Henderson creates a specialist carrier-planning staff

Carrier planning had belonged to the battlecruiser squadron's staff, whose work emphasised scouting, sea control and support for cruisers. Henderson's appointment as Rear Admiral Aircraft Carriers in 1930 gave naval aviation a specialist staff of its own. He commissioned design studies and began codifying offensive operational plans, including a list of potential enemy fleet bases to study for attack. Orders for some of this work have been found, although the associated reports had not been located in the National Archives by the researcher describing them. The Mediterranean Fleet therefore had earlier staff work available when it began planning during the Abyssinian Crisis.