What's a "click"?

I was watching one of those corney old war movies and when discussing the location of a place they would say the distance in "clicks on the map". I was just wondering if anyone knows what a click is, since I can't find it anywhere. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Armed services lingo for "Kilometer"

Regards,
Dread

I've always mentally spelled it "Klick", but it's really just a verbal, so "click" is as good. As noted = Kilometer. More readily transmitted and correctly understood on a voice radio than the 3 syllable word, plus the phoenetic alphabet uses "kilo" for "k".

And another Hollywood kliche'

Funny the way we have different mental images of things. To me, it's 1000 meters, or 1100 yards, mas a minos.

Ah, ok. I know it is probibly only a movie thing, but it was driving me nuts. Plus now if anyone ever tells me to head two klicks north I know what they are talking about. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

>> I know it is probibly only a movie thing <<

Well, I've been retired for 7 years now, but I assure you in my time in service it was the reflexive verbal term used for "kilometer" by me and my fellow soldiers. I still think in "klicks" when I'm walking or flying low level. I know my pace count in various terrain for 100m; I have no idea, without doing the mental math, what it is in English measure. And I still use the spoken word "klick" in routine conversations... although I write it as "km".

Chris, of course, is all tied up in knots out in the yard by this conversation... quick, Chris, what's the max effective range of a 5" 38 cal gun in meters?

TiC,

Tom

It's not only a movie thing, we call'em clicks up here too. "It's about 50 clicks north of here, turn west and go for about another 15 er 20 clicks. You can't miss it."

@ 18,000 SEMPER PARATUS. Now where did the phrase " beat the RUSH" originate from?

USS Rush, a USCG Coast Guard cutter operating in Alaska ca late 19th or early 20th Century (not sure exact dates). Locals tried to sell pelts before the Rush would show up on station thus not having to pay some tax or declaration.

OK for an Army guy? (I spent a bit of time on Kodiak for both business and later on vacation - the base takes NICE care of visiting Army folks)

Hmm, I bet there's a mechanism involved that either made clicking noises relative to a 1 km measurement on a map or in a vehicle or vessel that clicked off kilometers in transit.

A 5" 38 cal @18K, okay, how about a 5" 54 cal?

Anyone got an idea what the top speed record is for a Spruance Class Destroyer, in Battle Override with the stops pulled out? Any idea how long it took for the ship to come to a stop from that speed?

In Australia, we use click in everyday speach.
As I understand it, it reffers to the odometer of a car 'clicking' over.
When we give directions we say "its 5 clicks down the road" meaning 5 kilometers.
When we sell/buy a car, the the question is asked, "How many clicks its done?" reffering to how many k's on the odometer reading.

I just thought it was Australian slang. Even my grandfather used it, and he served in World War 1, so its use seems to go back a fare way.

Well, I think that rated range of the 5"/54 cal is about 13 nm. But what about the ERGM stuff?

Rated speed of the the Spruance class is 33 knots, but wasn't it the USS David R. Ray that did 37, and took 2 miles to stop w/o reversing screws?

Now, why did they decommission her?

Heck ! I served 15 years in a French Canadian Regiment and even we said klicks !!! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Yepper, the 54 cal was a good 13 nm. I dunno about the ERGM stuff (different compartmental access).

33 knots was about flank 2 in most Spruance. Battle Override on ours put us at about 56 knots. Since the Spruance class had variable pitch props, we never reversed shaft, just threw the pitch out and kept the coals to it. If we idled the blades, we would coast another 2 miles or so, but from 56 knots ahead, we could stop that boat in just over one ship length (600 feet at battle override). We called that "emergency crash back", and the fantail would submerge (normal draft was 15 feet at the stern).

I believe the USS O'Brian actually went a little faster than we did, but then again we were slightly bigger so our displacement probably held us back.

They decommission perfectly good surface warships in order to justify budgets increases. Otherwise they might not get their fair share of the annual federal budget. Same as the rest. It's all about how much you can spend, not how well you can use what you have.

56 knots? A surface vessel, w/o hydroplane? That has never been published! Damn sure not by the navy, nor by Janes.

The ERGM is Extended Range Guide Munitions -- smart shells. Mk 54, mod 4.

See, I knew that TS SCI would come in handy some day.

Wanna know how far out we could passively target our Tomahawks? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'll tell you something else. When we left Pascagoola MS for a Med cruise, we left the Ike behind us on the horizon in about two hours out of port. But after 8 hours it had caught up to us, and in another 45 minutes it left us behind on the opposite horizon!!!

We were doing flank 3 (a good 40 knots) and when the carrier went by us, I thought we had stopped. They had to be going at least 30 knots faster than us, and we were still at flank 3. Those nukes do take a while to get wound up, but once they got the rods pulled and the momentum up, they fly.

It's not just an Aussie thing. I recall the term being used right and left, (to measure kilometers), -back in our good ole Vietnam War days. (Your helpful participation in that war too, -not being forgotten!). [color:"black"] [/color] [email]Biggzie[/email]

This was a very interesting post for someone like me who never got a chance to serve in the military. I learned a lot, but what I really wanted to say was "THANK YOU" for serving this great country, both in the past and present. Y'all must have some incredible stories to tell. Thanks for sharing.

Its spelled "KLICK"

It is short for "Kilometer", the metric equivalent of about 0.8 miles.

Actually a Kilometer is 0.621 miles.