GR translation: Ordnance smoke-puffs flicker on nearly every sleeve.

[Markekohut]

Seems to mean smoke from weapons....flickering on all the soldiers. 

Sent from my iPad

On May 17, 2013, at 6:29 PM, Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com> wrote:

> One problem is that there are also Russians.  So are these actual puffs of smoke?  Then why "ordnance" smoke-puffs? It still looks like some kind of badge or insignia on the sleeves to me.  Could someone please set me straight if I'm making a fool of myself?
> 
> 
> On Fri, May 17, 2013 at 5:03 AM, Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com> wrote:
>> P309.31-39  Final assembly went on in Stollen 41. The cross-tunnel is 50 feet deep, to accommodate the finished Rocket. Sounds of carousing, of voices distinctly unbalanced, come welling up, reverberating off of the concrete. Personnel are weaving back up the main tunnel with a glassy and rubicund look to their faces. Slothrop squints down into this long pit, and makes out a crowd of Americans and Russians gathered around a huge oak beer barrel. A gnome-size German civilian with a red von Hindenburg mustache is dispensing steins of what looks to be mostly head. Ordnance smoke-puffs flicker on nearly every sleeve.
>> 
>> I assume the "smoke-puffs" refer to some kind of insignia of the US Army Ordnance Corps.  Although I can't find one with puff of smoke on it.  It's more of a flame than smoke.  Is this army slang?  Poetic licence? Or am I assuming wrong again?
> 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://waste.org/pipermail/pynchon-l/attachments/20130518/3cc70fdb/attachment.html>