Into the Looking Glass/Headscratchers

I realize Ringo was Army, but surely he had some Navy guys to ask about those kinds of details...
 * I'm sure there are all sorts of things that others latch on to as problems in the series, but re-reading it, the things I notice are all minor stuff regarding Navy protocols and such, particularly submarine ones. For example, in Ch 7 of Vorpal Blade, the XO of the Blade, an experienced sub CO, uses "closed" when talking about stowing the screw (propeller) for the space drive part of the official first trip, but submariners never use "close" or its variants, but "shut". "Close" is too close to "blow" (as in ballast tanks), which in a combat situation could result in Bad Things(tm) due to misunderstanding communications.