BATTLE NAMES.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 July 1921, Page 4

BATTLE NAMES.

BRITISH LISTS, 61. OFFICIAL LIST OF TITLES. (London Daily Mail). The official names that will henceforth bo used for the battles and other engagements fought by the British military forces in tTie Great A\ ar were issued recently. They have been settled by an official “Battles Noinenclatuio Committee,” appointed in August 1919, and have l>een approved by the Army Council. The Committee was required to limit engagements both chronologically and geographically, and to classify them according to their order of importance. The date at which a battle began is fixed by the “zero” day, or date on which the infantry assault began, not by the commencement of artillery preparation. The geographical area has been fixed by including in a battle area only “what might fairly bo regarded as the actual ‘battlefield..’” and not all the ground covered by long-range artilleiy fire. But a batteries firing on the front of attack are regarded as having taken part in the fighting. FOUR GRADES OF FIGHT.

In classifying engagements, the Committee considered the introduction of sonig term such as “super-battle” or “battle-royal,” for the main engagements, which “were vastly greater than any single ‘battle’ of the past but finally decided against this. Four grades of engagements arc recognised. Battles, which are groups of battles, and prolonged operations. Battle, of primary importance between forces not smaller than a corps (30,000 men). Action, between forces not smaller than a division (20,000 men). Affair, of smaller importance.

The greater “battles” have been subdivided. Thus, to give an example, “’Hie Somme Battles 1916” have twelve sub-divisions, in the battles of Albert, Bazentin Ridge, Delville Wood, Pozieres Ridge, Guillemont, Ginchy, FlersCou.rcelctte, Morval, Thiepvnl Ridge, Trnnslov Ridge, Ancre Heights, and the Ancre. Tn these 18 separate, “tactical incidents” and throe “subsidiary

actions” arc catalogued by name. Where several battles have been fought over the same ground, as in the ease of the four successive battles of Ypres. the Committee “came early to the conclusion that it was better to distinguish them by the year in which they were fought than to number them —to speak of ‘Ypres 15)15’ rather than of ‘Second Ypres.’ ”

The plan of numbering the battles would cause some confusion with French battlenames, since what the

French call “Third A ism.” is to our Army “Second Aisne.” As far as possible tin' names approved by the nation chiefly concerned—when that nation was not British—have been adopted-

The following is the list of campaigns with the official names of battles and dates. I. FRANCE AND FLANDERS. 1914. Moils Aug. 2.3-24 1.0 Chateau Aug. 25. The Marne, 15)14 Sept. 7-10 The Aisne, 19,11 Sept 12-15 |.a Bassee Oct. 10-Nov. 2 Messiers, 191-1 ... Oct. 12-Nov. 2 Armentieres Oct. 13-Nov 2 Ypres, 1914 Oct. 10-Nov. 22 1915. Xeiive Chapelle March 10-13 Ypres, 15)15 Ap. 22-May 25 A libers NRidge May 9 Festuhert May 15-25 Loos Sept. 25-Oct. 8... 1916. Mount Sorrel June 2-13 The Somme, 1916 ... July 1-Nov. 13 1917. Arras, 1917 Ap. 9-May 4 Bullecourt May 3-17 Hill 70 Aug. 15-25 Messiues, 15)17 June 7-14 Ypres, 15)17 July 31-Nov. 16 Cambrai, 15)17 ... Nov. 20-Dec. 3. 1918. First Somme, 1918 Mar. 21-April 5 The Lvs Ap. 9-29 The Aisne, 1918 ... May 27-June 6. The Marne, 1918 July 20-Aug. 2 Amiens Aug 8-11 Second Somme 1918 Aug. 26-Sept 3 Second Arras, 1918 Aug 21-Sept 3 The Hindenburg Line Sept. 12-oct. 9 Ypres, 1914 Sept. 28-Oct. 2 Courtrai Oct. 14-19 Hie Selle Oct. 17-25 Valenciennes Nov. 1-2 ‘The Sombre Nov. 4 2. ITALY. 1917. Tenth Isonzo May 12-June 8 Eleventh Isonzo ... Aug. 17-Sept 12 Twelfth Isonzo ... Oct. 24-Nov. 18 1918. The have Tune 15-24 Vittorio Veneto ... Oct. 24-Nov. 4 3 MACEDONIA. - Doiran. 1917 Apr. 24-25. May 8-9 Doiran. 1.918 Scut. 18-19 4 DARDANELLES, 1915 , Hellos Apr. 25-J line 6 Anzao Apr. 25-Juno 30 Siivia Aug. 6-21 5 SUDAN (against Darfur, 1916) 6. WESTERN FRONTIER EGYPT against Senussi, 1915-16. 7. EASTERN FRONTIER EGYPT AND PALESTINE. 1916. Riimani Aug 4-5 1917. First Gaza March 26-27 Second Gaza Apr. 17-19 Third Gaza Oct. 27-Nov 7 Nebi Saimvil Nov. 17-24 Jerusalem Dec. 26-30 Jaffa Dec. 21-22 1918. Mcgiddo Sept. 19-25 8. —TTE.TAZ; operations 1916-1918. <). —SOUTHERN ARABIA, 1914-18. 10. MESOPOTAMIA. Sliniba ...Apr. 12-14, 1915 Kut, 1915 Sept. 28, 1915 Ctesiphon Nov. 22-24, 1915 Defence of Kut Dec. 7, 1915-Apr. 28, 1916. Kut, 1917 Jan. 9-Eeb 24, 1917 Sharquat Oct. 28-30, 1918 11. SOUTH PERSIA AND PERSIAN GULF, 1915-1919. 12. EAST PERSIA and TRANSCJASPIA, 1915-1919. 13. N.W. PERSIA AND CASPIAN, 1918.

14. FRONTIER OF INDIA , AND BALUCHISTAN, 1914-1918. \ 15. —THIRD AFRICAN WAR, 1919. 16. N.E. FRONTIER OF INDIA AND BURMA. 1915-19 17. MURMAN, 1918-19. 18. ARCHANGE.L 1918-19. Troitsa Aug. 10, 1919 19. SIBERIA, 1918-19. Dukhovskaya ... Aug 23-24, 1918 20. CHINA (Siege of Tsing-Tau, Sept. 23-Nov 7, 1914). 21. AUSTRALASIA, conquest of German possessions, 1914. 22. —EAST AFRICA, 1914-18. 23. SOUTH-WEST AFRICA, 1914-15 24. TOGO, 1914. 25. FRENCH WEST AFRICA, 1917. 26. CAMEROONS, 1914-16.