IOR/L/PS/10/285

The volume, which bears the alternative title ‘Turco-Italian War: Italian action in the Red Sea’ on its first page (f 3), contains correspondence relating to the blockade by the Italian navy of ports on the Red Sea, including Hodeida [Al-Ḥudaydah], from 25 January 1912. This action was part of the broader Italo-Turkish War of 1911/1912.

The seizures specifically dealt with in the volume include:

• SS Tuna, seized by the Italian destroyer Artigliere on 26 January 1912;
• the SS Woodcock, seized by the Italian warship Calabria on 2 February 1912, and again by the Italian warship Elba, on 27 March 1912;
• numerous native dhows and sambuks, including the Fath-el-Khair, the Atiat-el-Raman and the Muft-el-Khair.

Correspondents in the file include: the British Ambassador to Rome (James Rennell Rodd); the Italian Foreign Minister (Antonio di San Guiliano); the Secretary to the Government of Bombay (Charles Augustus Kincaid); representatives of the merchants Cowasjee [also spelt Cowasji] Dinshaw & Brothers of Aden, owners of the vessel SS Woodcock; Foreign Office officials (primarily Sir Eyre Alexander Barby Wichart Crowe); India Office officials (Thomas William Holderness; Arthur Hirtzel).

Papers include:

• British Government correspondence relating to the state of affairs in Yemen and Hejaz, namely Italian support for Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Idrisi, and Turkish action against Ali Al-Idrisi;
• copies of resolutions and correspondence from representatives of the All-India Muslim League and Anjuman-i-Islam, raising concerns that the Italian blockade of Jeddah would prevent Muslims travelling to Mecca on Hajj;
• correspondence between British Indian traders and vessel owners operating on the Yemen coast, and Government representatives at Aden, relating to blockade actions, including the boarding of vessels by Italian naval officers, and confiscation of goods;
• correspondence between British officials and British and Italian Government officials (with some letters in Italian), relating to the seizure of vessels, confiscation of goods by the Italian naval officials, the subsequent referral of seizures to the Italian Prize Court [Commissione Delle Prede], and the settlement of individual cases.

The file contains copies (in Italian, in addition to English translations) of the Commissione Delle Prede’s orders and regulations (f 17, ff 99-100, f 139, ff 145-146, ff 186-187), and a translation of the Commission’s hearing over the case of SS Tuna (spelt Thuna) (ff 69-70).