| Grenadier (assault Trooper) |
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The earliest references to these grenade-throwing soldiers are from Austria and Spain . References also appear in England during the English Civil War . However, it was King Louis XIV Of France who made the Grenadier an official type of soldier and company during his army reforms late in the 17th century. According to Rene Chartrand , Lt. Col. Jean Martinet introduced the idea of having men detailed to throw grenades in the ''Régiment du Roi'' in 1667 . The first grenades were small spheres filled with Gunpowder fused with a length of slow-match. The grenadiers had to be tall and strong enough to hurl the heavy objects far enough not to harm themselves or their comrades, and disciplined enough to stand at the forefront of the fight, light the fuse, wait, and throw at the appropriate moment to minimize the opportunity for the enemy to throw the grenade back. Over time, such regiments came to be regarded as elite. Wide hats with broad brims were discarded and replaced with caps. This was originally to allow the grenadier to sling his longarm or musket over his back with greater ease while throwing grenades (initially, only these unique troops were provided with slings). By 1700 , several regiments had adopted a cap in the shape of bishop's Mitre , usually decorated with the unit's Insignia . In addition to grenades, they were equipped with contemporary Longarms . The uniform included a belt tube that held the match for lighting the fuse; this feature was retained in several later grenadier uniforms. Grenade usage declined significantly in the 18th century, a fact that can be attributed to the improved effectiveness of massive Infantry line tactics and firelock technology; however, the need for elite assault troops remained, and the existing grenadier units were used for this purpose. The term grenadier was retained or adopted by various elite infantry units, including Potsdam Grenadiers , Napoleon 's Imperial Guard , the Imperial Russia n Grenadier Leib Guard s Regiment, Grenadier Guards and the 101st Grenadiers . The latter was part of the British Indian Army and claimed to be the first and oldest grenadier regiment in the British Empire . During the American Revolution of 1775-1783, the Connecticut 1st Company Governor's Foot Guards {Link without Title} and the 11th Regiment of Connecticut Milita had grenadier companies {Link without Title} {Link without Title} . New York City had a Grenadier unit {}. In modern times, regiments using the name grenadiers are effectively indistinguishable from other infantry, especially when Hand Grenade s, RPG s, and other types of explosive arms have become standard-issue weaponry; however, such regiments retain at least the tradition of their elite past. Grenadier can also refer to soldiers utilizing Grenade Launcher s, including those mounted on rifles. In the Swiss Army , the Grenadiers form the elite Special Forces . They are used for especially challenging operations and are initially trained in Isone, a secluded, mountainous region in the South of Switzerland. The Swiss Grenadiers specialize in Urban Warfare , Guerrilla Warfare , anti-terrorist operations, Commando tactics, Sniper missions, Hand To Hand Combat , and other special operations. The Argentine Army still operates and maintains an unit known as the Horse Grenadiers Regiment ('' Regimiento De Granaderos A Caballo '') -actually a battalion-strength formation-, which serves as the Presidential ceremonial escort and guard unit. The Regiment's founder and first commanding officer was General José De San Martín . Unlike other units which carried the title of "grenadiers", the Argentine Grenadiers are a ''cavalry'' unit, and continue to mount horses for ceremonial purposes. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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