RS

Citizenship Advancement Training (C.A.T)

Military Orientation
Elementary Map Reading
 A map is a graphic representation of a portion of the earth's
surface drawn to scale, as seen from above. It uses colors,
symbols, and labels to represent features found on the ground.
The ideal representation would be realized if every feature of
the area being mapped could be shown in true shape.
Obviously this is impossible, and an attempt to plot each
feature true to scale would result in a product impossible to
read even with the aid of a magnifying glass.
Parts of the Military Map
1.Sheet Name
2. Sheet Number.
3. Series Name.
4. Scale.
5. Series Number.
6. Edition Number.
7. Index to Boundaries.
8. Adjoining Sheets
9. Elevation Guide.
10. Declination Diagram.
11. Bar Scales.
12. Contour Interval Note.
13. Grid Note.
14. Projection Note.
Marginal information found on a military map

The marginal information and symbols is where useful information telling about the map is located and
explained

Sheet Name.

The sheet name is found in bold print at the center of the top and in the lower left area of the map
margin.

Sheet Number.

The sheet number is found in bold print in both the upper right and lower left areas of the margin, and in
the center box of the adjoining sheets diagram, which is found in the lower right margin. It is used as a
reference number to link specific maps to overlays, operations orders, and plans.

Series Name.

The map series name is found in bold print in the upper left corner of the margin.
Scale.

The scale is found both in the upper left margin after the series name, and in the center of the lower margin. The
scale note is a representative fraction that gives the ratio of a map distance to the corresponding distance on the
earth’s surface. For example, the scale note 1:50,000 indicates that one unit of measure on the map equals
50,000 units of the same measure on the ground.

Series Number.

The series number is found in both the upper right margin and the lower left margin. It is a sequence reference
expressed either as a four-digit numeral (1125) or as a letter, followed by a three- or four-digit numeral (M661,
T7110).

Edition Number.

The edition number is found in bold print in the upper right area of the top margin and the lower left area of the
bottom margin. Editions are numbered consecutively

Index to Boundaries.

The index to boundaries diagram appears in the lower or right margin of all sheets. This diagram, which is a
miniature of the map, shows the boundaries that occur within the map area such as county lines and state
boundaries.
Adjoining Sheets Diagram.

Maps at all standard scales contain a diagram that illustrates the adjoining sheets. On maps at 1:100,000 and
larger scales and at 1:1,000,000 scale, the diagram is called the index to adjoining sheets.

Elevation Guide.

The elevation guide is normally found in the lower right margin. It is a miniature characterization of the terrain
shown. The terrain is represented by bands of elevation, spot elevations, and major drainage features. The
elevation guide provides the map reader with a means of quick recognition of major landforms.

Declination Diagram.

The declination diagram is located in the lower margin of large-scale maps and indicates the angular
relationships of true north, grid north, and magnetic north. On maps at 1:250,000 scale, this information is
expressed as a note in the lower margin.

Bar Scales.

Bar scales are located in the center of the lower margin. They are rulers used to convert map distance to ground
distance. Maps have three or more bar scales, each in a different unit of measure.
Contour Interval Note.

The contour interval note is found in the center of the lower margin normally below the bar scales. It states the
vertical distance between adjacent contour lines of the map.

Grid Note.

The grid note is located in the center of the lower margin. It gives information pertaining to the grid system
used and the interval between grid lines, and it identifies the UTM grid zone number.

Projection Note.

The projection system is the framework of the map. For military maps, this framework is of the conformal type;
that is, small areas of the surface of the earth retain their true shapes on the projection; measured angles closely
approximate true values; and the scale factor is the same in all directions from a point.
Basic colors of a map and
each color represent.
1. Black - man-made

2. Blue - water

3. Green - vegetation.

4. Brown - relief features and elevation

5. Red - Classifies cultural features

 HOW TO READ THE MILITARY
MAP= “ READ- RIGHT UP”
Three (3) North on a military map.

1. True north

2. Magnetic north

3. Grid north
 Military Compass
All compasses include many common
features.

1. Baseplate – the plastic rectangular transparent base.

2. Compass housing or wheel, degrees covering 360 degrees, and N-S-E-W or cardinal points for North,
South, East and West.
3. Magnetic needle – red end for north, black end for south.
4. Compass lines or orienteering lines – on the bottom of the compass housing.
5. Orienting arrow (2 green lines on this compass) – fixed and aligned to north within the compass
housing.
6. Index line – the beginning of the direction of travel arrow.
7. Direction of travel arrow – the arrow at the end of the baseplate.
8. Map scales 1:25 000, 1:50 000 and metric measurer or Romer scales.
 How to use a compass is a technique which is quick to learn
and can be put to use no matter where you are.
A Compass can be used for the following

A compass can assist you to locate where you are and how to get to
another point. While many believe a Sat Nav or Smart Phone app will do
this job for them, it must be borne in mind that electronic instruments can
fail, break or run out of power.

