On the eve of the attack, the beach at the eastern end of the "A Corner" defense line was bathed in sea breeze and waves, with the faint moon weaving through the clouds, casting indistinct shadows on the coconut trees.
This beach was officially designated as position A9 on the Allies' map.
A stands for "A Corner," and the number 9 divides the defense line into 9 sections based on terrain and areas. This way, telegraph messages can accurately and quickly indicate where there is an issue or where reinforcements are needed.
However, the frontline soldiers were very disdainful of such names combined of letters and numbers. They didn't quite understand the meanings and were often confused by the dual implications of these codes.
They preferred to give these positions familiar and descriptive names.
For instance, "Despair" position.
This name came from an incident when French soldiers breached the defense line, and an Ottoman Empire officer in despair shot himself in the temple.
