Coll 28/39(2) ‘Persia. Printed Correspondence, 1937–’ [‎59v] (118/320)

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2. The information detailed below is believed to be correct but owing to
the great difficulty of getting reliable information, no guarantee of accuracy
can be given.
3. The plan of campaign seems to have been to exercise such pressure on
the tribe as to secure the submission of their leader Khoda Karam, who had
been declared an outlaw, the surrender of arms and ammunition and the
general pacification of the tribesmen without bloodshed.
4. True to their traditional strategy, the tribes withdrew from the south
in a north-westerly direction towards their fortress called Qaleh Ala and a
nearby mountain named Koh-i-Mungasht. These two are situated about
six miles apart in a district about forty miles to the east of Ram Hormuz and
Haft Khel. In their retreat, the tribesmen were followed by the military
detachment but no engagement took place. Instead a nephew of Khoda
Karam with some fifty followers surrendered to the military and were enrolled
as irregulars and armed.
5. When Qaleh Ala was reached, it was found to be unoccupied by the
Bahmai and Sarhang Saqafi ordered its demolition. This was a blunder as it
seemed obvious that the Bahmai would congregate on Kuh-i-Mungasht,
roughly six miles to the east in which event it would have been useful as a
centre for the Iranian military. At this point Khoda Karam became des
pondent and sought to make terms. He sent his wife and children to the
troops offering the submission of his tribe, the surrender of all arms and
obedience to all Government orders in the matter of subscription, payment of
revenue etc. In return he asked to be allowed to remain free to live in the
mountains, promising to be peaceful. This offer was communicated to
Ahwaz by the Officer-in-Charge of the garrison, Sultan Qahremani, but the
command headquarters, possible after reference to Tehran, refused these terms
and ordered the arrest of Khoda Karam by force if necessary. His wife and
children, who had been well treated by the military were then allowed to go
back to Khoda Karam.
6. Determined to resist, Khoda Karam organised an attack on the military
which began at 3 a.m. on the night of the 19th September and lasted for about
48 hours. In this he was apparently aided by the Bahmai who had been
enrolled as irregulars. The attack which started at first as a hand to hand
struggle was partly successful, the Military Governor of Behbehan being killed
while some four other officers and about sixty other ranks were killed or
wounded. In addition, rifles ammunition and one machine gun were cap
tured and Sultan Qahremani and a few other ranks were taken prisoners.
These prisoners subsequently escaped in a later skirmish though they were well
treated when in captivity. The losses sustained by the tribesmen do
not appear to have been serious owing to the successful use of surprise. The
military machine gunners seem to have caused most casualties. The tribes
men s plan was to surround the military and exterminate them but the tribes-
men were ignorant of the powers of the machine gun and so the plan failed«
The military remained and the tribesmen withdrew to Mungasht. Actually
the Iianian military were greatly outnumbered and seem to have fought welh
7. This partial reverse suffered by the Iranian arms made a profound
impression on the military. General Muiny returned by air from Tehran,,
although according to local report he was doing the course for general officers
organised by the French Military Mission. Arrangements were made to send
m roop-j Irom Ivhorramabad and Dizful (girrisons in the Khuzistan
commanc) and from Shiraz the. plan being to concentrate on Kuh-i-
Mungasht from various directions and to beleaguer it. General Muiny
withdrew the cavalry and mountain gun sections of the original force-
declaring them to be unsuitable for the terrain. It is said that the total
mi i ary s length now employed in the area now amounts to some eight
thousand men though no reliance can be placed on this figure. To get the
. ^ az J^to portion lorries and ta,xi cabs were commandeered for several
A f ? urther stated that four light tanks have been sent to the area.
in eres mg re-infoi cement was the despatch of about sixty young officers,
who were undergoing training in Tehran. ^ ^ J 6