The term
Freibataillon emerged in the
Holy Roman Empire in the second half of the 17th century for troops formed outside of the
regimental system. With the development of linear tactics, light troops were needed for outposts, security and reconnaissance tasks. The soldiers recruited were supposed to be "free" of the normal
discipline of the main army.
Pandurs and
Croats were used in this way by the
Austria in the
War of the Austrian Succession.
Frederick II was impressed by them and created the
Freibatallione, which operated independently and disrupted the enemy with sudden, surprise attacks. They were also used to defend the Pandurs of
Maria Theresia. In the
Prussian Army, free battalions were often formed from the
hussars,
jägers and regular
infantry and were
detachiert, i.e. just detached for the role. A battalion could comprise about 1,000 men, often with a light battery of several guns. In the course of the war, a total of 14 units was established, mostly under the leadership of
Huguenot nobles: •
Le Noble (F 1), •
Mayr/
Collignon/
Courbiere (F 2), •
Kalben/
Salenmon (
Favrat) (F 3), •
Angelelli/
Collignon (F 4), • Chossignon/
Monjou (F 5), •
Rapin/
Lüderitz (F 6), •
Wunsch (F 7), •
Du Verger/
Quintus Icilius (F 8), •
Hordt (F 9), •
Jeney (Voluntaires d'Ostfrise) (F 10), •
Schack (F 11), •
Heer (Schweizer Volontaires) (F 12), •
Bequignolles (F 13), • La Badie (Volontaires Etrangers) (F 14). Particularly well known was the advance of Mayr's
Freibataillon (F 2) from Prussian-occupied
Electoral Saxony to
Franconia in May/June 1757. With the transfer of the
light infantry into
line regiments at the end of the 18th century, free battalions disappeared. ==Literature==