'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎69v] (143/610)

108
Strategical
notes on
the Persian
plateau section.
Qaplan Kuli
position.
Section 6 .—
14. Rashtabad-Kisom
15. Astaneh.
On Rasbt-Lahijan road.
Large ferry boats for men.'
and animals. Light carri
ages and carts can be man
handled onto them. Some
shallow draught river boats
are used on this section,
vide Chapter X, paragraph
(b), but no statistics of
numbers are available. 50
is probably a maximum
estimate.
llnsectr
b y
FttMej
% and
a iteration
i filer S
Mow le j
ha flood,
(far as'Mai
Skl-Easl
'ins to Tel]
'Hi,
The difficulties of approach to the Persian plateau from the
Caspian on the North-East have already been discussed in‘the
strategical notes on the Caspian provinces.
On the itforth and North-West of this area the Kizil Uzun
valley and the Afshar mountains are considerable obstacles.
The movement of troops in the undulating highlands of
Khalkhal and Khamseh is fairly easy except in winter and early
spring, but the crossing of the Kizil Uzun valley in Khalkhal is-
so difficult that the Ardabil-Zinjan and Hirabad-Zinjan routes
are of little military importance, and the strategical line of
approach into this area from the North lies along the Tabriz-
Mianeh-Zinjan road crossing the Qaplan Kuh between the
Aqdughmish and Kizil Uzun rivers.
The chief asset of defensive positions near the road over
this ridge are :—
1. The impracticability of crossing the ridge at any other
point with wheeled transport.
2. A o-ood field of fire, 1 to 2 miles in width but narrowing
"to the South-West, where hills approach nearer to
the river, can be commanded over the Aqdughmish
valley by posts at the foot of the range on the Mianeh
3. The impassability of the Kizil Uzun gorge below Qaplan
Kuh bridge.
Their weaknesses are :—
1. The Aqdughmish and Kizil Uzun rivers, with the excep
tion of the gorge section of the Kizil Uzun below
Qaplan Kuh bridge, above their junction are no-
obstacle unless in flood.
^■Tehran