naval battle vs battle

naval battle and battle both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
naval battle	Yes	No	No	No
battle	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, battle is a hypernym of naval battle; that is, battle is a word with a broader meaning than naval battle:

naval battle: a pitched battle between naval fleets
battle: a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

Other hypernyms of naval battle include conflict, engagement, fight.

naval battle (noun)	battle (noun)
a pitched battle between naval fleets	a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
	an energetic attempt to achieve something
	an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)

naval battle (verb)	battle (verb)
	battle or contend against in or as if in a battle