Kaiserschützen

Mountain infantry battle-dress after 1907

The k.k. Landesschützen (literal: Imperial-Royal [k.k.] country shooters) - from January 16, 1917 Kaiserschützen (literal: Imperial shooters) - contained three regiments of Austro-Hungarian mountain infantry during the kaiserliche und königliche Monarchie (literal: k.u.k. Monarchy).

History

Established 19 December 1870 with ten Tyrolian Landesschützen (Territorial Infantry) battalions, there were two companies of mounted infantry added in 1872. In 1906 they were reorganized in the pattern of the Italian Alpini as pure mountain troops. Despite being territorial forces, the Kaiserschützen were used in the First World War in many theatres and took heavy losses.

Deployments 1914-1918

• Galicia: Lemberg, Gródek, Przemyśl, Pilica, Limanowa Lapanow, Gorlice Tarnów, Carpathia
• Serbia
• Tirol, Carniola: Monte Cristallo, Monte Piano, Falzarego, Tofana, Col di Lana, Marmolada, and others

They were principally deployed in opposition to the Italian Alpini. By the date of the armistice, 4 November 1918, the IInd and IIIrd regiments were positioned on Zugna Torta, over Monte Corno, up to Monte Spil. The Ist regiment were up to the Adamello-Presanella.

Further reading

• Heinz von Lichem: Spielhahnstoß und Edelweiß. Stocker, Graz (1977) (German)
• Karl Glückmann: Das Heerwesen der österreich-ungarischen Monarchie. Vienna (1911) (German)
• Georg Bartl: Tiroler Landesschützen/Kaiserschützen – Ein Rückblick. Innsbruck (1930) (German)
• Günther Hebert: Das Alpenkorps: Aufbau, Organisation und Einsatz einer Gebirgstruppe im ersten Weltkrieg
• H. Boldt, (1988) ISBN 3-7646-1860-4 (German) page 144