'Persia Intelligence Report. May, 1946' [‎4v] (8/80)

6
(A) COAST
[Part V — continued]
The importance of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. lies principally in its relation to international communications.
It has been a commercial and strategic highway between Europe and Asia for over 5,000 years. The
head of the Gulf affords the natural outlet on the sea to the shortest route from central and southern
Europe to India and the whole of the Gulf lies on the flank of any military movement through Persia
in a similar direction.
THE SOUTHERN COAST OF PERSIA FROM IRAQ TO BALUCHISTAN
(1) The Shatt-aLArab to Ras-al-Bahrgan (Admiralty Charts 1265 and 2837B)
The Persian coast at the head of the Gulf is composed mainly of mud flats and marshes which
extend 60 miles inland round the Khor Musa inlet (up which is the port of Bandar Shapur, see (B) Ports),
together with Abadan Island to the west. The tracks across the marshes keep more than 40 miles
inland and are motorable only in dry weather.
Abadan Island (to the north of which stands the port of Khorramshahr [see (B) Ports), where
the Karun river joins the Shatt-al-Arab by the Hafar Channel) is a low desert plain, 40 miles long,
between the Shatt-al-Arab to the south-west and the Bahmanshir (Bahmishir) river to the north-east.
The island is bordered by date groves and cultivation, except on the seaward side which is swampy.
On the north-west side stands the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company’s refinery and port of Abadan (see
(B) Ports). The Bahmanshir river is the natural mouth of the Karun river, but most of the Karun
water was diverted to the Shatt-al-Arab when the Hafar Channel was dug in mediaeval times, and the
upper Bahmanshir is now very shallow.
The coast between the Bahmanshir and the Khor Musa, 20 miles east, is composed of wide tidal
mud flats, intersected by shallow channels. Inland of them are extensive marshes which are usually
flooded and inhabited only by wild fowl. Farther inland are flat plains which are liable to flood in
winter but are dry in summer, with shrubs and coarse grass, and are cultivated by irrigation or used
for grazing.
The Khor Musa is a deep water channel in the mud flats. It winds inland for 50 miles, and at
the head is split into many intersecting channels. There is an anchorage 20 miles from the entrance
where the Khor Qanaqeh joins the Khor Musa, and a further 20 miles up the channel lies the port of
Bandar Shapur. On the left bank of the Khor Musa lies Fasht-al-Mua, a bank of sand and mud,
which dries in patches and extends 12 miles to the east towards Ras Tanub, from which point it is
separated by the Khor Ghazlan. In this khor there are depths of 9 ft.
About 1£ miles north-westward of Ras Tanub is the mouth of a river or creek with extensive
ruins on its banks. The coast north-westward is nearly all covered at high water *and has not been
surveyed ; it is fronted by tidal flats, which are intersected by a number of deep channels which have
also not been surveyed.
To the east of Ras Tanub lies a bay formed by the mouth of the Khor Ghazlan, into this runs the
Hindian river, the delta of which forms Ras-al-Bahrgan. The coast of the bay consists of mud flats
which give way to a wide grassy plain stretching north-east for more than 30 miles to the foothills
of the Khuzistan mountains. Although parts of this plain are marshy during wet weather, there is
no intervening marsh belt between the mud flats.
The Hindian river enters the sea a few miles north-westward of Ras Bahrgan. It appears to
have several mouths, forming a delta, but has only one main channel. The principal entrance is very
shallow and has only been partially surveyed. Only small native craft normally use the river, but a
steam vessel with a draught of 8 ft. has ascended as far as the village of Hindian.
(2) Ras-al-Bahrgan to Bushire (Admiralty Chart 2837B)
Ras Bahrgan is a low sandy strip which is nearly covered at high water ; inland the country is
swampy for many miles and a bank, with depths of less than 3 fathoms, extends about 6 miles southward
from the point. Mud flats, which dry, extend for some miles on either side of the point, and eastward
of it landing is impossible, the mud being soft for about half a mile off shore. There are two conspicuous
date groves about 3 miles northward of the point. The coast between Ras Bahrgan and Ras Tanb
30 miles to the eastward, forms an extensive bay. From Ras Bahrgan to the village of Shah-Abu-Shah
the coast is low and may be approached in safety if soundings Measurements of the depth of a body of water. are taken, as the depths decrease
regularly. Shah-Abu-Shah is situated on the hillocks at the head of Dilam Bay. A small creek gives
access to the village and a large white-domed tomb is conspicuous. From Ras Bahrgan to the head of
the bay the tide sets north-eastward and south-westward along the coast. Beyond Shah-abu-Shah
the low sandy coast gradually gives way to a rocky strip about 10 to 15 ft. in height, which leads in a
south-easterly direction to Dilam, 8 miles distant.
Dilam is a small town in which there is a large and conspicuous square fort, in and around which
the houses are built, and appears, when first sighted from seaward, as an island. This is now an
unimportant fishing village but was, in the 18th century, a Dutch trading port. Mud flats, which dry,
extend offshore, and in them there is a small creek where native craft can lie, but this also dries at low
water. Landing is difficult even at high water. The bottom is hard sand for about 3 cables off shore,
with soft mud further out. Anchorage may be obtained in a depth of about 4 fathoms in soft mud,
3| miles off shore, or in 3 fathoms in clay, about 2| miles from the village. The anchorage is sheltered
from the shamal, and the kaus does not raise the usual sea, though it blows with strength.