Caçadores

Caçadores
Soldier of the 6th Battalion of Caçadores in 1811
Country	Portugal
Branch	Portuguese Army
Type	Light infantry
Nickname(s)	Fighting Cocks

The Caçadores were the elite light infantry troops of the Portuguese Army, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Units of Caçadores – with features somewhat different from the original ones – continued to exist in the Portuguese Armed Forces until the 1970s.

Caçadores is the plural of caçador, the Portuguese word for "hunter". It has also been used to designate each one of the elite light infantry soldiers of the Portuguese Army. As such it is a direct equivalent of the German military term Jäger and the French military term chasseur. It may also be considered comparable to the English language term ranger.

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 Pyrenees in 1797, a company of Caçadores was created in each Portuguese infantry regiment.

In 1808, following the pitiful showing of the Portuguese Army against the French, the Portuguese government realised the necessity of appointing a commander-in-chief capable of training, equipping and disciplining the demoralised Portuguese Army. After the expulsion of General Junot's army from Portugal, British Army General William Beresford was recommended by Arthur Wellesley for the role and was appointed as Commander-in-Chief of the Portuguese Army on 7 March 1809. As part of Beresford reforms, Portuguese War secretary Miguel Pereira Forjaz proposed the creation of independent battalions of Caçadores and six would be created. Later in the Peninsular War, additional battalions and other units of Caçadores were formed due to the success of the original six battalions. Each battalion came to include a special Atiradores (sharpshooters) company armed with rifles. In the Anglo-Portuguese Army, some Caçadores units were integrated into the elite Light Division, brigaded with the British units of the 95th Rifles.