"النقل الآلي الطرق في بلاد فارس. المجلد ١ - الطرق الرئيسية. ١٩٤٢" [و‎‎٧‎٣] (٤٩٨/١٥٠)

SECTION 1V-E.
MALAYIR to QUM.
Number of stages. —10.
Distance. —158| miles.
Reference sheets. —9-B, 9-F, 9 J.
GENERAL REPORT.
1. Classification—B. 1 inclining to A. 1. The road is
used by A. I. O. C. petrol tankers and other heavy commercial
motors.
2. Surface and grading.-Generally 18' metalled road
way. Two-way traffic, though care is required when passing
through villages where road is narrow. Surface for the most
part is dusty and badly corrugated Normal maintenance is
carried on, but is insufficient as the metalling requires relaying in
the worst portions.
The sector 15 miles in length east of IRAQ, where the
road crosses a sandy desert, is liable to become flooded after rain
and to merge into the TUZLU GOL salt lake t£> the north.
3. Character of Adjacent Country—The country is less
mountainous than in sections B, C or D, it consists chiefly
of dreary uninhabited barren plateaus and plains exposed m the
winter to blizzards and in summer to the sun a very trying
terrain for infantry at all seasons. The country is unsuitable for
large scale A F. V. operations, except in the Salt Lake area in dry
weather and between Miles 380 and 405 and movement off tracks
is confined to a limited distance on either side of the road.
Much of it is devoid of water, supplies and inhabitants.
4. Climatic effects—Snow falls heavily and is liable to
drift on the two high and exposed plateaus between MALAYIR
and IRAQ and between IRAQ and QUM. The read is unfenced
and unwalled and after snow the track is ob iterated and vehicles
frequently get bogged in the soft patches at the side of the road.
Rain will render the 15 mile stretch east of IRAQ water
logged and vehicles approaching the sides of the road will get
stuck up to the axles in the glutinous clay.
The winter is bitterly cold and in the summer at mid-day
the heat excessive between IRAQ and QUM.
5 Road Alignment—The map is accurate except for the last
15 miles to IRAQ. The railway line passes to the west and not
'to the east of the group of hills in Square K 14, and comes close
to the road li miles before reaching the village °t NAMAK
KHUR (K. 1149). For the remainder of the section to IRAQ, road
railway and hill contours are not accurate.