 This is a familiar scene, tourists who have lost their way. At one time or another, most of us have found ourselves in this predicament, and like these men, probably stopped at a service station to ask directions. Generally, such directions are given by reference to a roadmap. This is what is known as a planometric map and shows only the horizontal features. Like all other maps, this is a drawing to scale of a portion of the Earth's surface on which natural and man-made features are depicted by symbols, lines, and colors. If you select a map which covers the area of your travels and know how to interpret the information it contains, the planometric map will guide you to your destination. This is the purpose of any map. For these travelers, the relatively simple roadmap serves this purpose, enabling them to visualize the route they must travel to reach their destination. In other situations, this type of map would be of no value at all. Here, a soldier's mission takes him miles from the nearest improved road to make his way across country by referring to natural signposts such as hills, mountains, or streams, or man-made features like houses, schools, or water towers. There are no road signs here, and to plan and complete a trip for patrol requires much more information than would be found on a simple roadmap. So the soldier is issued a topographic map which shows both relief and horizontal position of features, natural and man-made, in measurable form. However, no map is of value unless it is properly understood and used. At first glance, it may appear confusing with all sorts of lines and symbols you have never before encountered. All have a purpose, and it becomes obvious that the first step in learning to read a map lies in discovering what these various symbols, lines, and colors represent. First, let us note what might be called the operating instructions. These are placed around the map edges and termed marginal information. This contains such essential information as the scale to which the map is drawn. Graphic or bar scales to be used in translating map distances into actual ground distances and the contour interval or vertical distance represented by contour lines on the map. The lower left-hand corner contains the legend which illustrates and identifies the symbols used on the map. It might be possible to interpret the information found on a military map by continually referring to the legend for the meaning of the map's symbols. But this is awkward, so for speed and efficiency in map reading, the first requirement is to learn and memorize the more common symbols. Let us begin with the symbols printed in black and identify what is called cultural detail or man-made objects. These resemble, in so far as possible, the actual object's features as viewed from above. In almost any area, the most conspicuous man-made objects are highways. They come in various widths. If classed as hard surface, heavy-duty roads like these, they are represented on the military map by parallel lines. This is the basic symbol for a road, two parallel lines. A hard surface, heavy-duty road is indicated by coloring the space between the lines solid red. If the road is more than two lanes wide, its width is printed on the map above it. Where the road changes in width, a tick mark is placed at the point of change and the variation is noted. Reading this symbol then, we see a road indicated by parallel lines. We also note that it is classed as hard surface, heavy-duty by the red marking. Here it is four lanes, but at this point it widens to six. Other types of roads are shown by varying this basic symbol. For example, this is a hard surface, medium-duty road, as is this and this. These roads, like the ones we saw before, may vary in width, but their map symbol is the same, parallel lines. A hard surface, medium-duty road is depicted by alternating red and white sections between the parallel lines. Its width and variations are marked in the same manner as the heavy-duty road. Military maps also include streets like this one, as well as improved light-duty roads. The symbol for improved light-duty roads and streets is again parallel lines. But for this classification, only the two parallel lines are used. No color code is added. Unimproved dirt roads are indicated by parallel broken lines on the military map. Important trails, footpaths, or packed trails are shown by a single broken line. Thus it is evident that five different types of roads are depicted on military maps by distinctive individual symbols. A trail, an unimproved dirt road, an improved light-duty road, a hard surface, medium-duty road, and a hard surface, heavy-duty road. The width of hard surface roads, if more than two lanes, is indicated above them, like this, and all five symbols stand out clearly and distinctly. Another feature commonly seen is the overpass or bridge. This symbol is used with the symbols for railroads, highways, and streams. Still another transportation facility found on most military maps is the railroad. Its symbol is simple and logical. For a single track, one line is used, with cross marks suggesting railroad ties. For more than one track, the symbol is two parallel lines with the same crossbars. The difference between the single track and the multiple track symbols is obvious, and both are designed to stand out clearly from other map details. The next symbols we shall learn represent buildings, not to scale, but rather to suggest their shapes as viewed from above. For example, a house is represented by a solid black square, which is centered on the map on its actual location, as are all map symbols. A barn or similar outbuilding is depicted by an open square. The symbol for a school derives from the flag, which is flown on school property. So a school is represented by a black square with a flag on top. The church symbol is similar, except that a cross is placed on the black square instead of a flag. Larger buildings are usually depicted on maps by symbols which suggest their actual shape from above. They are placed on the map in proper relationship to