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Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’ [278v] (556/807)
The record is made up of 1 file (401 folios). It was created in 11 Feb 1937-29 Jul 1942. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
2
11th (Gilan) Division : One battery 105-mm. short,
10th (Gurgan) Division : One battery 105-mm. short.
4th (North-West) Division : Three batteries 105-mm. short.
3rd (North-East) Division : Three batteries 105-mm. short.
Note. —Each battery consists of four guns. ^
The new divisions are still very much under strength.
4. Iranian A ij‘ Force.
(i) The Tabriz military aerodrome is being enlarged and will extend to the
left side of the Tabriz-Julfa road, which is to be diverted to the south-west.
(ii) The construction of a landing ground at Sauj Bulagh (Mahabad) is being
carried out.
(iii) Two hundred and forty Browning pattern machine guns for aircraft
have recently been delivered in Tehran. These form part of an order given to the
Fabrique nationale beige which was completed just as the Germans seized
Belgium. At the request of the Iranian Government, the Reich Government
specially released these arms, which were despatched via Russia.
(iv) Two new air regiments are to be formed after the anticipated delivery
of aircraft from the United States, &c.
(v) There are rumours that negotiations are being carried on with the
German Government for the supply of captured Polish aircraft.
5. Iranian State Railways.
(i) Tehran^!abriz-Turkish Frontier. —Work is proceeding at hard pressure
on Lots 11, 12, 13 and 14 (Zinjan-Mianeh-Miandoab sections). Tunnel No. 13
in Lot 11, 550 metres long, and Tunnel No. 7 in Lot 12, 600 metres long (just
after Mianeh station), have been completed as well as a number of smaller tunnels.
Two tunnels in Lot 14, 1,550 metres and 1.700 metres in length respectively, will
be completed shortly.
(ii) Qum-Yezd-Kerman^Zahidan. —H.I.M. the Shah is definitely interested
in the linking-up of the Iranian State railways with the Indian railway network.
In November M. Hacklin, a Swedish railway constructional engineer of the
Ministry of Communications, accompanied by assistant engineers, visited
Zahidan and Mirjawa. A survey of the Kerman-Zahidan portion is to be carried
out shortly. It is said that the Shah has spoken about a branch line from
Chahbar-Sardaz-Iranshahr-Bandar Regan, linking with the main Kirman-
Zahidan line at Bam.
6. British Interests.
(i) Acting on instructions from His Majesty’s Government, whose informa
tion is undeniably genuine, His Majesty’s Minister informed the Ministry for
Foreign Affairs, and later the Prime Minister, that the Italians are seriously
considering an air attack on Abadan, and perhaps on the oil-fields also. The
Imperial Government gave orders for their air raid precautions in the oil area
to be tightened up, but preferred not to speak to the Italian and German repre
sentatives on the subject at present, alleging that such a move might arouse a
question that is dormant, and that the warnings they issued on this point, both
in the press and to the Axis representatives in Tehran, just after the bombing
of Bahrein, had made their position sufficiently clear.
(ii) The attention of the Imperial Government has been once more drawn by
His Majesty’s Minister to the existence of unnecessarily large numbers of
Germans in Iran, some of whom are believed to be officers and to have no real
connexion with the firms by which they are nominally employed. The Iranian
authorities, however, are complacent, and declare that the measures which they
have taken to keep all Germans under surveillance, to send away some who
aroused suspicion, and to limit closely those allowed to enter the country, are
sufficient to prevent any untoward incident. Unfortunately, there is much
machinery of German origin to be installed, and for that the suppliers are allowed
to send in the engineers and workmen; and as much of this belongs to the Shah
and all forms part of his scheme of rapid economic development, and as, moreover,
we are obliged, as a rule, to confine ourselves to generalities in our representa
tions, there is little hope of persuading the Imperial Government to do more than
they are doing already to prevent illegal activities on the part of the Germans.
About this item
- Content
Copies of intelligence summaries compiled on a fortnightly basis by the Military Attaché at the British Legation in Tehran (Gilbert Douglas Pybus, Herbert John Underwood, William A K Fraser), and received by the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. via the Foreign Office. Many of the summaries are preceded by cover sheets and India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. notes sheets, the latter frequently containing handwritten notes giving a précis of the summary’s contents. The summaries cover a broad range of information, including: the activities of the Shah of Iran, Reza Shah Pahlavi, the Crown Prince, and other members of the royal family; activities of the Iranian Government and its officials; activities, organisation and strength of the Iranian army and Iranian air force; communications and transport, including wireless radio, and civil aviation routes into and out of Iran; British interests in Iran, including oil companies, specifically the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company; foreign interests in Iran; the Iranian press, focussing specifically on its criticism of foreign press and actions; commercial activities in Iran, including mining and factory An East India Company trading post. production; tribal matters, including those in the Bahmai and Baluchistan provinces, and the Qashqai; place name changes in Iran. Proceedings prior to and during the Second World War are also covered in the summaries. These include: German activity in Iran (commercial, political, propaganda, Nazi organisation); movements of peoples; public opinion in Iran in response to events in Europe in 1940; the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in August 1941; the abdication of Reza Shah Pahlavi; public opinion in Iran in the wake of the Anglo-Soviet invasion and occupation; social unrest and anti-British feeling.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (401 folios)
- Arrangement
The file’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the front to the rear of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 403; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3503
- Title
- Coll 28/97(1) ‘Persia. Diaries. Tehran Intelligence Summaries.’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:113v, 115r:123v, 125r:139r, 140r:143v, 145r:148v, 150r:197r, 198v:243r, 244r:309v, 311r:348r, 349r:403v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence