In the process of editing the ten volume history of torpedo boats by Joe Hinds, I realized that I made life difficult for myself by introducing a variety of inconsistencies. The solutions:
No hyphens in ship numbers: the US Navy’s official standard is no hyphen, e.g. CV 77, PT 109. So, henceforth: MAS 451, S 12, TKA 123, PQ 17.
No italics in ship numbers: PT 109, not PT 109. Italicizing ship numbers may be Chicago style, but it is a pain to select and highlight those little words, so henceforth, no italics.
Related posts:
- #naval Another positive review for Richard Worth’s In the Shadow of the Battleship: Considering the Cruisers of World War II
- #stylefail Numbers followed by numbers (naval specifications)
- #usagefail Hyphens in WWII #naval convoy names?
- Should “piazza” be italicized? #usagefail http://tinyurl.com/piazzaital
 Ericson Torpedo HiRes.jpg "( 100) Ericson Torpedo HiRes.jpg")
First people start redefining the style guide, next thing it’ll be redefining the dictionary. Oops! Already happening!
http://www.ted.com/talks/erin_mckean_redefines_the_dictionary.html