← Table of contents
Leyte

Basic Military Map Symbols1

Reading edition

Basic Military Map Symbols1

Symbols within a rectangle indicate a military unit, within a triangle an observation post, and within a circle a supply point.

Military Units—Identification

Antiaircraft Artillery

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Armored Command

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Army Air Forces

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Artillery, except Antiaircraft and Coast Artillery

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Cavalry, Horse

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Cavalry, Mechanized

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Chemical Warfare Service

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Coast Artillery

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Engineers

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Infantry

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Medical Corps

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Ordnance Department

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Quartermaster Corps

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Signal Corps

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Tank Destroyer

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Transportation Corps

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Veterinary Corps

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Airborne units are designated by combining a gull wing symbol with the arm or service symbol:

Airborne Artillery

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Airborne Infantry

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Size Symbols

The following symbols placed either in boundary lines or above the rectangle, triangle, or circle inclosing the identifying arm or service symbol indicate the size of military organization:

Squad

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Section

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Platoon

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Company, troop, battery, Air Force flight

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Battalion, cavalry squadron, or Air Force squadron

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Regiment or group; combat team (with abbreviation CT following identifying numeral)

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Brigade, Combat Command of Armored Division, or Air Force Wing

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Division or Command of an Air Force

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Corps or Air Force

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Army

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Group of Armies

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

EXAMPLES

The letter or number to the left of the symbol indicates the unit designation; that to the right, the designation of the parent unit to which it belongs. Letters or numbers above or below boundary lines designate the units separated by the lines:

Company A, 137th Infantry

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

8th Field Artillery Battalion

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Combat Command A, 1st Armored Division

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Observation Post, 23d Infantry

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Command Post, 5th Infantry Division

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Boundary between 137th and 138th Infantry

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Weapons

Machine gun

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Gun

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Gun battery

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Howitzer or Mortar

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Tank

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Self-propelled gun

Illustration from Leyte: The Return to the Philippines

Notes in this chapter

Explore with AITake your curiosity a little further.

Reading settings