rode into battle but dismounted to fight.

In the 18th and 19th centuries most infantry battalions had a light company. Its members were usually smaller, agile men capable of using their initiative, since they did not always fight in disciplined ranks as did the ordinary infantry but often in widely dispersed groups. They were also often chosen for their shooting ability and sometimes carried lighter muskets than ordinary infantrymen. Some light infantry units carried rifles instead of muskets, and wore rifle green uniforms; they became designated as rifle regiments in Britain and Jäger regiments in German speaking Europe. In France, during the Napoleonic Wars, light infantry were called voltigeurs and the sharpshooters tirailleurs.

Unusually, light infantry officers sometimes carried muskets as well and their swords were lighter and curved sabres; as opposed to the heavy, straighter swords of other infantry officers. Orders were sent by bugle or whistle instead of drum (since the sound of a bugle carries further and it is difficult to move fast when carrying a drum). Some armies, including the British and French, converted whole regiments into light infantry. These were sometimes considered elite units, since they required more training and self-discipline to carry out the roles of light infantry as well as those of ordinary infantry.

By the late 19th century the concept of fighting in formation was on the wane and the distinctions between light and heavy infantry began to disappear. Essentially, all infantry became light infantry in practice. Some regiments retained the name and customs, but there was in effect no difference between them and other infantry regiments.

[edit] Light infantry today

“Light” Infantry has by the original NATO-classification often been units lacking “heavy” anti-armour capacity, only equipped with LAW, systems like M72 LAW and AT4. However, recent technological developments have somewhat blurred that scale.

Today, the term "light" refers not to the lower amount of equipment (and hence weight) that light infantry have to carry, but to the fact that they have fewer and lighter organic assets, e.g. vehicles, mortars, artillery, and anti tank weapons compared to armoured infantry (who use armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs)). In fact because of the lack of organic transport, light infantry may well have to carry heavier loads than fully mechanised infantry. This lack of equipment means that they have less firepower but are much easier to deploy. Light infantry are used where it would not be possible, desirable or cost effective to deploy AFVs and have the advantage that they can be deployed around the world in days (instead of the weeks it would take for a mechanized infantry unit). Example types include :

Note that in some armies Light Infantry are usually considered as an elite, but in other countries they may be considered inferior due to their lack of equipment.

[edit] Light infantry in the British Army

From its first inception until the beginning of the 19th century, the British Army relied on irregulars and mercenaries to provide most of its light infantry. Occasionally, such as during the Seven Years' War and the American wars, the need for more skirmishers, scouts and other light troops resulted in a temporary secondment of regular line companies. These were typically denigrated by the regular army officers, and the specially trained companies allowed to lapse whenever the need for them decreased. From 1758, regular regiments were required to include one company of light infantry, but the training of such light troops was inconsistent, and frequently inadequate. Beginning a restructure of the British Army in the late 18th century, the Duke of York recognised a need for dedicated light troops. Certainly, the lack of such troops contributed to the British loss during the American wars, and presented a further concern for the British Army newly faced with a war against Napoleon and his experienced light infantry, the chasseurs.[9] During the early war against the French, the British Army was bolstered by light infantry mercenaries from Germany and the Low Countries, but the British light infantry companies proved inadequate against the experienced French during the Flanders campaign, and in the Netherlands in 1799, and infantry reform became urgent.

In 1801, the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" was raised (later designated the 95th Rifles), and a decision was made to train some line regiments in light infantry techniques, so they might operate as both light and line infantry. Sir John Moore, a proponent of the light infantry model, offered his own regiment of line infantry, the 52nd, for this training, at Shorncliffe Camp.Thus, in 1803, the 52nd became the first regular British Army regiment to be designated "Light Infantry". They were followed shortly afterwards by the 43rd Foot, by whose side they would fight many campaigns as part of the Light Division. Several other line regiments were designated "light infantry" in 1808.

A peculiarity of light infantry regiments was the method of training; unlike other regiments, officers drilled with the men and were expected to be familiar with drill routines, including weapons training. The ranks also received additional training, and were encouraged to develop initiative and self-direction; while skirmishing in the field they would need to react without direct orders. Most regiments fought in tight formation, allowing easy administration of orders; with light infantry working in small groups, in advance of the main line, complicated bugle calls were developed to pass orders. The bugle became the emblem of the light infantry regiments.

While skirmishing, light infantry fought in pairs, so that one soldier could cover the other while loading. Line regiments fired in volleys, but skirmishers fired at will, taking careful aim at targets. While consideration was given to equipping light infantry with rifles, due to their improved accuracy, expected difficulty and expense in obtaining sufficient rifled weapons resulted in the standard infantry musket being issued to most troops. The accuracy of the musket decreased at long range and, since the French chasseurs and voltigeurs also used muskets, it is likely that skirmishers' firefights took place at ranges of only 50 yards (or less). 10 yards provided the accuracy of point-blank range. Although the French infantry (and, earlier, the Americans) frequently used multi-shot and grapeshot in their muskets, the British light infantry used only standard ball ammunition.[18]

Light infantry were equipped more lightly than regular line regiments, and marched at 140 paces per minute.

Tasks of the light infantry included advance and rear guard action, flanking protection for armies and forward skirmishing. They were also called upon to form regular line formations during battles, or as part of fortification storming parties.

Between 2004 and 2007, however, a number of amalgamations took place in the British Army, following an earlier series that dated back to 1958. The aim of this most recent round was to produce a more flexible fighting force to combat the threats of today, much removed from those of the Cold War; which ended in the early 1990s. Most of the regiments in existence prior to 1958 have now been disbanded (such as the Cameronians) or have been restructured into numbered battalions of larger regiments. This process has affected all of the historic light infantry regiments (see below). The reorganised infantry branch incorporates different battalions with the specialised roles of infantry; light, Air assault (or Airborne), armoured, mechanised and commando support, within a reduced number of large regiments such as the Rifles.

[edit] See also