'MILITARY REPORT ON PERSIA' [‎125v] (255/466)

224
Organisation.
Recruitment.
Horses.
At the end of 1908, Creusot supplied the Persian Goverh-
ment with 32 modern 7-5. c.m. automatic-recoil guns. Of these
only 16 have been mounted, and 8 have been taken over by the
Cossack Brigade as above mentioned, and 8 more are now with
the “ reformed” batteries. Artillery experts consider these guns to
be of defective construction. More recently, sixteen 7'5 centimetre
Schncider-Creusot mountain guns, without automatic recoil
equipment, have been imported. For each of the 32 modern
field guns and 16 mountain guns, there is a supply of 75 shrapnel,
25 common shell, and 8 case shot, of which the Cossack Brigade
has appropriated the greater part. Nearly all the modern guns
are kept at Tehran, but a few of the Euchatius guns were sent to
Tabriz , Khci and Kirmanshah. There are tw o 9 c. m. Krupp
guns at Isfahan. The old obsolete guns are stored in the Arse
nal at Tehran, or distributed throughout the provinces.
The artillery is divided into taifas or tribes, which are
generally known by the names of their localities. There
are 27 of these taifas, of which 13 belong to Azarbaxjan,
and the remainder are distributed over other provinces,
practically all in the north and west. It is probable that
the Turkish tribes furnish at least three quarters of the total
strength of the various corps, the remaining quarter being
formed by other nomad tribes. The total nominal strength
is shown at about 11,000, with an effective or actual strength
of some 5,800. Of these probably less than 1,000 would be
under arms.
The. system of recruiting is the bounitcheh, previously
described, but with the artillery it is perhaps tribal rather
than local. There is little difficulty in procuring recruits
for artillery. Service is nominally for life, but in practice men
are always able by payment to arrange for substitutes.
Horses are drawn from the Shah’s breeding establishment
of Sultanleh in Khamseh, Ujan, and Tehran, but it is probable
that not nearly 1,000 could be accounted for at any given mo
ment. On emergency horses are impressed or hired. The ani
mals available are small and compact, of the Karadagh or Shir
az types. The equipment is fairly serviceable, and the harness
good, though rough.
As a rule the mountain guns are not carried on the backs of
mules, but drawn, the shafts being attached to the trail.
Hie folio
5 offi
80 m
33 lor
8 gun
Ob service
sped io le
lolci
51 rani
12 lorsi
16 male
*i® attach*
he Amiri-
-®ion and eq
i ifteiiiiir.i.To
is le
i system
® ike time ol
^tkeartille:
-i 1 fmetionary
8 Oltllfi 4 mi
. 118 ArtOlei