"النقل الآلي الطرق في بلاد فارس. المجلد ١ - الطرق الرئيسية. ١٩٤٢" [ظ‎‎٩‎١] (٤٩٨/١٨٧)

ROUTE V—SECTION (B).
SHIRAZ to ISFAHAN via ABADEH.
Distance. —309 miles.
Number of stages. —18.
Reference Sheets —17-C, 17-B, 17-F, 17-A, 10-M, 9-P.
GENERAL REPORT.
1. C/a^/jcafion—SHIRAZ to SURMAQB.l., SURMAQ
to ISFAHAN A. 1 in all weathers except for short stretches
which are noted in the detailed report.
2. Surface and grading. —The road is not soled but it is
either lightly metalled or heavily shingled except in places where
it crosses solid rock and where no surfacing is necessary. It is
maintained in good condition and light cars can travel over it at
a high average speed. There are a few steep gradients and bad
corners in the first 100 miles all noted in the detailed report.
3. Character of adjacent country. —For the greater part tpyi-
cal Iranian plateau. For many miles especially between SURMAQ
and SH AHR RIZA the ground bordering the road is so open that
a division could move in line. Throughout the entire length of
this section infantry and cavalry can operate off the road The
stretches where operations off the road for A. F. V’s are impossible
can be briefly enumerated :—
Mile 184-186.
„ 189-193.
„ 194-197.
„ 136-147.
„ 260-265.
Concealment from the air except in the defiles at mile 236 and
260 is totally lacking. It would be hard to find a stretch of
country more exposed to view from the air than this section or
one providing more places suitable as emergency landing grounds"
(It is on record that the junkers Air Service between TEHRAN
and SHIRAZ had 17 forced landings on account of bad visibility
during the winter of 1930-31 and that on no occasion had the
aircraft any difficulty in finding a suitable landing ground in the
vicinity of the road.
4. Climatic e,fects. the average altitude of this section is
about 6,000 . The summer is therefore cool and the winter in
tensely cold. Snow falls beween December and February and the
rain in March, April and May with frequent thunderstorms as the
summer approaches in June. Traffic is, however, seldom held
up as DEHBID supplies labour to dear the QtJLI KUSH pass