from A.V. Exelby of Norwich

The Preobrazhenski Guards had 4 battalions and the Semenovski, 3, with field strengths of around 400 each. The rest of the army consisted of 9 'battalions' of Streltsy and 46 battalions of line troops, plus 6 squadrons of dragoons and the irregular cavalry. (Order of battle in Zweguintzow, RUSSKAYA ARMIYA / L'ARMEE RUSSE, vol. 1). The total of 70,000 is way off-course; Zwcguinizow allows 34,000 while the Swedish General Staff history, KARL XII PA SLAGFALTET, gives just 33,000; this includes all irregulars. (I can provide a more detailed breakdown if required). Massie, PETER THE GREAT, gives 35,000, pointing out that much of the larger overall army Peter was forming was many miles away. Duffy in his RUSSIA'S MILITARY WAY TO THE WEST, the most authoratitive work in English on the eighteenth century Russian army, gives 34,000 and reminds that the irregular cavalry were nobles, not peasant levies - this would affect their appearance and intended tactics (they probably thought of themselves as heavy cavalry) but made precious little difference to their performance?

Voltaire is not a reliable history, particularly for the period before 1709 where he had no original sources to work from.

Incidentally, Croy was not French but from the Spanish Netherlands; he came to Russia after extensive experience with the Imperialists in Hungary; and the picture of Peter panicking and running at the approach of the Swedes has been discredited.

On the Swedes: a bit nit-picking, but they had 48 (more usually given as 47) squadrons of cavalry, not troops - there's a big difference.

from Ian Sumner

As a footnote to the articles on the Battle of Narva, the book NARVATROFEER by Petrelli and Lagrelius includes several plans of the battle. On some the names of the regiments are listed, and I append a list of those I have been able to decipher. I am not an expert on either army, so I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the spelling.

RUSSIAN: (one plan calls it Muscovite) from left to right: Preobaschenski, Serpenovski, Fielwerck, Schevins Dragoons, Ivanitzky, Mevens, Bieltz, Bohlmann, Dewitz, Columb, Amiroff, Baihoff, Westhoff, Brisch, Scheven, Strogaloff, Golschaninoff, Sucharoff, Lima, Gordon [come on, there must be a story here!] Gulitz Dragoons, Drodin, Werden, Balck junior, Schweden, Junger, Balck senior, Wilhelm von Dehlen, Johan von Dehlen, Novgorodski cavalry, Scheremethoff cavalry.

What the plan in the article does not show, although it is hinted at on the panorama, is the presence of a rectangular work, occupying that part of the Russian lines where they cross the ridge west of Narva. The regiments from Columb to Scheven inclusive were in that work.

SWEDEN: The King's Column - Grenadier battalion Liven, Drabant Guard, Finska dragoons, Rehnskiold cavalry; The Centre Column - 2 battalions Dahlkarer, 3 batalions Westmaniand, 1 battalion Nyland, 1 battalion Savolaks, 1 battalion Bjorneborg, 1 battalion Viborg, 3 companies Liffander, 3 companies Estland Adelsfanen, 3 companies Aboland; The Right Column - a battalion of grenadiers, a battalion of grenadiers of the Guard, Lyfgarde, 4 battalions Garde, 1 battalion Mellins, 2 battalions Westmanland, 1 battalion Halsinger, 1 battalion Triplenings Finnar (sic), Karelska cavalry, Karelska dragoons.