their surroundings. A storage tank is frequently marked on military maps. The symbol representing it is a solid black circle. Contents of such tanks are always indicated adjacent to the symbols. Finally, remember that whenever man-made features such as airports are large enough, they are represented on maps in their proper scale. The symbols we have seen thus far represent man-made features which physically occupy space within a mapped area. But there is another man-made feature which normally is not physically apparent, yet must be depicted on the military map. This is the boundary line. The symbols representing boundary lines are varied to distinguish the areas which they enclose. A national boundary is depicted in this way. This is a state border and this a county line. Military reservations are outlined by this symbol and other reservations like this. You will notice that the national and state boundaries are at first glance confusingly similar. Thus to distinguish it, the national boundary is edged with red dots along its entire length. The same possibility of confusion exists between military and other reservation borders. So the boundary symbol for the military reservation is also edged with small red dots. And a printed identification is included on the reservation side of the line. These then are representative samples of the symbols used to identify cultural or man-made features on the military map. Let us now consider how natural features are depicted. The color blue on a map indicates water. Thus large bodies of water such as rivers and bays are drawn on the map to scale and color blue. Their shorelines whether rocky, smooth, sandy, swampy or overgrown with vegetation are always indicated by a blue line. Streams which are not wide enough to be drawn to the map scale whether fast and deep or slow and shallow are symbolized on the military map by a blue line. If the stream is constant, the blue line is solid. If it is intermittent, flowing only during wet weather, a broken line is used. Swamps or marshes no matter where located within the mapped area are indicated by blue symbols resembling vegetation growing in water. While lakes or ponds are drawn on the map in blue to reproduce their aerial outline in so far as possible. From these examples, it can be seen that the map symbols for water features are easily interpreted and readily identifiable because of their blue coloration. Another natural element of great importance to the soldier is vegetation. This is indicated on the military map in green. Areas which are covered with natural woods or brushwood from thick forests to scrub brush are shown by a solid shading of light green while white indicates areas which have been cleared. Orchards are symbolized on military maps by a green pattern like this. Suggesting rows of trees with their normal coloration. This then is the meaning of green on your map, vegetation. As we noted earlier, a topographic map contains information about the relief features of the area it depicts. This is expressed in brown contour lines which represent the relative height of the terrain over which they pass and spot elevations which give the elevations at the point where they are found. Note that they are used here to indicate a depression as a closed loop with tick marks always on the downhill side. Contour lines will also depict a cut through hills or ridges dug to accommodate man-made features like roads or railroads. Note the straight and parallel contour lines adjacent to this road and passing through the hill. This symbolizes a cut. When an area has been filled to allow a man-made feature to pass over small streams, gullies or depressions, the fill is indicated by straight and parallel contour lines adjacent to the road or railroad and running over the features filled in. When tick marks are used to indicate the downside of the fill, they always point away from the road or railroad. The interpretation of contour lines will be explained more fully in another film. This completes our survey of the more common map symbols found on military maps. The complete map will have names of features such as towns, highways and railroads printed on it to further aid in identifying the symbols it contains. It will also carry a military grid of numbered horizontal and vertical lines to provide a uniform means of locating points on the map. The manner in which the grid is used will also be covered in another film. Finally, of course, a map always has its legend. Remember it is there to illustrate and identify the symbols used, so before undertaking to read a map, first read its legend for proper guidance. This then is the military map. Like other maps, it is a drawing to scale of a portion of the Earth's surface on which natural and man-made features are depicted by symbols, lines and colors. The marginal information of this map is essential to its proper understanding and use, while its legend is the key to the symbols it contains. Of these symbols, those printed in black denote what is called cultural detail or man-made objects such as roads of various types and classifications. Railroads, buildings, including schools and churches, storage tanks and other man-made features, large enough to be represented on the map in their proper scale. Boundaries are also printed in black with those representing national borders or the limits of military reservations being edged with small red dots. All water features are indicated in blue, including bays and rivers, shorelines, streams and lakes or ponds. Vegetation is depicted by the color green. White shows areas which have been cleared. Finally, facts pertaining to relief features of the area are expressed on the map by brown contour lines and spot elevations. The military map contains a wealth of vital information for the soldier to use. Its value will depend on you and your knowledge of its elements. With a little effort and practice, you can master its symbols and usage. And once mastered, you can count on the military map to guide you on your missions in training or in combat, surely, swiftly and safely.