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 heavy 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 mostly standardized for armies.

1 History of the light infantry
- 1.1 Antiquity
- 1.2 Modern age
2 Light infantry today
3 See also

History of the light infantry

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 times in time the term more adequetly 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.

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 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 known as Rifle regiments. Unusually, light infantry officers often carried muskets as well and their swords were lighter and curved, 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 heavy 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.

British Light Infantry Regiments
British Rifle Regiments

Light infantry today

Today, the term "light" refers to the lower amount of equipment (and hence weight) that light infantry use when compared to armoured infantry (who use armoured fighting vehicles). 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 takes for a mechanized infantry units). Example types include :

seaborne or ship-based units, such as Britain's Royal Marines or United States Marines.
airborne or paratroops, such as Britain's Parachute Regiment and the American Airborne Divisions
Air assault (meaning air-mobile) infantry units, which use helicopters for transportation to and from missions such as the American 101st Airborne Division.
Special Operations units such as the United States Marine Corps' MEU(SOC), US Army's Rangers, Canada's Canadian Special Operations Regiment(CSOR), and Britain's Special Forces Support Group.
infantry intended for difficult terrain such as mountains (see 10th Mountain Division/1st Marines) or jungle.
mechanised infantry (i.e. using unarmoured vehicles such as trucks).
internal security or paramilitary troops.
troops involved in Guerilla or counter Guerilla warfare.
home defence or militia.

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.

Not all light infantry fight for a state military. According to a former FBI agent who was a senior member of the Bureau's counter-terrorism unit, the light infantry of the Shi'a Islamist organization Hezbollah are the finest in the world.[1]

Light infantry

Contents

History of the light infantry

Antiquity

Modern age

Light infantry today

See also