861.24591/3–746: Telegram
The Vice Consul at Tabriz (Rossow) to the Secretary of State
us urgent
[Received March 8—6:06 a.m.]
42. Mytel 41, March 6. I cannot overstress the seriousness and magnitude of current Soviet troop movements here. This is no ordinary reshuffling of troops but a full scale combat deployment.
Last night another force consisting of 20 medium tanks, 20 armored cars and 40 truck loads of infantry departed Tehranward, and another force of 12 tanks and an undetermined quantity of motorized infantry departed later south toward Mahabad. These movements were in addition to continued piecemeal movements in both directions and there is reason to believe considerable numbers of troops are being moved by devious routes avoiding points where they could be observed.
Streets are filled with armored force personnel far outnumbering the cavalry which was the main arm here. More trucks and armored vehicles are in evidence than horses.
New tanks are still continually arriving by rail. This morning I observed the unloading of 12 new mediums. At same time, ammunition, both artillery and small arms, was being unloaded and installed directly into the tanks. About 30 new trucks were also in UK loading zone.
[Page 345]Soviets have reopened [garble] formerly abandoned ammunition dumps and are transporting large volume of stores there. Checkposts which had been used only during revolution period have been reestablished.
Soviets have refused without explanation to issue me a pass to go to Mahabad.
I expect communications to be cut at any moment.
Sent Department 42, Tehran 57, Moscow 34, London 22, Ankara 9, Baghdad 7.