"دليل بلاد فارس، المجلد I ويشمل محافظات أستراباد، شاهرود-بوستان، خراسان، وسيستان" [ظ‎‎٢‎٨‎١] (٧٢٢/٥٦٩)

516
Artillery [R.T.).
11. The nominal strength of the Persian artillery is twenty-two battalions,
with 8,000 men and 3,500 horses. The actual force is twenty battalions, with
5,200 men and 1,700 horses, of which only about 200 are at present
trained.
There is no organisation in batteries or regiments. All the material is
kept in the large towns, principally Tihran and Tabriz. The horses
belong to a separate department, which is under the orders of a person, who
has nothing whatever to do with the artillery.
Persia has upwards of 1,000 guns of different calibre. About 500 are
in Tihran and 200 in Tabriz. The largest is a 60-pounder made in Isfa
han. Some 48-pounders and two 36-pounders have also been constructed;
but these are all worn out. The heaviest 2 -uns that could actually be brought
into action are 24-pounders ; but of these they have only got four. The
other heavy guns are 18, 16, 14, and 12 pounders, all smoothbores and
made after different models, English, Austrian, and Russian. There are
a certain number of howitzers, 42, 24, and 18 pounders. The heaviest
mortar is a 12-inch; the ordinary mortars are 24-pounders. The
fieldguns consist of 9 and 6 pounders and 12-pounder howitzers. The
mountain guns are 2 and 3 pounders and 6-pounder howitzers.
Besides this material, Persia has some rifled artillery. An old Belgian
4-pounder has served as a model for most of the rifled guns cast in Persia.
There are eighteen 6-pounders constructed ten years ago, of which only three
are in good order; also forty-eight 4-pounders, Belgian model, of which
thirty-three are unserviceable, and eighteen 6-pounders, of a calibre slightly
different from Belgian. These have not been tried ; but they are badly cast,
and required a special sort of ammunition, which has not yet been
made.
Eighteen Austrian, Uchatius, of nine centimetres calibre form the best
part of the Persian artillery ; and fifty-six 2-pounders, which have been rifled,
have proved to be excellent mountain guns ; but the small quantity of shells
made has been used up, and new shells have not yet been made.
The three Austrian batteries are complete, and can take the field at any
moment. The rest of the artillery material is so deficient and neglected,
that it would be difficult to send out six other batteries. It would require
at least six months* hard labour to fit out the whole of the artillery in
Tihran, and more than a year to equip that in the provinces.
There is a company of 90 men of permanently embodied camel artillery,
called zamburakchis [Smith).
Colonel Smith, r.e., thinks that the actual personnel of the artillery
does not exceed 2,500, of whom hardly more than half are ever embodied at
one time.
Captain de Loessoe considers that Mr. Tkomson*s report is an accurate
one.
12. The only engineer troops are the company of sappers (about 100
^ . men) belonging to the so-called corps, organised four
years ago by the detachment of Austrian officers
[vide para. 16).
Transport, commissariat. Of suck troops there are none.
hospital corps, &c.