Reginald's Regiments of Renown, Issue #2

Das Erste Regiment der Fliegerjaegerren

(First Flying Hunter Regiment)

History

The First Fliegerjaegerren Regiment was dreamt up by the notorious mad scientist Otto Maton when he worked for the Kaiserlich Forschungsanstalt fur Geheimewaffen (Imperial Research Institute for Secret Weapons) in the late 60s. Maton developed the fliegertornister device in nine months. General Muller approved testing the device in 1871, and a call for volunteers was made. No one volunteered. In the great Junker tradition, General Muller then volun'told' the first soldier he saw - Herr Leutnant Schickelgruber of the Quartermaster's Corps.

Faced with a choice of possible death by ingenious device, or certain death by firing squad for disobeying an order, Schickelgruber hesitantly strapped on the fliegertornister (flying pack). Doctor Maton wound up the clockwork springs that powered the fiendish whirling blades. Moments later, Leutnant Schickelgruber discovered exactly how difficult piloting one of these contraptions could be, by slamming repeatedly into the side of the zeppelin hangar adjacent to the test site. He was awarded the Blue Max (posthumously).

After some fine tuning, Maton tested the device himself in front of a group of elite Prussian Jaegers in 1873. Convinced the device could be managed better by real soldiers (as compared to thumbless idiots of the Quartermaster's Corps!), the Jaegers demanded instruction in the arts of personal flight. More demonstrations of their ability in front of the Chancellor convinced the Army to fund and field an entire regiment of flying jaegers.

Combat History

Due to multiple delays in finishing equipment procurement and training, the First Fliegerjaeger Regiment was not ready for duty before the end of the Franco-Prussian War. Rumors abound that the French used saboteurs to delay the delivery of the fliegertornisterren. No proof of these rumors has been brought forth to date.

As of the time of publication, the fliegerjaegerren have not participated in any major campaigns. They were used (minus their flight packs) to quell bread riots in Germany's Polish holdings. The new reciprocating weapons they have been armed with proved very effective in streetfighting.

Hauptmann Erich von Kluck, 1st Fljgr. Regiment

Uniform

In the photostat above, an officer of the 1st Battalion, 1st Fliegerjaeger Regiment, is shown giving the command to launch. His blouse and trousers are of feldgrau wool. His boots, gloves and equipment carrying gear are of brown leather. His eyes are protected from the wind and small wind-borne particles by green-tinted goggles. His breastplate is steel, as is his helmet. The helmet is fitted with a brass spike and chains, and a regimental plate on the front. The battalion designation is shown on the red collar tabs, with brass numeral 1.

The fliegertornister, or flightpack is encased in sheet metal. A large brass key protrudes from the rear, requiring the fliegerjaegers to operate in 'turnmate' pairs, each winding the other's pack as needed. The officer is armed with a magazine-fed pistol, fitted with a wooden holster/stock. NCOs and privates of the fliegerjaegers are armed instead with a reciprocating carbine (Karabineautomatische) designed specifically for their use by the KFG.