Thanks
What force composed this (below)? I just felt the implication that there were guard units with it as it was under the command of Catherine's favourite, but maybe that was a totally incorrect assumption?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Expedition_of_1796
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
I was talking about the 1870s onwards. This particular persian expedition was manned this way:
Caspian Division (Gudovich):
- Nizhegorod and Astrakhan Dragoon regiments (both were fairly senior regular cavary units, one later became a cuirasseer outfit).
- Khopyor Cossack Regiment (Don Cossacks). The cossacks had the attached engineers with the pontoons.
- Volga Cossack Regiment (Terek Cossacks)
- Col. Mashlykin's regiment (Don Cossacks)
Brigade Divisions as of April '96
Bulgakov:
2 battalions Kuban Jaeger Corps
2 battalions Caucasus Grenadier Regiment
Rimsky-Korsakov:
1 bat. Combined Grenadiers (Vladimir and Kabardin Musketeer Regts.)
1 bat. Voronzeh Infantry Reg.
1 bat. Tiflis Musketeer Reg.
Benningsen:
Vladimir Dragoons Regt. 7 sq.
Nizhegorod Dragoons Regt. 7 sq.
Apraksin:
Taganrog Dragoons Regt.
Astrakhan Dragoons Regt.
Platov (Cossack Division) (under lieut-col. Baranov until the invasion of Daghestan)
Khopyor Regt. (3 squadrons)
Volga Regt. (3 squadrons)
Mashlykin Regt. (3 squadrons)
Mozdok Cossack Regt. (Terek) (3 squadrons)
Reserve Legion Cavalry (1 squadron)
Grebensk Cossack Host (3 squadrons)
Terek (Semeynoe) Cossack Regt. (1 squadron)
Corps artillery was probably distributed organically among all brigades (about 18 guns in all?)
Naval Troops:
Frigates: "Tsarytsin", "Kavkaz", "Astrakhan"; Bombardier Ships: "Mozdok", "Kyzilyar"; brigantines: "Slava", "Pobeda"; packet-boats: "Sokol", "Letuchiy"; Infantry Ship "Orel", transports: "Ural", "Volga".
Naval Descent team (Rakhmanov):
1 bat. Vladimir Musketeer Regt.
1 bat. Kabardin Musketeer Regt.
1 "hundred" of Black Sea Cossacks naval infantry
1 battery of Corps field artillery
Total: 30,00K, of which 8,000 went to protect Tiflis and the rest went to storm Derbent.
Once Derbent was taken, it was garrisoned by (additionally):
Saveliev:
1 combined Gren. batallion (Moscow and Kazan Musk. Regt.)
1 bat. Caucasus Jaeger Corps
2 "hundreds" Cossacks, with 4 guns (+ 29 captured from Persia)
The advance on Baku was reinforced with (Zubov):
1st Chuguyev Cossack Regt.
Count Orlov's Don Cossack Regt.
During the operations in the interior, Uglich Light Infantry (+4 guns) was also involved and arrived from Tilflis.
As you can see, a good mix of senior and juinor regiments, lots of cossacks, and the Caspian flotilla of course. Lots of very senior commanders involved.