Moffett could not rely on a simple numerical system when officials repeatedly asked whether apparently similar aircraft units were redundant or interchangeable. Descriptive labels helped defend force requirements and explain why a fighter could not simply carry every weapon or perform every aviation mission. The labels also helped naval officers understand a capability that was still new to the service. The same pressure encouraged de facto carrier groupings before the formal carrier-air-group structure existed. Administrative clarity in the moment nevertheless created more designations for later generations to untangle.
Chapter · 41:05-44:42
Moffett's need for descriptive squadron labels
Rear Admiral William Moffett needed labels that told political and naval audiences exactly what each aviation squadron was meant to do.