At what point did integral unit skirmishers become common?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

What ho chaps!
I'm curious...
Yes, I know...
But...
Having put my own, anglocentric, education on many matters under the microscope, and finding it lacking; I am becoming more interested in the wider world, plus thinking about the way I put units onto bases, my question is this:
When did unit based skirmishers become the norm?

I know in the French-Indian Wars the British used them, but then promptly forgot about them again until the light companies AWI, and again they only reappear later in the Napoleonic Wars (Prussia was using them by 1806). But when did the major powers actually have unit based skirmishers as permanent part of their tactical doctrine?

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

You do have units with the titles - such as Grenzer, but not I suspect in most armies. Again the skirmishers in the French - Indian wars were locally raised at the time, rather than part of the regular establishment.

IanS

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Grenze and the like we're dedicated skirmish units like the British 95th, but when did 'normal' line units start throwing forward skirmishers?

[Hertsblue]

Depends on how you define "skirmishers". If I recall correctly, the late Roman army often sent out missile-men to operate in loose order against close-order opponents - as did many other armies. Formally trained and organised light troops as an integral part of European-style infantry units were probably initiated towards the end of the eighteenth century. Prior to that they were lumped into "frei korps" or "voluntaires" irregular units. Certainly they had been regularised into disciplined companies in most armies by the end of the Napoleonic wars. Although I believe the Austrians continued the practice of training picked men in each of their infantry companies as skirmishers at least until the 1859 war.     

[Rob]

What ho chaps!
I'm curious...
Yes, I know...
But...
Having put my own, anglocentric, education on many matters under the microscope, and finding it lacking; I am becoming more interested in the wider world, plus thinking about the way I put units onto bases, my question is this:
When did unit based skirmishers become the norm?

I know in the French-Indian Wars the British used them, but then promptly forgot about them again until the light companies AWI, and again they only reappear later in the Napoleonic Wars (Prussia was using them by 1806). But when did the major powers actually have unit based skirmishers as permanent part of their tactical doctrine?

Three parts to this:

The British in America designed a new method of infantry fighting where every regiment was trained to operate in a more extended formation and two ranks. They were still in the main formed units and not skirmishers. The idea was to allow lines to move through the rough terrain of America and still be controllable. See "Fusiliers" by Mark Urban for the best description of this I've seen. It was forgoten until AWI as you correctly say and Lexigton/Concorde and Bunker hill were fought in standard "European" style. It wasn't fortotten after this and there was a heated debate in the army whether to adopt the American style against an army wide code produced by Dundas (the Prussian system).

In Europe a close formation 3 deep line was considered the minimum to have any chance against a massed cavalry charge and became the norm. However, if you put an untrained body of men into this formation and then move them, they quickly become an open order mob. The French came up with the Nation in Arms concept during the 1790's and found they had many of these untrained units. To keep control of them required packing them into a column type formations. The other method used, but which lost control, was allowing them to attack in Grande-Bande where a whole battalion moved as mob in open order. This was found to be very effective against solid lines as there was enough room for individuals to use available cover. To counter this during the 1790's Austria and Prussia used their 3rd ranks as skirmishers. Cavalry was another answer but not always available.

Prussia was the only country to adopt the "French" system wholesale from 1808 and in theory used the 3rd rank method, but in practice could use whole units in open order. By 1813 the French and Prussian fighting was done by massed skirmishers backed up by formed bodies.

Hope this answers some questions 

Cheers, Rob 

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

To complicate things further up to at least the end of the revolutionary wars converged all the light (also Jager etc) companies into composite battlaions.

IanS

[FierceKitty]

[holdfast]

The Greenjackets would tell you that their recruiting has always been very selective and that there are not, and never have been, common.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Thanks chaps.

[Fenton]

The Greenjackets would tell you that their recruiting has always been very selective and that there are not, and never have been, common.

Is it true in past times that anyone in the Greenjackets  found dropping their 'H's' would be instantly transferred to another more common unit?

[holdfast]

But then they did let the Devon and Dorsets into their closed ranks when they became The Rifles, which must be a pleasing example of upward mobility for what was until then a very sound regiment of the line.

[John Cook]

Line battalions of all the principal powers during the period had a proportion of their troops earmarked for skirmish duties, either as nominated soldiers, such as the 10 rifle-armed Schützen in each Prussian line battalion prior to 1808, a separate sub-unit typically the French voltigeurs or British light company, or the third rank exemplified by the Austrians.  The third rank was used as a source of skirmishers by Prussians and the Austrians, as well as to extend their line in two ranks or as a tactical battalion reserve.  In a nutshell every line battalion had a skirmish element, one way or another, from the 1790s at least.   

[Hertsblue]

But then they did let the Devon and Dorsets into their closed ranks when they became The Rifles, which must be a pleasing example of upward mobility for what was until then a very sound regiment of the line.

Some of us Devonians might think it was the other way around.

[FierceKitty]

Wot about the pre-Cambriaqns, then, boyo?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Shale we stop the geological jokes?