An archival document that supports an argument may be followed a week later by a paper reversing the decision. That later paper can have a different title, so reading only the apparently relevant item creates a misleading account. One carrier-design file placed three pages on the launch system between material on waste disposal and water for washing vegetables. The Royal Navy called the carrier system an accelerator and distinguished it from the catapults used on cruisers and battleships. Both neighboring documents and contemporary terminology therefore matter when searching for evidence.
Notable Point · 2:31:35-2:33:42
Why one naval archive document rarely settles an argument
Neighboring papers can reverse a naval design decision, while an apparently unrelated file title can conceal the technical evidence needed to understand it.