Caçadores
Encyclopedia
The Caçadores were the elite light infantry
of the Portuguese Army
during the Peninsular War
. They were referred by Lord Wellington
, as the "fighting cocks" of his Anglo-Portuguese Army
.
, in 1797, a company of Caçadores was created in each Portuguese infantry regiment.
, Portuguese War secretary Miguel Pereira Forjaz
proposed the creation of independent battalions of Caçadores. Six battalions were created, at the same time being extinguished the regimental Caçadores companies. Later in the Peninsula War, additional battalions and other units of Caçadores were created. Each battalion came to include a special Atiradores (sharpshooters) company armed with rifle
s. In the Anglo-Portuguese Army, the Caçadores integrated the elite Light Division
, brigaded with the British units of Rifles.
One of the most distinctive features of the Caçadores was their famous brown
uniform
. The brown uniform was chosen as a form of camouflage
, considered more appropriate to the dry lands of the Iberian Peninsula
than the traditional green
uniforms used by the light infantry of most other countries in Europe
.
During the Peninsular War, Caçadores became especially notable in the performance of marksmanship at long distances, creating the modern military concept of the sniper
.
The battalions and, later, regiments of Caçadores continued to form the light infantry of the Portuguese Army during the rest of the 19th century. They became extinct after the reorganization of the Army of 1911, when they were transformed into line infantry
regiments.
, namely:
The Caçadores (overseas), Caçadores Especiais and Caçadores Paraquedistas were deeply involved in the Portuguese African Wars, from 1961 to 1975.
In 1975, the title "Caçadores" was discontinued in the Portuguese Armed Forces. All existing units of Caçadores were reclassified as normal infantry.
Light infantry
Traditionally light infantry 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...
of the Portuguese Army
Portuguese Army
The Portuguese Army is the ground branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in co-operation with other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the defence of Portugal...
during the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. They were referred by Lord Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
, as the "fighting cocks" of his Anglo-Portuguese Army
Anglo-Portuguese Army
The Anglo-Portuguese Army was the combined British and Portuguese army that won the Peninsular War, under the command of Arthur Wellesley. The Army is also referred to as the British-Portuguese Army and, in Portuguese, as the Exército Anglo-Luso or the Exército Anglo-Português.The Anglo-Portuguese...
.
Origins
The origins of the Caçadores can be found in several light infantry units, created in the Portuguese Army during the 18th century, like the Royal Volunteers Regiment and the Light Troops Legion. After the War of the PyreneesWar of the Pyrenees
War of the Pyrenees refers to the Pyrenees front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic. Also known as Great War, War of Roussillon, or War of the Convention, it pitted Revolutionary France against the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal from March 1793 to July 1795 during the...
, in 1797, a company of Caçadores was created in each Portuguese infantry regiment.
Peninsular War
In 1808, as a result of the rebuilding of the Portuguese Army following the expulsion of General Junot's army from PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Portuguese War secretary Miguel Pereira Forjaz
Miguel Pereira Forjaz
Dom Miguel Pereira Forjaz , 9th Count of Feira, was a Portuguese general in the Peninsular War.-Life:He entered the army in 1785, as a cadet in the Regiment of Peniche, in which he met many members of his family...
proposed the creation of independent battalions of Caçadores. Six battalions were created, at the same time being extinguished the regimental Caçadores companies. Later in the Peninsula War, additional battalions and other units of Caçadores were created. Each battalion came to include a special Atiradores (sharpshooters) company armed with rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s. In the Anglo-Portuguese Army, the Caçadores integrated the elite Light Division
Light Division
The Light Division was a light infantry Division of the British Army formed in the early 19th Century. It can trace its origins to the Light Companies which had been formed to move at speed over inhospitable terrain and protect the main forces by skirmishing tactics...
, brigaded with the British units of Rifles.
One of the most distinctive features of the Caçadores was their famous brown
Brown
Brown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....
uniform
Uniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
. The brown uniform was chosen as a form of camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
, considered more appropriate to the dry lands of the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
than the traditional green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
uniforms used by the light infantry of most other countries in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
During the Peninsular War, Caçadores became especially notable in the performance of marksmanship at long distances, creating the modern military concept of the sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
.
The battalions and, later, regiments of Caçadores continued to form the light infantry of the Portuguese Army during the rest of the 19th century. They became extinct after the reorganization of the Army of 1911, when they were transformed into line infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiments.
20th century
In the 20th century, several types of units named "Caçadores" were created in the Portuguese Armed ForcesPortuguese Armed Forces
The armed forces of Portugal, commonly known as the Portuguese Armed Forces encompasses a Navy , an Army and an Air Force...
, namely:
- Caçadores battalions - recreated, in the Portuguese Army reorganization of 1926, as border defense units, kept in a hight state of readiness. They were designed to defend the border against an enemy attack, for the time necessary to mobilize the line infantry units;
- Caçadores (overseas) - the title "Caçadores" was also given, in the 1930s1930sFile:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
, to the light infantry battalions and independent companies responsible for the garrison of the Portuguese overseas territoriesPortuguese EmpireThe Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
. There were units of this type mobilized both in European Portugal and locally in each overseas territory, forming the vast majority of units committed by the Portuguese Army in the Portuguese Colonial WarPortuguese Colonial WarThe Portuguese Colonial War , also known in Portugal as the Overseas War or in the former colonies as the War of liberation , was fought between Portugal's military and the emerging nationalist movements in Portugal's African colonies between 1961 and 1974, when the Portuguese regime was...
; - Caçadores Especiais (special hunters) - several special forces companies of the Portuguese Army created by the Special Operations Troops Centre at the beginning of the 1960s1960sThe 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
. These units wore a brown beret in the colour of the uniforms of the Caçadores of the Peninsular War. Later the Caçadores Especiais were abolished and the brown beret started to be used by most of the units of the Portuguese Army; - Caçadores Paraquedistas (parachutist hunters) - paratrooper battalionParachute Troops SchoolThe ETP - Escola de Tropas Páraquedistas , based in Tancos, Portugal, is a unit of the Portuguese Army and serves as the instruction center for recruitment and training of the Portuguese paratroopers...
(later regiment) formed by the Portuguese Air ForcePortuguese Air ForceThe Portuguese Air Force is the air force of Portugal. Formed on July 1, 1952, with the Aeronáutica Militar and Aviação Naval united in a single independent Air Force, it is one of the three branches of the Portuguese Armed Forces and its origins dates back to 1912, when the military aviation...
, in the 1950s. Later, battalions of Caçadores Paraquedistas were also created in AngolaAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, MozambiqueMozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
and Portuguese GuineaPortuguese GuineaPortuguese Guinea was the name for what is today Guinea-Bissau from 1446 to September 10, 1974.-History:...
.
The Caçadores (overseas), Caçadores Especiais and Caçadores Paraquedistas were deeply involved in the Portuguese African Wars, from 1961 to 1975.
In 1975, the title "Caçadores" was discontinued in the Portuguese Armed Forces. All existing units of Caçadores were reclassified as normal infantry.