1. Aligning the map with the compass so that your location matches
what you see on the ground, and that you’re heading in the right
direction.

2. Taking a bearing (direction) from the map and walking.

3. Using a bearing to identify features coincident on the ground and map.

Use ‘back bearings’ to identify where you are from two or more
distant known objects
 Magnetic North and True North
Magnetic north is different to map grid north because
magnetic north (where the compass needle points) changes
in different places of the world and changes over time. The
longer your trip the greater the variance between the two.

You have to adjust the bearing on the compass to take

account of the difference between map grid north and
magnetic north. The difference in degrees is marked on
printed Ordnance Survey Ireland maps but as a rule of
thumb, adjust by 5 degrees by turning the compass housing
anticlockwise.
 Map Scales
Scales help us work out distance to our destination and
therefore how long it will take us to get there. The smaller
the area a map covers, the larger the scale is. So if you have
a map on a square meter of paper and the scale of the map
is 1:50,000 and another map on the same size paper with a
scale of 1:25,000, the area covered by the first map will be 4
times the area covered by the second map. Every map will
carry a scale, not just the value of say 1:50,000, but also a
depiction of that scale. Here is the scale displayed on our
Discovery series map.
 Map Grids
Grids on maps serve a different function; they help to tell
you, where on a map you are located. That could be because
you have injured you ankle while out and about and you
need help, or perhaps you found an interesting antiquity and
you want to share that with a friend.

When taking a grid reference, always read left to right along

the bottom or top of the map first and then bottom to top
along the side of the map. This is particularly important in an
emergency situation. If you want to precise in your grid
reference, in your mind, roughly divide each side of the grid
reference box into 10. That way you can give what is known
as a 6 figure grid reference.
 Discovery Series Map Grid
Let’s give a grid reference for Lugnaquillia with the following
steps.
1. Identify letter for 100,000 meter grid square in which the point is located.
Grid Square T. The bottom left of each lettered square starts at 0 and goes to
100 in each direction. Each incremental square measures 1,000 meters on the
ground.

2. Quote the eastings. Locate the grid line immediately left of the point, read the
large figures labeling the line either on the top or bottom of the margin of the
map. Then estimate in tenths from grid line to point. Grid line 03 estimation 2.
Eastings 032

3. Quote the Northings. Locate the grid line immediately below the point, read
the large figures labeling the line either on the top or bottom of the margin of
the map. Then estimate in tenths from grid line to point. Grid line 91 estimation
8. Northing 918.
GRID Line= A line drawn Vertical and horizontal that can be found in the
military map.
 Four-figure grid references

As we already said, when giving a four-figure grid reference, always give the
eastings number first and the northings number second. An easy way to
remember this is to keep in mind the letters HV (High Voltage), that is horizontal
reading first followed the vertical reading.

In the diagram below, the number 4 is in square 28 across (on the horizontal) and
square 54 up (on the vertical) and therefore, the four-figure grid reference is
‘2854’.

The other numbers in the squares above would get the following grid reference.
4 Corners of the World
1. (N) North
2. (E) East
3. (W) West
4. (S) South
“NEWS”

4 Quadrants of the
World.
1. Northeast (NE)
2. Southeast (SE)
3. Northwest (NW)
4. Southwest (SW)
 A. Direction: Find the Grid Square of the following points using the
Military Map drawn besides the given questions.
1. GS of pt. 1 =

2. GS of pt. 2 =

3. GS of pt. 3 =

4. GS of pt. 4 =

5. GS of pt. 5 =

6. GS of pt. 6 =

7. GS of pt. 7 =

8. GS of pt. 8 =

9. GS of pt. 9 =

10.GS of pt. 10 =
 B. Find the Forward and Back Azimuth of the following degrees.

1. FA= 175 degrees SE=

2. FA= 93 degrees SE=

3. FA= 45 degrees NE=

4. FA = 160 degrees SE

5. FA = 10 degrees NE=

6. BA = 190 degrees SW=

7. BA = 270 degrees W=

8. BA = 360 degrees N=

9. BA = 199 degrees SW=

10. BA = 276 degrees NW=

Goodluck and Thankyou!!
Prepared by: Lt.Col. Ucag, Ayesa T.