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Coll 6/88 'Intelligence: Military Report on Arabia (C.B. 1892).' [23r] (50/133)
The record is made up of 1 file (63 folios). It was created in Feb 1932-7 Feb 1942. 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
19
(C43043)
(3) The Town
AKABA was formerly a place of some importance, as it formed a depot for the supply
of water and provisions for the pilgrims from CAIRO to MECCA, but now that the majority
of the pilgrims from EGYPT use the sea route, it has lost much of this importance.
The village is largely in ruins, as the result of bombardment in the war of 1914-18.
It extends some 800 yards along the shore and is surrounded by groves of date palms.
It consists of an old square fort, a few mud buildings chiefly occupied by fishermen, and some
military huts on the eastern slopes overlooking the bay. The permanent inhabitants do not
exceed 200 in number. The water supply is ample and the large deep well, which was formerly
used for supplying the large pilgrim caravans, is in the fort. Drinking water of fair quality
is obtainable from a well near Chatham Pier, while some good springs exist just north-west
of the village. The amount of water available varies with the season. In summer it is
reported that 5,000 men would be the maximum that could be supplied, while from November
to April sufficient for as many as 15,000 men might well be obtained.
. (4) Government Establishments
The Customs House at the head of Chatham Pier is well built and used as a general
purpose Government building. -
Authorities
The Commanding Officer of an Arab Legion post exercises function of Military Com
mandant. The village headman is subordinate to him.
(5) Commercial Establishments
An unsuccessful attempt was made some years ago to establish industry to supply frozen
fish, locally caught, to
TRANSJORDAN
Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan
and PALESTINE. Remains of refrigerating plant
are still standing.
(6) Aircraft Factories
Nil.
(7) Air Facilities. {See also Section IV (3) )
There is an emergency landing ground J mile north of the head of the Gulf, at the junction
of AKABA-NEKHL and AKABA-GAZA roads. It has a black circle and corner markings.
The bay is suitable for operating flying boats and seaplanes.
(8) War Material Factories
Nil.
(9) Power Plants
Nil.
(10) Transport Facihties
All regular traffic by cars and lorries has to go by the track up the main
wadi
A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
to MA’AN
(about 70 miles) and branch off from there. The construction of a new road and rail link is
projected.
(11) Signal Communications
There is no telegraph or telephone system. A W/T station is sited in the Arab Legion
posts, which is in touch with AMMAN and other stations.
(12) Defences
Nil.
(13) Reconnaissance
The most suitable place to land troops is along the shore for three miles to the north
westward from the pier, where the beach is sandy and clear of reefs. Immediately inshore,
there are some low sand hills and scrubs which would afford some protection to defenders,
but about half a mile inland up the
Wadi
A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
the land becomes flat and devoid of all cover,
except occasional scrub.
The shore for a mile northward from El Burg Point is also suitable for landing troops,
but the plain here is commanded by the mountains further inshore. Southward of El Burg
the coast is steep-to and unsuitable for landing operations.
d**Q
About this item
- Content
This file consists of two parts. The first part (folios 1-9) begins with a 'state of report' document for an Admiralty Naval Intelligence Division report entitled 'Arabia, Intelligence Report'; the 'state report' concerns the updating of the report in October 1941, and it includes a list of maps, plans and photographs that are contained in the report. There then follows a small amount of correspondence between 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. , War Office, and General Staff (India) officials regarding the supply of an earlier issue of the report, dated 1939.
The second part of the file consists of the actual report, entitled 'C.B. 1892 (X) (10/41) Arabia Intelligence Report', dated October 1941, with appended maps, plans and photographs relating to Arabian Peninsula ports. The report is divided into four sections (six sections are listed in the table of contents, which lists sections one and three, most of section two, and one part of section five, as 'not issued', i.e. not printed in this edition of the report).
The first section to appear in the report is entitled 'Section II: Strategy and Tactics'; parts 1 and 3-6 of this section have been omitted, leaving part 2, which has the heading 'Possible Lines on which War Plans would be Framed'.
The next section, 'Section IV: Geography and Topography', provides an overview of the geography and topography of the Arabian Peninsula, including information about climate, transport facilities (including a table of landing grounds and seaplane anchorages), and communications.
The third section, 'Section V: Base Facilities and Maintenance of the Fleet' (from which part one has been omitted), provides a summary of principal commercial dockyards and repair bases, locations for fuel storage, supplies and storage of ammunition, fixed coastal defences, and aircraft.
The final section of the report, 'Section VI: Ports, Anchorages and Their Defences', proceeds through a number of Gulf ports in alphabetical order (i.e. Akaba, Bahrain, Doha, Hodeida and Ras Kethib, Jedda, Kamaran, Kuwait, Mukalla, and Muscat), describing each place's port facilities, anchorages and defences, as well as providing other information relating to matters such as government, commerce, water supply, transport and communications.
Enclosed with the maps and plans is a symbols chart, which lists some of the symbols used in the maps and plans.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (63 folios)
- Arrangement
The Arabia Intelligence Report contains a table of contents. The maps, plans and photographs, which are listed below the table of contents, appear after the main text of the report.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The file is formed of two parts. The foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover of the first part at 1 and terminates at the inside back cover of the second part at 65; 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.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2160B
- Title
- Coll 6/88 'Intelligence: Military Report on Arabia (C.B. 1892).'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:9v, front-a, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-a-i, 11r:39v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence