Soldiers caper about new artillery (8)
I believe the answer is:
ordnance
'artillery' is the definition.
('ordnance' can be a synonym of 'artillery')
'soldiers caper about new' is the wordplay.
'soldiers' becomes 'or' (Other Rank).
'caper' becomes 'dance' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'about' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'new' becomes 'n'.
'dance' placed around 'n' is 'dnance'.
'or'+'dnance'='ORDNANCE'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for ordnance that I've seen before include "weaponry" , "Cannon; munitions" , "Department concerned with artillery" , "Military supplies and materials" , "guns etc." .)