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View Full Version : Operation Countenance - The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia (Iran)



enigma
05-08-2006, 01:21 PM
August 25th 1941, Soviet and British forces (from the caucasus and iraq respectivly) invaded Persia which was at that time very pro Nazi, to secure supplies routes through the Middle East to the Soviet Union.

The campaign was over quickly, ending on the 17th of September.

Forces commited to the battle were the following:
Paiforce (Persia and Iraq Command ) was made up of the 8th and 10th Indian Infantry Divisions, 2nd Indian Armoured Brigade, 9th Armoured Brigade and the 21st Indian Infantry Brigade. (most of these from my research where from the 10th Army)
The Soviets came from the north with their 44th, 47th and 53rd Armies.

Does anyone have any information where these units went after the campaign?


Also does anyone have any information on Operation Velvet, the plan to move several British divisions from Persia into the caucasus to help the Soviets halt the Germans.
Ie what units where planned on being sent etc.



On a side note, does anyone know of any books which details General Sir Edward Quinan campaigns in the Middle East?
He sucessfully, retook Iraq after a pro Nazi coup there, invaded Syria and Lebanon and defeated the Vichy French (possibly some Luftwaffe troops there also) there, sucessfully invaded Persia.
Afterwards he was given the command of the 'North East Army' in India in 1943 but retired a few months later due to health reasons.
It would be intresting to read about his campaigns.

Kaider
05-08-2006, 03:26 PM
This I've not heard of yet, but it would be quite interesting to read up more on, especially moving the British into the Caucasus.

DavidUpton
05-08-2006, 03:44 PM
Should be interesting to find more information on this. From what I read in 'Death of the Scharnhorst' the Soviets were often actually quite hostile towards the British.

OliverMarshall
05-08-2006, 04:23 PM
Yea well after russian industry got started again the lend-lease program was so insignificant that it was almost pointless. The Russians found that they could probably defeat Germany on their own. However i did not realize that there was a campaign in Persia, I thought it was only in Iraq.

[FFTF]Eurofighter
05-08-2006, 05:51 PM
Yea well after russian industry got started again the lend-lease program was so insignificant that it was almost pointless. The Russians found that they could probably defeat Germany on their own. However i did not realize that there was a campaign in Persia, I thought it was only in Iraq.

Iraq is part of Persia but Persia wasnt a real country only if you talk bout 560-330 BCE :) But I know what you mean and i didnt know it went all there as well.
when i searched for this subject i found (besides a really disgusting white power site) this on a website : about Edward Quinan :In 1942, he planned and executed the invasion of Iran. The principal reason for this was to secure the supply lines to the Soviet Union and to protect British oil installations in Abadan.

Blame Canada
05-08-2006, 06:08 PM
Just as a note... According to Iranian law it has been ilegal to call Iran Persia since the name shift (in 1935 I think). Several threats have been made by Iranian officials to the game producer Paradox Entertainment because they insist on calling Iran for Persia in their games (this is also why games like Heats of Iron I, II and Doomsday are banned in Iran). I wouldn't like to see this happen to 1944: D-Day.

The only reason why Iran is often refered to as Persia in books on WWII is because the English feared that they might mistake Iran and Iraq with dire consequenses, and therefore kept using Persia when talking of Iran.


Eurofighter']Iraq is part of Persia but Persia wasnt a real country only if you talk bout 560-330 BCE :) But I know what you mean and i didnt know it went all there as well.

Iraq wasn't part of Persia during WWII...

OliverMarshall
05-08-2006, 06:23 PM
Persia is oftern referred to as the greater area, like Mesopotamia.

enigma
05-08-2006, 06:24 PM
A map from 1941/09/27

http://history.acusd.edu/cdr2/WW2Pics2/82032.jpg

look in the lower right corner :)


Eurofighter, what you have just typed is basically all in the first post :S

[FFTF]Eurofighter
05-08-2006, 06:43 PM
huh? not at all? you didnt state the oil at all? That was my main point:confused:

btw youre right on Persia. Its another country than the old Persia. I've found it on other maps as well.