Home Page World War II Armed Forces — Orders of Battle and Organizations Last Updated 16.12.2022
United States Navy and United States Coast Guard
 
Abbreviations and Terms Used
(Go to this page for abbreviations used to describe ships, vessels, and craft)
           Capitalization of abbreviations was not regulated — BatDiv also seen as BATDIV. Periods were usually omitted except to avoid confusion. When numbers for headquarters were placed after the designation,
           they could be an arabic number or capitalized text. The sequence of number and designation does note appear to have been a regulated.
           Note that Naval District Commandants could be abbreviated as COM, and followed by their number, using Arabic or Roman numerals.
Unit Types
  BatDiv   Battleship Division
  CarDiv   Carrier Division
  CruDiv   Cruiser Division
  DesFlot   Destroyer Flotilla
  DesRon   Destroyer Squadron
  DesDiv   Destroyer Division
  SubRon   Submarine Squadron
  SubDiv   Submarine Division
  MineRon (MinRon)   Mine Squadron
  MineDiv (MinDiv)   Mine Division
  ServRon   Service Squadron
  TrainRon   Train Squadron
  UtRon   Utility Squadron
  UtWing   Utility Wing
  UtRon   Utility Squadron
  TF   Task Force
    TG     Task Group
      TU       Task Unit
        TE         Task Element
Titles
  CinCUS   Commander in Chief United States Fleet
  (As of 18.12.41 changed to CominCh)
  CinCPac   Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet
  CinCLant   Commander in Chief Atlantic Fleet
  CinCAf   Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet
  CNOB   Commander, Naval Operating Base
  COM x   Commandant Naval District Arabic or Roman number of the district 
  e.g.: COM III is the Commandant of the 3rd Naval District.
  ComBatFor   Commander Battle Force, Pacific Fleet
  ComScoFor   Commander Scouting Force, Pacific Fleet
  ComBaseFor   Commander Base Force, Pacific Fleet
  ComBatshipsBatFor   Commander Battleships Battle Force, Pacific Fleet
  ComBatshipsLant   Commander Battleships Atlantic Fleet
  ComBatDiv   Commander Battleship Division (NUMBER)
  ComGrePat   Commander Greenland Patrol
  ComCruBatFor   Commander Cruiser Force, Pacific Fleet
  ComCruScoFor   Commander Cruisers Battle Force, Pacific Fleet
  ComCruLant   Commander Cruisers, Atlantic Fleet
  ComCruDiv   Commander Cruiser Division (NUMBER)
  ComDesBatFor   Commander Destroyers Battle Force, Pacific Fleet
  ComSupForLant   Commander Support Force, Atlantic Fleet
  ComDesLant   Commander Destroyers, Atlantic Fleet
  ComDesFlot   Commander Destroyer Flotilla (NUMBER)
  ComDesRon   Commander Destroyer Squadron (NUMBER)
  ComDesDiv   Commander Destroyer Division (NUMBER)
  ComAirBatFor     Commander Aircraft Battle Force, Pacific Fleet
  ComPatWingScoFor     Commander Patrol Wings Scouting Force, Pacific Fleet
  ComAirLant   Commander Aircraft Atlantic Fleet
  ComPatWingLant   Commander Patrol Wings, Atlantic Fleet
  ComPatWing   Commander Patrol Wing (NUMBER)
  ComCarDiv   Commander Carrier Division (NUMBER)
  ComSubScoFor   Commander Submarines Scouting Force, Pacific Fleet
  ComSubLant
  (Also ComSubsLant)		   Commander Submarines Atlantic Fleet
  ComSubRon   Commander Submarine Squadron (NUMBER)
  ComSubDiv   Commander Submarine Division (NUMBER)
  ComMineBatFor   Commander Minecraft Battle Force, Pacific Fleet
  ComMineRon   Commander Mine Squadron (NUMBER)
  ComMineDiv   Commander Mine Division (NUMBER)
  ComTrainBaseFor   Commander Train Base Force, Pacific Fleet
  ComTrainLant   Commander Train, Atlantic Fleet
  ComYangPat   Commander Yangtze Patrol Asiatic Fleet
  ComSoPat   Commander South China Patrol
  ComDesAf   Commander Destroyers Asiatic Fleet
  ComAirAf   Commander Aircraft Asiatic Fleet
  OTC   Officer in Tactical Command
  SOPA   Senior Officer Present Afloat
  Most senior officer present in a harbor occupied by more than one
  U.S. Navy vessel. Can change when vessels enter or leave the port.
