| World War 2 |
| Date: |
September, 1941 |
| Location: |
Persia/ Iran |
| Result: |
overwhelming Allied victory |
|
| Combatants |
| Allies (UK, India and USSR) |
Persia/ Iran |
Operation Countenance was the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia (now Iran), starting 25 August 1941 and completed on 17 September 1941.
Causes
During World War II, Persia's strategic importance continually increased as the conflict progressed. In 1940, it produced over eight million tons of oil, essential for the Allied war effort. Furthermore, Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 made Persia a critical route for sending American Lend-Lease supplies to the Eastern Front.
While officially neutral, Persia had friendly ties with Nazi Germany and was home to many German nationals. Reza Shah Pahlavi's refusal to expel the German nationals, coupled with strategic concerns, prompted an Anglo-Soviet invasion in August 1941.
Order of battle
British and Indian army units formed "Iraqforce" (renamed "Paiforce" on 1 September), comprising of the 8th and 10th Indian Infantry Divisions, 2nd Indian Armoured Brigade, 9th Armoured Brigade and 21st Indian Infantry Brigade. The Soviet Union employed their 44th, 47th and 53rd Armies. Air force and naval units also participated in the battle.
In opposition were nine infantry divisions of the Persian Army and various units of the Persian Navy.
The campaign
The campaign began with a dawn attack by the British warship HMS Shoreham on the harbour at Abadan. The Persian sloop Palang was quickly sunk, and remaining ships were destroyed or captured. Resistance had not had time to prepare and the oil installations at Abadan and Bandar-e-Shahpur were occupied.
The Royal Air Force attacked airbases and communications. British and Indian troops invaded Persia from their bases in neighbouring Iraq and advanced towards Qasr Shiekh.
Soviet armies invaded from the north and advanced toward Maku, which had been softened up by bombing raids. There were also Soviet landings at Bandar-i-Pahlavi, on the Caspian coast. In one incident, Soviet ships suffered from "friendly fire".
Persian resistance was rapidly overwhelmed and neutralised by Soviet and British tanks and infantry. The British and Soviet troops met in Tehran on 17 September and effectively divided the country between them for the duration of the war.
In naval actions, 2 Persian warships were sunk and 4 crippled by the Royal Navy. Six Persian fighters were shot down.
British and Indian casualties were 22 killed and 42 wounded.
Aftermath
Soon after Persia's defeat, Reza Shah Pahlavi was exiled to South Africa and the throne was taken by his son, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
The Allied occupation of Iran was vitally important to the Allied cause and brought Iran closer to the Western powers. Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States together managed to supply over 5 million tons of war matériel to the Soviet Union via Iran.
In January 1942, Iran signed a tripartite treaty of alliance with Britain and the Soviet Union under which Iran would provide nonmilitary assistance to the Allied war effort. In return, the two Allied powers acknowledged Iran's independence and territorial integrity and to withdraw their troops from Iran within six months of the end of hostilities. British and US occupiers complied with their obligations, but the Soviet Union attempted to force territorial and oil concessions from the Persian government before being obliged, by diplomatic pressure, to withdraw its troops.
In September 1943, Iran declared war on Germany, thus qualifying for membership in the United Nations. At the Tehran Conference in November of that year, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and General Secretary Josef Stalin reaffirmed their commitment to Iran's independence and territorial integrity and displayed a willingness to extend economic assistance to Iran.
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