Geographic SkillsUnit 1 – Lesson 5

The Military Grid

Trench Warfare WWI

•The military grid became an important tool during WWI

• (00:57 to 02:00 and 04:00 to 05:00)

Developed during WWI, the military grid was necessary because of the increasing distance that field canons (howitzers) could fire their shells.

http://www.firstdivisionmuseum.org/history/history/wwi.aspx

• With the trenches of the various armies often within 100 metres of one another, the need to accurately identify target locations became critical.

http://goose426.glogster.com/the-events-on-the-western-front/

• The military grid can be used to identify squares of 100 m x 100 m (6 digits), 10 m x 10 m (8 digits) and even 1 m x 1 m (10 digits) with ease.

The military grid works by drawing a blue grid over top of a topographic map.

32 33 34 35 36 37

57

58

59

60

61

56

Each vertical line and horizontal line is identified using a two digit number between 00 and 99.

32 33 34 35 36 37

57

58

59

60

61

56

Column 33

Row 58

Square 3358

By identifying the column and row each square can be identified by a four digit number.

Read Right Up!

32 33 34 3557

58

59

60

Each square measures 1 km x 1km so, to increase accuracy each square is divided into 10 along each of its sides (this creates boxes of 100 x 100 m inside each square)

59

58

3433

54321 6 7 8 9

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

A.

RememberRead Right Up!This means that point A. is located at the six digit reference 332587

or 332587

Determine the six digit references for B, C, D, E, F

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

59

58

3433

54321 6 7 8 9

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

A: 332587

B: 335589

C: 338583

D: 335585

E: 334580

F: 340588