Page 311 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947

REPORT OH THE MUSCAT INFANTRY FOR THE YEAR 1943.

(X) MUSCAT DEFENCES*
The condition of tho local defences of Muscat and Matrah
are oxcellont. No major repairs have "been made nor are any
required to the permanent defensive works such as fort3, town
walls etc. This is fortunate as, had any been required they
would have boon impossible to carry out a3 cement is almost
unobtainable and thore have been no contractors in Muscat
during the last year. Practically all the carpenters and
masons are employed at Ras al Hadd and Masirah. Minor repairs
are required to Mir an i Fort and Bait-al-Falaij.
The outer defences of Bait-al-Falaij have been completely
rebuilt and the line considerably shortened, This Y/as deemed
necessary owing to the difficulties of communication, The
defensive arrangements for the protection of Bait-al-Falaij and
the approaches to Hat rail anu Muscat from the 5 at in ah and Oman
are now based more on the fire power of automatic weapons and
artillery rather than on raan-powor as was previously the case.
In addition to the 2.75 and two 3-par. guns at Bait-al-
Falaij we now have a 12-pdr. gun which was salvaged from s.s.
“Dahpu". This gun is in the process of being mounted but awaits
the services of a gunnery expert v/nona the naval authorities have
kindly promised to send down.
(2) BATIN AH COAST.
It has not been possible to carry out a tour of the
coast since November 1942 owing to the lack cf spare parts and
f \mc\ e "f at» 1 a wn ftn + V r* -f + V* o*f 1 V'oe V/T*0
early in the year.
(3) LAUNCH.
This continued to give good service until March. Haring
a heavy Shimal in this month she broke her moorings in Muscat
Bay and was washed ashore at the Consulate steps. She remained
here throughout three tides v/hen she was finally floated off
between two lighters. I took all steps to lighten her during
the storm but heavy seas carried away her upper work completely.
In addition she was badly holed on both sides of the hull. This
was repaired by the end of June but it was not until September
that I was able to get any carpenters to carry cut the real work
of reconstruction. There has been practically no wood avail­
able here for the past year and the work has been difficult,
however the work was completed by the 25th November, the only
work now remaining is the fitting of the sails. She will be in
service again by Docember.
W WIRELESS.

Please refer to my report on 1942. Nothing further can
be done until expert assistance can be obtained* In my last
report I stated that four of the seven generators had cracked
petrol tanks. Two of these have now been made serviceable
making a total in all of five.
(5) STRENGTH.

The Force has been between 10 and 25 under strength
during the year. Desertions have bean very little above pre-war
years and lower than 1942; unfortunately this practically
no recruits have come in. This is due to the coat of