Common Mistakes in Military Writing

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Common Mistakes in Military Writing

You may be working on a TV or movie script Magazines
or creating a video game. You may be writing a One of the most common and prevalent
news report, sourcebook, article or novel. The mistakes is also one of the easiest to avoid. There
chances are that sooner or later you will have to are few ways that will as easily destroy your
deal with weapon or military related topics. Using credibility or that of your character as this
the wrong term can easily make your efforts mistake. A “clip” is not a “magazine”. Despite
worthless nonsense. Here are some common common misuse “clip” is not an alternative term
mistakes that can easily be avoided. for “magazine”, they are separate and distinct
things. A clip is a mechanical component that fits
inside a magazine. To say they are the same is like
claiming a rabbit is the same as a burrow or a sock
the same as a foot! It is not “semantics”, it is just
plain wrong! I have known at least one veteran
soldier who would grind his teeth every time a
journalist, screen writer or supposed “expert” gun
writer made this mistake. Details that you may not
appreciate may matter a lot to others. If you
cannot get a basic detail like this right you might
as well give up writing.
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http://phillosoph.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/common-mistakes-in-military-writing.html
The quick rule of thumb is, if you want to use Shrapnel

“clip” you should use “magazine”. Any time you Shrapnel is a term that needs to be treated with
want to use “clip” you have a 99% chance of some caution. Any time you want to use
getting it wrong, so don’t! For small arms clips are “shrapnel” instead of “fragments” or “splinters”,
something of an anachronism and only found is there is a 95% chance of being wrong. Strictly
some vintage weapons. Very few modern firearms speaking shrapnel comes from a shrapnel shell.
require ammunition to be loaded into a clip. Typically a shrapnel shell contains a mass of
Rounds fit directly into the magazine. Futuristic musket balls of around half an inch diameter.
weapons are very unlikely to use a clip. See here Unlike a shotgun shell or canister load, a shrapnel
for more detailed explanations. If you take one shell explosively ejects its contents in mid-air.
thing away from this article, make it this and your Shrapnel shells were adopted in 1803, copied by
writing will have improved considerably. other nations and saw a decline in use during the
First World War, the large infantry formations
that were the intended target becoming
uncommon. Some later designs such as the
AHEAD anti-aircraft round could be legitimately
described as shrapnel. The term is actually seldom
used in modern military technology publications.
See here for a space warfare application of
shrapnel.
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Most of the time someone uses the term Shrapnel is a term best reserved for character
“shrapnel” they actually mean splinters or dialogue only. A good rule of thumb is “shrapnel”
fragments. It could be argued shrapnel has is within the casing of a munition while
become a generic term for such things but its “fragments” are from the casing of a munition.
more definite meaning can cause problems. I Shells, Shot and Grenades
recently read a book where the author spoke of A “shell” is a container. There are explosive
“ground strewn with jagged shrapnel”, which is a shells, gas shells, incendiary shells, smoke shells,
ludicrous oxymoron to the educated reader. A HEAT-shells, shrapnel shells and so on. Shotgun
very nice example of the problem was in the BBC cartridges are also called shells. “Shot” are solid
Musketeers series where a character claims men projectiles. The pellets from a shotgun are shot.
have been wounded by shrapnel. Not only did she Non-explosive armour-piercing rounds fired by
actually mean wooden splinters and stone tank and anti-tank guns are shot, not shells. A
fragments, but this constitutes an anachronism “grenade” is a munition either thrown by hand or
too. by a low-velocity launcher. In some languages the
Incidentally, true shrapnel munitions usually do equivalent word has a broader meaning, closer to
not produce fragments too. The ejection charge is that of shell. This use is creeping into English, via
too weak to rupture the casing. such uses as mistranslations of RPG. A German
It is tempting to use specialized jargon to create term for a mortar literally translates as “grenade-
the impression that you are knowledgeable. Not launcher”, but using this term in English causes
doing your research and using it wrongly can confusion.
create the opposite effect.
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HEAT Warheads “silencers” so the term is legitimate. Many people

