ملف ١٩١٤/٣٥١٦ الجزء ١١ "بلاد فارس: حماية حقول نفط التابعة لشركة النفط الأنجلو-فارسية إلخ" [و‎‎١‎٨‎٤] (٥٥٠/٣٧٢)

/ 8 /
I 0 P E R A T I QMS ff/
^ Indl * 10 ' C * x - G * g * ~) SECRET
b 8 3 14 *°* 3S16 " 10 * 6 - p * 8i *
7 ’ 868 . 0,1 9th * ln ^ h ° f olicwin C t*iOBTO i was sent to O.OVC. Force "D"s- ■
, ^ 70024 • Ref. ** هذه التواريخ تقريبية !•*»«• 9rm Wm 3796 of 88 th. and 51st July froa Cox to
tor 3 l cn ^OffieeJand Polltlxal Dept, with regard to the Bakhtiarl situation.
If the BaRhtlarls beowne \mdls|pxl 8 edly hostile, the }>rotection of the oil-
Held becoies urgent and, mini' to the extensive use to be made of oil fuel fo:
rlvsr craft and other reculreiaents in Sieaopotar la, will assume even greater
Isportance. i lease wire details of force that you consider necessary for this /
purpose."
The following was received In reply:-
\
”361/27/0• Au^ai 12 th. In the event of a general rising on the part of theJ
thole Bakhtiari tribe I adhere to the opinion expressed by my predecessor,
nairely that a force of 1 division and avalry Brigade closely supported by
a toe >nd divl iort is the miateum l ore# with which to ensure the safety of
the oilfields. however the employment of so large a force is rendered imposs
ible by the water supply di fleulties in the neighbourhood of the oilfields •
any trouble among the Balchtiari wovud in the first instance involve only a .
part of the tribe X am of the opinion thefc a much smaller force would enable
Ue loyal portion to maintain the security of the pilflelde so long as the
Turk* send down r© direct assistances
(«)» I therefore propo e to reinforce Aftwass at csrice with l battalion of
infantry ar\d 1 section of mountain artillery, the garrison to be afterwards
increased, should the situation so demand, to a total force of 2 regiments
of cavalry 1 brigade of infantry and 1 battery of mountain artillery* The
actual disposition of the troops will be left to the discretion of the l*fleer
CoBunanding, Ahwai* The above Is after consultation with him and Cox. it must
be horne in rind that the supply of forces on Tigris is reduced corresponding
ly hy any addition to the force on the unr\m. ei
Cox*# telegram refe red to rofor tberjaelvee to telegrams from NOel, Coneul
Ahaaa, and in dharge of the Baktiari affairs, which mention the risk of
double in the Bakhtiari country following on succesr.ee on the ^ps*^-cf^the
9 in the direction of ^eriaa shah* .
l J.6 AUG1S1&^ \
( •i*^*s. > r # C.I,G*S., M. .2., .. *i*a*, P. .1*, i*I • j
India Office*