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“It was only with the Pahlavi dynasty in the 20th century that Iran began to consider building a strong navy to project its strength into the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean » Cf. Wikipedia-History of the Iranian Navy

So what if the Rezā Shāh Pahlavi ( Shah of the Imperial State of Iran from 15 December 1925 until he was forced to abdicate by the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran on 16 September 1941) managed to increase the Imperial Iranian Navy to achieve this goal.
In the early 30’s a new agreement with Anglo-Iranian Oil Company guaranteeing a minimum annual payment of £750,000 to the Iranian government was concluded. The Iranian first asked for 25% of APOC's total shares (which seem to be a realistic goal).This would have been far enough to fund an even more ambitious modernization of Iranian Army and Air force, plus building a respectable navy.

As Rezā Shāh set forth on a policy of neutrality, the decision was made that the ships for the new navy would be ordered in several foreign countries in order to keep a balance between the potential future belligerent.
The program is finally defined in 1937 and first order placed on 1938. Thus most of these orders were cancelled by the start of WWII. However the two mains orders were placed in Japanese shipyards, they were close to completion in early 1941. As the Japanese didn’t wanted the allies to suspect they were about to enter war, they couldn't find a reasonable argument to seize the ship before the first deliveries planned in autumn 1941.
Anglo-Soviet invasion in august was a very good news for the Imperial General Headquarter. The combined fleet could now rely on five more sizeable ships.

The biggest ships of the 1937 program were the Rezā (رضا) class fleet oilers. Those ships were named after three sons of the ruling Shāh. They were intended to almost act like commercial tankers in peace time, with their weaponry widely reduced (if not totally suppressed) making “defacto” the Iranian Navy a state owned shipping company. In war time, with their increased weaponry, they could still be used as tanker, fleet oilers, or even auxiliary cruisers.
The lead ship was complete when seized by Japan, and thus commissioned unmodified. The two others were very advanced in construction process, but were transformed in light aircraft carrier.

Ships of the class :
- Muhammad Rezā (محمد رضا)
- Ali Rezā (علی رضا)
- Gholam Rezā (غلام رضا)
Builder : Japan
Tonnage : 13500 long tons
Weapon :
- 6 x 100mm (6x1)
- 10 x 25mm

The second ship class in size was to be the main fighting ship of the navy: The light cruiser class Haхāmaniš.
Although ships of this class were to be classified as light cruisers, they were a strange design between a small light cruiser and a heavy one.
On a side their 6 × 155 mm (6.1inch)/60 cal. 3rd Year Type guns (2 × 3)were quite weak even for a light cruiser, on the other side they had an armored citadel (80 mm belt). Some refered to them as armored cruiser.
The secondary armament was totally original: as the Iranian navy selected the british Vickers 40mm as AA gun, the Japanese proposed to use it in a new enclosed quad turret.
The ships were supposed to carry two brand new Kawanishi E15K Shiun reconnaissance floatplane.
The two ships were very advanced when seized and major improvement (as reduce the armor) were considered unrealistic. They were commissioned in the Japanese navy with 8 × 100 mm (3.9inch)/65 cal. Type 98 AA guns (4 × 2) instead of the 40mm and Aichi E13A1 instead of the Kawanishi.

Ships of the class :
- Haхāmaniš (هخامنش)
- Kūraš (کوروش بزرگ)
Builder : Japan
Tonnage : 6000 long tons
Weapon :
- 6 x 155mm (2x3)
- 16 x 40mm (4x4)
- 6 x 25mm

The Pahlavi was a large mine-layer ordered from France. They were based on the older polish Gryf. Their purpose were similar: The ship should also be used as school ship and imperial yacht.
As on the projected le Fier class light destroyer the main guns were regrouped at the back. They were reduced from 6 to 4 (2 twin turrets), but the caliber raised from 120mm to 130mm. It was completed by 3 twin mount of 90mm.
He could carry up to 600 mines.
An offer was made by french authorities to rent it for the duration of the war, and was still discussed. The ship was supposed to be delivered in early 1941 but was seized incomplete by german troops in 1940.

Ships of the class :
- Pahlavi (پهلوی)
Builder : France
Tonnage : 2300 long tons
Weapon :
- 4x130mm (2x2)
- 6x90mm (3X2)
- 6 x 25mm
- Up to 600 mines

The Artabazus class destroyers were ordered from OTO in Italy. Their design was based on the new soldati regia marina cacciatorpediniere, but the weaponry was ordered from France.
They fitted 2 130mm twin turrets, 2 triple 550mm torpedo tube mount, and 8 25mm AA gun.
The forward structure was widely inspired by the Tashkent russian destroyer leader who was delivered by the same shipyard as the iranian ships were layed down. The Iranian commission was impressed by the elegant streamlined enclosed bridge while visiting the shipyards.
The construction was slowed by italian who focused on their own ship. It was even worsened by the cancellation of delivery of the weapons from france in 1940.
The ships were finally seized by italians who finished them with the same weaponry as original Soldati.

