'Russian Military Designs in Persia. A Strategical fragment' [‎4v] (8/16)

2
c
Notes in Intelligence Branch. presents no difficulties, except of a minor
character at Natenz, which could easily
be overcome by our sappers on the march :
then onwards the going is easy.
2. Kumishah might, and should, serve as
an advance post of observation.
A practicable road runs from Yazd to Kashan. 3. The Kavir Salt wastes Secure the left
flank of a column moving by this route
on Isfahan, and the right flank would be
safeguarded by troops advancing parallel,
via Daulatabad, Sultanabad, Gulpaigan,
Khonsa, Tirun-Kirwen, Najafabad to Is
fahan, where the forces by the two lines
would concentrate for further operation,
i.e., an advance from Isfahan to Shushtar.
4. There is but a sparse population along
the road from Kum to Isfahan, and the
Supplies scanty by 1st Line : country tra- supplies and forage obtainable would not
versed by 2nd Line fairly fertile and well po- p e sufficient to provision a large force ;
pula ted up to and a little beyoud Khonsa. ^ ^ r column must take the
Thence it passes through a stony wilderness ° t <• i
to Isfahan. 2nd Line—Sultanabad, Khonsa, Isfahan,
as mentioned in 3 above.
5. The inhabitants along the 1st Line
are indifferent by nature and a hostile atti
tude on their part is not probable ; for the
sake c f personal gain, they are unlikely to
offer any opposition.
6. A column moving by the 1st Line is
spared certain inconveniences to be met
with along the 2nd Line. On the latter
in the intervals between stages there is no
water. Also at some of the stages the re-
There hould be little difficulty in collecting quired quantity of supplies and forage
supplies. would not be forthcoming even for a small
force, unless previously collected from the
neighbouring villages. The defect is, how
ever, easily remedied by the fact that in Per
sia the main road often avoids populous
villages, whence the requisite supplies can
be obtained and carried on local trans
port to any given point.
Lateral communication exists between Ka- 7. At what points exactly the two
shan and Sultanabad: road fit for pack trans- columns moving On Isfahan can gain
port and supplies fairly good. touc fi w ith each other would be discovered
by reconnaissances at the time. In any
case, the main lateral line will run through
Kum, Sultanabad and Daulatabad, link
ing up all three operating lines.