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ANNEX. Î
From IRAN.
Decypher. Sir R. Bullard (Tehran).
No. 29.
1st February, 1940.
D.
R.
9.30 p.m.
8.53 a.mo
1st February, 1940.
2nd February, 1940.
129
ધ
The Military Attaché called at the house of Minister for War 31st January at the request of the latter. The Minister unexpectedly gave the Military Attaché complete figures of all kinds of aircraft in Iran and then asked for help in securing aircraft from the United Kingdom which were needed by the spring for defence of Iran though it might already be too late. The Minister said that he had instructed Colonel Shaibani to order thirty Wellington bombers and thirty Blenheim or Beaufort bombers. Could delivery be expedited? The Minister agreed that Iran needed fighters and said that thirty Curtiss machines would probably be bought in the United States while Colonel Shaibani had been instructed to try to secure twenty Hurricanes in addition to fifteen promised by His Majesty's Government. The Minister indicated that Italian machines would probably not be bought because of financial difficulties and of technical objection to the introduction of another type of aircraft. When the Military Attaché suggested the need for a larger proportion of fighters the Minister agreed, but insisted on the necessity to carry the war into the enemy camp and expressed readyness to sacrifice half of the bombing strength of Iran in order to destroy or damage Baku. In conclusion the Minister speaking
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