  SOP(A)   Senior Officer Present Ashore
Units and Flags
  (F)   Flagship
  (AAF)   Aircraft, Atlantic Fleet Flagship
  (BAF)   Battleships, Atlantic Fleet Flagship
  (CF)   Cruisers Flagship
  (DAFF)   Destroyers, Atlantic Fleet Flagship
  (FF)   Flotilla Flagship
  (SF)   Squadron Flagship
  (SxF)   Squadron NUMBER Flagship
  (SFF)   Service Force Flagship
Locations
  AS   American Samoa
  BWI   British West Indies
  CZ   (Panama) Canal Zone
  HI   Hawaiian Islands
  MI   Mariana Islands
  NFLD   Newfoundland (British Dominion in Northwest
  America until 1949. Present day Canadian
  Province of Newfoundland and Labrador)
  PI   Philippine Islands
  PR   Puerto Rico
  TA   Territory of Alaska
  VI   (US) Virgin Islands
Installations
  FSS   Fleet Sonar School
  NAD   Naval Ammunition Depot
  NAB   Naval Air Base
  NAS   Naval Air Station
  NMWS   Naval Mine Warfare School
  NOB   Naval Operating Base
  NORTC   Naval Reserve Officers Training Course
  NRAB   Naval Reserve Air Base
  NS   Naval Station
  NSB   Naval Submarine Base (also seen as SUBASE)
  NY (NYd)     Navy Yard (also Naval Yard)
  RFS   Ready for Sea
  SUBASE   Naval Submarine Base (also seen as NSB)
Vessel Types
  M/S   Motor Ship (civilian vessel — diesel powered)
  S/S   Steam Ship (civilian vessel — steam powered)
  USC&GSS   United States Coast and Geodetic Survey
  USAT   United States Army Transport
  USNR   United States Navy Reserve
  USS   United States Ship (US Navy vessel)
Miscellaneous
  LORAN   Long Range Navigation
  BM   Boatswain's Mate (enlisted rank)
  CBM   Chief Boatswain's Mate (senior enlisted rank)
  NTS   Naval Transportation Service
  USN owned ships. In peace time operating as
  civilian shipping. In wartime to be used as
  transport for troops, supplies, and equipment.
  (M.C.)   Medical Corps
Not U.S. Navy
  USCG   United States Coast Guard
  USCGC   United States Coast Guard Cutter
  CG   Coast Guard
  CGAS   Coast Guard Air Station
  CGC   Coast Guard Cutter
  HMS   His Majesty's Ship
  HMAS   His Majesty's Australian Ship
  HMCS   His Majesty's Canadian Ship
  HMNZS   His Majesty's New Zealand Ship
  RN   Royal Navy
  RAN   Royal Australian Navy
  RCN   Royal Canadian Navy
  RNZN   Royal New Zealand Navy
  RNethN
  RNLN		   Royal Netherlands Navy
  CPNAB     Contractors Pacific Naval Air Bases
  (civilian construction workers, employees
  of companies under US Navy contract)
  ECC     East Coast Contractors
  (civilian construction workers, employees
  of companies under US Navy contract)
Air Units
  CASU   Carrier Aircraft Service Unit
  CFAW   Commander, Fleet Air Wing
  HEDRON   Headquarters Squadron
  MAHA   Marine Air Hawaiian Area
  PATSU   Patrol Service Unit
  SOSU   Scout Observation Service Unit
  STAG   Special Task Air Group
  VB   Bombing Squadron
  VC   Composite Squadron
  VC   Battleship Observation Squadron
  VCS   Cruiser Scouting Squadron
  VD   Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron
  VF   Fighting Squadron
  VF(N)     Night Fighting Squadron
  VGF   Escort Fighting Squadron
  VGS   Scout / Torpedo Bomber Squadron
  VH   Air-Sea Rescue Squadron
  VJ   Utility Squadron
  VN   Training Squadron
  VN-D   Training Squadron (District)
  (the number following the "D" was its Naval District)
  VO   Observation Squadron
  VOS   Observation Scout Squadron
  VOT   Operational Training Squadron
  VP   Patrol Squadron
  VPB   Patrol Bombing Squadron
  VP-D   Patrol Squadron (District)
  (the number following the "D" was its Naval District)
  VR   Transport Squadron
  VRE   Transport-Evacuation Squadron
  VRF   Ferry Squadron
  VRS   Service Squadron
  VS   Scouting Squadron
  VSB   Scout Dive-Bombing Squadron
  VS-D   Scouting Squadron (District)
  (the number following the "D" was its Naval District)
  VS-RD   Reserve Scouting Squadron (District)
  (the number following the "RD" was its Naval District)
  VSO   Scout & Observation Squadron
  VT   Torpedo Squadron
  VTB   Torpedo Bombing Squadron
  VX-D   Experimental Squadron (District)
  (the number following the "D" was its Naval District)
  ZJ   Airship Utility Squadron
  ZN   Airship Training Squadron
  ZP   Airship Patrol Squadron
  ZQ   Barrage Balloon Squadron
  ZS   Airship Scouting Squadron
 
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