Also known as “shaped-charge” or “hollow- who claim this is wrong call magazines “clips”,
charge”. The name is from the acronym “high- which tells you all you really need to know about
explosive anti-tank” and is not related to them! Suppressor and moderator are more
temperature. Several misconceptions about these fashionable terms in modern usage so are the
warheads are related to temperature. One is that terms more likely to be used by characters familiar
the jet the explosion produced melts its way with firearms or military hardware. What term a
through armour. In reality, the blast forces its way character uses will depend on their familiarity with
through the armour. There is insufficient time and such devices and their era. A cop in the 1920s or a
heat to melt the armour. A related idea is that the modern civilian non-shooter is likely to claim a
penetrating jet is of molten metal. While the jet is suspect had a silencer.
very hot, it does not reach a sufficient temperature Graticule vs Reticule
to melt the cone-liner, which is usually a high This is an easy one to remember. A graticule has
melting point metal such as copper or steel. The some form of graduations, a reticule does not.
liner is formed into a hot, malleable solid that is
forced through the armour. Calibres
Weapon calibres are nominal, rather than
Suppressor accurate measurements. Two weapons of the
You will find assertions that the term “silencer” same nominal calibre may use quite different
is wrong and that the correct term is “suppressor” rounds of ammunition. It is not advisable to
or “moderator”. This is a modern affection and is round up calibres, nor convert them between
actually wrong. Maxim’s first designs were called imperial and metric. Don’t call a 7.92mm rifle
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8mm. Don’t describe a Browning HMG as comes from confusing a revolver's cylinder with a
12.7mm, nor a DShK as .50. chamber. A revolver has a cylinder with a number
Revolver of chambers in it. One round goes into each
In some older books, “revolver” is used as a chamber. Typically there are six chambers. Small
generic term for a pistol or handgun. Characters revolvers and large calibre designs may have fewer
will draw a revolver which in a later passage is chambers. Small calibre revolvers or some more
identified as a Luger! You will also see revolvers modern designs may have more. You can say that
treated as being distinct from pistols. This a revolver only has “two shots in its cylinder”.
confusion is the result of “automatic” being You cannot say it only has “two shots in its
dropped from “automatic pistol”. Revolvers are chamber”.
actually a subset of pistols or handguns, so calling Revolvers have a gap between the barrel and the
them pistols is permissible. chamber. Therefore most revolvers cannot
effectively use a suppressor/ silencer. There are
exceptions to this but that stable of 70s cop
shows, the detective special with a little
Champaign cork-sized thing on the muzzle, is
pure fantasy.
I have seen a couple of books or movies where Trading Shots
a character asks something like “How many If two units are “trading shots” they are
bullets are in the chamber?” The only possible shooting at each other. I would have thought that
answers to this are “one” and “none”. This error this did not have to be explained, but I recently
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read a book where several times artillery “trade how short the blade. A private of a rifle regiment
salvos” and the shots are then described as being will be a “rifleman”, not a “trooper” incidentally.
targeted against other units. A more common tradition is the US military
Incidentally, a weapon is not “the answer to…” practice of calling caps and hats “covers”.
another system unless it is a direct counter to it. A tradition to note is that US marines do not
The German Nebelwerfer was not the answer to refer to themselves as “soldiers”. One marine will
the Soviet Stalin’s Organ, it was its equivalent. never call another a soldier. I have even seen a
marine chewing out kindergarten children on this
when the children had sent a letter “hoping that
he and the other soldiers were safe”. Traditions
and terminology matter.
Rank
In the English-speaking militaries, an NCO is
never addressed as “sir”. Civilians may be
Jargon addressed as “sir”, officers are “sir” but corporals,
Like many institutions and cultures the military sergeants and warrant officers are never “sir”.
have their own jargon, some of which are You should not write on military matters unless
effectively shibboleth. You should familiarize you have some comprehension of rank and how it
yourself with some of these before writing on the fits into a military structure. A major would not
subject. For traditional reasons the British normally command a rifle squad, nor would he be
rifleman will call his bayonet “a sword”, no matter commanding a division. There is a movie where a
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character is introduced as “a colonel in the SAS”. mean close, it means aimed without adjusting for
Generally regiments only have one colonel, and drop. A machine gun is not the same as a
they are unlikely to be twenty-somethings who are submachine gun. A misfire means a gun does not
sent to single-handedly deal with alien invasions. fire, not that it fires accidentally. Most tracked
Details Matter vehicles are not tanks. Calling them tanks is cheap
I could fill a book with dumb and avoidable sensationalism.
mistakes in modern media. Don’t assume you Good writing is in the details. Not bothering to
know things, do some research. Some of your get the details right shows a contempt for your
assumptions will prove to be misconceptions, reader and your subject. Even if your writing is
which may be uncomfortable and difficult to not sympathetic to the topic getting your details
accept. Don’t claim an aircraft has a twelve- right can only help you convey your message.
cylinder engine when a couple of seconds’ Just as important as getting your details right is
research will tell the reader it had nine. Don’t fuel to be consistent. I have read books where a
your T34 with gasoline. Don’t give a character a firearm changes calibre four times in a short
laser weapon and then have him notice the paragraph, sometimes within the same sentence!
increased recoil. A shotgun is not a rifle. “RPG” In a book I read recently a character is described
does not actually stand for “rocket propelled as a “dashing colonel”. Later in the same scene he
grenade”. “Chain-guns” do not have multiple worries about offending a superior officer who is
spinning barrels. They have single barrels and use a major. On the next page he is engaged in
a chain to operate the bolt. Decimate does not conversation and is frequently addressed as
mean “nearly wipe out”. “Point blank” does not “major”. In a later scene set a day or so later he is
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once again called a colonel. This is just sloppy and

there is not really any defence for this.
The Books
If you have enjoyed this article or it has been helpful to you please feel free to show your
appreciation.
Thank You
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Common Mistakes in Military Writing

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http://phillosoph.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/common-mistakes-in-military-writing.

Common Mistakes in Military Writing

The quick rule of thumb is, if you want to use Shrapnel

HEAT Warheads “silencers” so the term is legitimate. Many people

once again called a colonel. This is just sloppy and

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