109 The importance of the Arabian Gulf started to show after the eruption of World War II, when Germany in July 1942 closed completely the passages of the Atlantic ocean leading to the Soviet ports. Large numbers of US military personnel units as well as war materials to the Soviet troops had to be transported via Iran. This required the construction of air transportation facilities for the US forces in the Arabian Gulf region. On 11 December 1943 the US forces in the Middle East requested from the British Air Ministry to allow the movement of US aircraft in a North African air route for a long term. They pointed out that their request was in line with the establishment of a station in Casablanca to transport British troops toAmerican ships. Their request was for the construction of facilities in the following places: - Tripoli West: meteorological and communications; - Benghazi: communication tactical aircraft operations, emergency landing and housing; - Lydda in Palestine: communications and meteorological communications; - Habbaniyyah: communications; - Abadan in Iran: communications, operations and housing; - Bahrain: operations and housing; and - Sharjah: small operations and housing.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTg0NzAy