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'Summary of correspondence relative to the administration of the Port of Basrah and measures for the control of the shipping traffic in Mesopotamia.' [‎40r] (79/134)

The record is made up of 1 volume (66 folios). It was created in 16 Sep 1916. 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. .

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5
Obviously the one will make the round trip in much shorter time than the
other.
Theoretically each barge should carry 250 tons and the paddler 50 tons and
Capacity of standard type transport in tons per ^-bout 600 troops, b'Jt allowing for mixed
cargoes, sometimes bulky and light, other-
_ times the reverse, the Principal Marine
1 ransport Ofiicer has taken 3-5^ of 250 as a safe basis for calcutation. i.e ,
150 tons each barge, and nas neglected the small capacity in, the paddlers for
stores. ' .
I therefore assume that, for the purposes o* this note; evrry standard 'paddler
P r lu g g 0,n g U P the river is towing 300 tons, which at 20 days on the rouni trio
is equivalent to 15 tons per day. but in doing so I feel bound to say that I think
the Principal Marine 1 ranspori Officer's figures are very much on the safe side,
and i can see no reason why the boats should not be loaded to their full draught.
In an ordinary navigable river, such as the Irrawaddy in Burma, there are no.
Capacity of river.
impediments to a constant-flow of steamers
. . . up to say Mandalay and back to Rangoon.
The provision of sufficient wharves and the labour for loading and unloading
being the only limits. &
On the Tigris there is, however, a limit in what is known as the " Narrows "
between Quaiat Saleh and_Ezra;s Tomb, a distance of 28 miles, where the width,
between bank and bank is insufficient to allow two padd'ers with barges to cross,
and special banking—in stations have been provided. It has been caTculated, that
with this impediment, not more than 8 steamers can pass up and 8 stt-amers pass
down in the 24 hours. 1
That is, however, an ample provision for estimated requirements, and when
the training and dredging of the river is completed the limitation will disappear.
Summary*
It will now collect the figures and summarize requirements..
Por five divisions plus a possible increase of 50 per cent transport for 1,200
tons per diem is required,
A standard paddler or tug will tow two barges, and on the biMS of a 20 day
round trip carrying »5 tons per day, 80 paddlers or tugs and 160 barges are
required to transport 1,200 tons.
In the papers to which I have had reference, an additional 25 per cent has
been allowed on account of possible casualties, vessels out of commission for
repairs, etc., etc. In my opinion 25 per cent is too great a proportion to allow
for such contingencies. It must be remembered that the whole of the new fleet
should not require docking or any except minor repairs for two years after being
put into commission. I have therefore, in these figures, reduced the percentage
to 1 o per cent, and that is in excess of what would be nllowed in a mercantile
fleet.
In that case the figures stand thus : 80 paddlers or tugs and 160 barges
plus 10 per cent is equivalent to 88 paddlers and 176 barges to keeo fuily
supplied five divisions plus a possible 50 per cent, increase, i.e., 7J divisions.
In addition to the foregoing, we are directed to provide separate transport
to move one division of all arms, apnrt from the supply ships. It has been
estimated that for this purpose 37 Mejidieh paddlers and 7 i barges will be requir
ed, but as a certain proportion of the supply ships could always be made available
temporarily towards the transport of a division, it has been decided by General
Headquarters, Basrah, that a provision of 27 paddlers and 54 barges should suffice 5
and adding 10 per cent for casualties and repairs, gives a total of 30 paddiers and
60 barges.
1 he tolalfleet, therefore, required for the maintenance and transport of the
army is : —■ #
8S paddlers or fugs and 160 barges for supply purposes plus 30 pa Idlers
and 60 barges for separate transport of.one division.

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Content

This secret summary was compiled by the Army Department, War Section Case and printed in Simla in September 1919. It contains letters and telegrams sent from 11 December 1915 to 14 August 1916 between the officers of the Government of India and the Director-General of Port Administration and River Conservancy on the administration of the Port of Basrah [Basra].

The summary also contains 'Report of Major-General G F MacMunn's Committee on the Organization of the River Service in Mesopotamia' (folios 58-66), with recommendations for the Royal India Marine Services, on the method of employing existing and forthcoming vessels, and measures for the control of the shipping traffic on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Extent and format
1 volume (66 folios)
Physical characteristics

The foliation sequence commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; 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. The volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

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English in Latin script
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'Summary of correspondence relative to the administration of the Port of Basrah and measures for the control of the shipping traffic in Mesopotamia.' [‎40r] (79/134), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/131, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023544987.0x000050> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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