The First Carrier Division supplied much of the practical experience from which Japanese carrier aviation developed during the 1930s. By April 1941, Akagi, Kaga, and Destroyer Squadron 7 sat under Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, raising the question of whether he commanded the carrier division, its aviation formation, or the larger force. In practice, he held all three responsibilities. This multi-hatting reduced the need for more admirals, but it left separate organizational identities in place and contributed to staff friction.
Notable Point · 59:28-1:01:28
First Carrier Division as a doctrinal laboratory
Akagi and Kaga made the First Carrier Division the main source of interwar Japanese carrier lessons, while its commander accumulated overlapping responsibilities.