Ships of the class :
- Artabazus (آرتاباز)
- Harpagus (هارپاگ)
- Zopyrus (زوپیر)
Builder : Italy
Tonnage : 1600 long tons
Weapon :
- 4x130mm (2x2)
- 8 x 25mm (8x1)
- 6 x 550mm TT (2x3)

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"You can rape history, if you give her a child"
Alexandre Dumas

JE SUIS CHARLIE

Nice pics,

Would the Iranians not go with GB ships, as they are normally cheaper and it might tie up with the Anglo-Iranian Oil deals ?

I would also think they would have to start smaller, go with a class of sloops (Grimsby class ?) as they will be much easier to look after.

JSB

According to wiki:
"Rezā Shāh also set forth on a policy of neutrality" and even "For many decades, Iran and the German Empire had cultivated ties, partly as a counter to the imperial ambitions of Britain and the Russian Empire (and later, the Soviet Union)." So i think it's realistic that they ordered some ships from other countries.
As a real life exemple the biggest ships of iranian navy were 2 sloops ordered from italy in 1930 (so they yet had sloops to train crews) and officers were formed in this country (including Rear Admiral Gholamali Bayandor commander of the navy).

Rezā Shāh was ambicious for his country (and himself), wanted to go fast, and had enoght money to fund un huge navy program.

Also, has i've said, ships were ordered from others shipyard, but were delayed or seized because of war.

Great-Britain:
- 3 ocean going submarine (seized)

France:
- 1 mine layer (cancelled)
- 6 coastal submarine (cancelled)

Italy:
- 3 destroyer (seized),
- 6 torpedo boat ( cancelled)

Germany:
- 8 minesweepper ( cancelled)

(i will post them later)

_________________
"You can rape history, if you give her a child"
Alexandre Dumas

JE SUIS CHARLIE

if you fit oilers and warships with weapons on sponsons, you are doing something very wrong.

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Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

i've been inspired by japanese design (mostly aircraft carriers)

_________________
"You can rape history, if you give her a child"
Alexandre Dumas

JE SUIS CHARLIE

yep, aircraft carriers. aircraft carriers have to have the deck clear for aircraft, so they sponson out the guns. for most if not all other type of ships, it makes very little sense to fit sponsoned guns unless the deck space is limited for some other reason.

_________________
Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

Of course this make sense.

For the cruiser, the main structure and weapon are grouped in the middle of the ship to reduce armored belt, some space was gained using sponson design ( inspired by the one on the structure of Yamato)

For the Oiler, in fact i draw it from the aircraft carrier Shimane Maru (as it was intended to be transformed into this type of vessel later), so i kept the sponson because i liked their design. there's also a practical reason, as i kept a traditional oiler layout with deck clause to the bow and funnel clause to the stern i wanted to avoid blind Spot.
Of course i could have considered slim deck and funnel to fit the gun on the deck, but i realy liked those spondons......................

_________________
"You can rape history, if you give her a child"
Alexandre Dumas

JE SUIS CHARLIE

1) all the real life cancelled ships are good for short range defence of Iran, why would Iran want an oiler (its not going to fight a commerce war v the RN and who else will it fight ?) or a CL (but a costal defence ship makes some sense)(I also think all the AA fits are very heavy for pre-war ships).

2) For the oiler would it not be better just to try and put them all on the centreline (superimposed on bow/stern) its not like you are short of length to fit it in and give the best arcs. A/B/C....X/Y/Z (or just go for twin mounts A/B..X/Y).

JSB

1)as said before "in the 20th century ..... Iran began to consider building a strong navy to project its strength into the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean". To me this doesn't sound like a coastal defence fleet............
The oilers have the main prupose to secure the oil exportation.
The cruiser are not exactly prewar ship: they should have been delivered in 1942..............

2) if i put the gun in the centreline, the front and aft structure will create blind Spot.
And, i don't know why, but i'm not very comfortable with placing guns over huge oil tanks.........

_________________
"You can rape history, if you give her a child"
Alexandre Dumas

JE SUIS CHARLIE

It's a tanker, it doesn't need that much oomph. Period. It isn't an AA cruiser!

The cruiser is just plain silly for the size.

- Why do you need such a monumentally huge catapult when you can at best probably accommodate two aircraft?
- Why does every other nation with smaller cruisers manage to fit AAA on the hull itself instead of having to mount it on sponsons which are going to get slammed to buggery in heavy seas?
- Why is the rigging such a mess? Surely there can only be so many wire antennae and rigging lines you can mount before things are just there for the sake of it?

If you want a small and successful cruiser look at the Arethusa...

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