The Royal Navy could divide an experienced squadron, use its leaders and executive officer to start another unit, and fill both formations with newly trained personnel. This spread practical culture and best practice without forcing recruits to discover carrier work from scratch. The approach helped the service retain demanding capabilities, including night flying and night strike, as the force expanded and absorbed new aircraft types. Even so, the expanded 1944 force was less proficient in some areas than its 1940 predecessor because senior-officer attrition, the influx of recruits, and continual adaptation strained the service. These methods conserved expertise, but they could not remove every cost of rapid wartime growth.
Notable Point · 20:44-22:37
How the Fleet Air Arm spread hard-won experience
See how the Fleet Air Arm used experienced personnel to seed new squadrons while preserving carrier skills during rapid wartime expansion.