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Description
Hetalia © by Hidekaz Himaruya

"Preußische Jäger" (prussian (light) riflemen)

The Jäger were a special type of light infantrymen, who fought in open formation.
"Jäger" is the german term for "hunter/huntsman" (as well in plural "hunters/huntsmen"). They developed as a miltary type in times, when the infantry still fought in a line. Due to the single-shot, muzzle-loading, smoothbore flint-lock muskets, the range and accuracy of those firearms was rather poor. It took also some time to reload them after every shot. The attempt of evening that out was the line-tactic, which saw the infantrymen lining up side on side and firing their muskets all at once. However, the infantry-line was rather inflexible, slow at maneuvers and thus was bound to orders for every single action. It required a high amount of discipline of the soldiers of the line-infantry to be most effective.

Due to the german particularism, there were many german countries who had introduced Jäger-units in their respective armies, e.g. Hessia whose Jäger saw service in the American Indepenence War.
Here, I'll only present prussian Jäger.

Early, tacticians realized the need for more agile and flexible units than the line-infantry.
In 1744, king Frederick II. the Great of Prussia (der "Alte Fritz" (the Old Fritz)) called huntsmen and rangers into the prussian army to form their first unit named after their profession, "Jäger" (hunters). Those men were experienced in accurate shooting, quick moving and acting on their own.
This new type of light-infantry was supposed to fight in open formation and to move and fight freely, only given mission commands. Their task was scouting and fast attacks on the the enemy to weaken his formation.
The Jäger were equipped with guns with rifled barrel (thus called "rifles" (I guess...)) which were more accurate than the standard smoothbore muskets and enabled the Jäger to serve as sharpshooters, as well.

In difference to the common line-infantry, the prussian Jäger wore green uniforms, traditionally associated with huntsmen and rangers. They maintained their characteristic colour throughout the time until the field-grey uniform was generally introduced into the german imperial army's ground-forces, the "Heer".
In addition to their uniform's colour, the Jäger maintained the black shakos, however, they were made lighter and smaller. Their sleeves were different as well, while common infantry wore "brandenburg sleeves", the Jäger wore "swedish sleeves" (just compare it on the picture).
Also, the Jäger used a "Hirschfänger", a hunting dagger, instead of the common bayonet and wore their rifles not slung over their shoulder but slung under the axilla (that's a fault on my depiction).

With the general introduction of rifles, replacing the musket fully, the role of the Jäger slightly decreased a bit, but the line-tactic was maintained for the general infantry. Finally, their original special role became obsolete with the general introduction of breech-loading rifles (the Dreyse-Zündnadelgewehr (needle-gun) in the prussian army). Now, every soldier was able and trained in moving and fighting freely.
However, the units and their name "Jäger" were still hold up due to tradition.

On the picture, we have Prussia/Gilbert Beilschmidt in the uniform of the Jäger in about 1870-80.
He wears the prussian "Eiserne Kreuz" (Iron Cross) with its black-white ribbon slung through a button-hole. Gilbert has a "Schützenschnur", awarded for great marksmanship, as well.
We, too, see a common prussian infantryman of the german imperial Heer, wearing the characteristic prussian-blue uniform and the Pickelhaube (spicked-helmet).

They are equipped with the Mauser M71, a single-shot breech-loading rifle which succeeded the Dreyse-Zündnadelgewehr. It was loaded with brass-cartridges instead of the former paper-cartridges. Later versions, the M71/84, were fitted with a tubular magzaine which could hold 8 rounds, making it the first repeating rifle of the german army.
In 1888, it was replaced by the Gewehr 88 (the "commission-rifle"), which itself was finally replaced by the Mauser Gewehr 98, the predecessor of the Wehrmacht's shortened Karabiner 98k.)

Description
Hetalia © by Hidekaz Himaruya

"Preußische Jäger" (prussian (light) riflemen)

The Jäger were a special type of light infantrymen, who fought in open formation.
"Jäger" is the german term for "hunter/huntsman" (as well in plural "hunters/huntsmen"). They developed as a miltary type in times, when the infantry still fought in a line. Due to the single-shot, muzzle-loading, smoothbore flint-lock muskets, the range and accuracy of those firearms was rather poor. It took also some time to reload them after every shot. The attempt of evening that out was the line-tactic, which saw the infantrymen lining up side on side and firing their muskets all at once. However, the infantry-line was rather inflexible, slow at maneuvers and thus was bound to orders for every single action. It required a high amount of discipline of the soldiers of the line-infantry to be most effective.

Due to the german particularism, there were many german countries who had introduced Jäger-units in their respective armies, e.g. Hessia whose Jäger saw service in the American Indepenence War.
Here, I'll only present prussian Jäger.

Early, tacticians realized the need for more agile and flexible units than the line-infantry.
In 1744, king Frederick II. the Great of Prussia (der "Alte Fritz" (the Old Fritz)) called huntsmen and rangers into the prussian army to form their first unit named after their profession, "Jäger" (hunters). Those men were experienced in accurate shooting, quick moving and acting on their own.
This new type of light-infantry was supposed to fight in open formation and to move and fight freely, only given mission commands. Their task was scouting and fast attacks on the the enemy to weaken his formation.
The Jäger were equipped with guns with rifled barrel (thus called "rifles" (I guess...)) which were more accurate than the standard smoothbore muskets and enabled the Jäger to serve as sharpshooters, as well.

In difference to the common line-infantry, the prussian Jäger wore green uniforms, traditionally associated with huntsmen and rangers. They maintained their characteristic colour throughout the time until the field-grey uniform was generally introduced into the german imperial army's ground-forces, the "Heer".
In addition to their uniform's colour, the Jäger maintained the black shakos, however, they were made lighter and smaller. Their sleeves were different as well, while common infantry wore "brandenburg sleeves", the Jäger wore "swedish sleeves" (just compare it on the picture).
Also, the Jäger used a "Hirschfänger", a hunting dagger, instead of the common bayonet and wore their rifles not slung over their shoulder but slung under the axilla (that's a fault on my depiction).

With the general introduction of rifles, replacing the musket fully, the role of the Jäger slightly decreased a bit, but the line-tactic was maintained for the general infantry. Finally, their original special role became obsolete with the general introduction of breech-loading rifles (the Dreyse-Zündnadelgewehr (needle-gun) in the prussian army). Now, every soldier was able and trained in moving and fighting freely.
However, the units and their name "Jäger" were still hold up due to tradition.

On the picture, we have Prussia/Gilbert Beilschmidt in the uniform of the Jäger in about 1870-80.
He wears the prussian "Eiserne Kreuz" (Iron Cross) with its black-white ribbon slung through a button-hole. Gilbert has a "Schützenschnur", awarded for great marksmanship, as well.
We, too, see a common prussian infantryman of the german imperial Heer, wearing the characteristic prussian-blue uniform and the Pickelhaube (spicked-helmet).

They are equipped with the Mauser M71, a single-shot breech-loading rifle which succeeded the Dreyse-Zündnadelgewehr. It was loaded with brass-cartridges instead of the former paper-cartridges. Later versions, the M71/84, were fitted with a tubular magzaine which could hold 8 rounds, making it the first repeating rifle of the german army.
In 1888, it was replaced by the Gewehr 88 (the "commission-rifle"), which itself was finally replaced by the Mauser Gewehr 98, the predecessor of the Wehrmacht's shortened Karabiner 98k.)