| AA |
antiaircraft |
| AAF |
Army Air Forces |
| ABDA |
American-British-Dutch-Australian Area |
| Airsopac |
Aircraft, South Pacific Force |
| AK |
cargo ship |
| Alnav |
All Navy |
| Amphibsopac |
Amphibious Force, South Pacific |
| Anzac |
Australia and New Zealand |
| AO |
fleet oiler |
| AP |
transport ship |
| APD |
high-speed transport (converted destroyer) |
| B-17 |
Boeing B-17 Heavy Bomber (Flying Fortress) |
| B-25 |
North American B-25 Medium Bomber (Mitchell) |
| B-26 |
Martin B-26 Medium Bomber (Marauder) |
| bandit |
enemy aircraft |
| Batdiv |
battleship division |
| BB |
battleship |
| Belconnen |
radio intelligence unit in Australia |
| Bleacher |
Tongatabu |
| bogey |
unidentified aircraft |
| Buaer |
Bureau of Aeronautics |
| Bunav |
Bureau of Navigation |
| Buord |
Bureau of Ordnance |
| Bupers |
Bureau of Naval Personnel (Bureau of Navigation until May 1942) |
| Button |
Espíritu Santo |
| CA |
heavy cruiser |
| Cactus |
Guadalcanal |
| CAG |
Commander, Air Group |
| Cardiv |
carrier division |
| Carpac |
Carriers, Pacific Fleet |
| Cast |
Combat Intelligence Unit, Sixteenth Naval District |
| CG |
commanding general |
| Cincaf |
Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet |
| Cinclant |
Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet |
| Cincpac |
Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet |
| Cincpoa |
Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas |
| Cincus |
Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet |
| CL |
light cruiser |
| CNO |
Chief of Naval Operations |
| CO |
commanding officer |
| Com |
Commander, Naval District |
| Comairbatfor |
Commander, Aircraft, Battle Force, Pacific Fleet |
| Comairpac |
Commander, Aircraft, Pacific Fleet |
| Comairsopac |
Commander, Aircraft, South Pacific Force |
| Comamphibforpac |
Commander, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet |
| Comamphibforsopac |
Commander, Amphibious Force, South Pacific Area |
| Comanzac |
Commander, Anzac Area |
| Combatfor |
Commander, Battle Force, Pacific Fleet |
| Comcarpac |
Commander, Carriers, Pacific Fleet |
| Comcru |
Commander, Cruisers |
| Comcrubatfor |
Commander, Cruisers, Battle Force, Pacific Fleet |
| Comcrudiv |
Commander, Cruiser Division |
| Comcrupac |
Commander, Cruisers, Pacific Fleet |
| Comcruscofor |
Commander, Cruisers, Scouting Force |
| Comdesdiv |
Commander, Destroyer Division |
| Comdespac |
Commander, Destroyers, Pacific Fleet |
| Comdesron |
Commander, Destroyer Squadron |
| Cominch |
Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet |
| comint |
communications intelligence |
| Comnorpac |
Commander, North Pacific Area and Force |
| Compatwing |
Commander, Patrol Wing |
| Comscofor |
Commander, Scouting Force, Pacific Fleet |
| Comserforpac |
Commander, Service Force, Pacific Fleet |
| Comsopac |
Commander, South Pacific Area and Force |
| Comsowespac |
Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area |
| Comsowespacfor |
Commander, Southwest Pacific Force |
| Comsubpacflt |
Commander, Submarines, Pacific Fleet |
| Copek |
radio network for intelligence organizations |
| Crudiv |
cruiser division |
| Crupac |
Cruisers, Pacific Fleet |
| CSCMF |
Cincpac Secret and Confidential Message File |
| CTF |
Commander, Task Force |
| CV |
aircraft carrier |
| CXAM |
type of radar |
| DD |
destroyer |
| Desdiv |
destroyer division |
| Desron |
destroyer squadron |
| DMS |
high-speed minesweeper (converted destroyer) |
| DSM |
Distinguished Service Medal |
| ECM |
electrical cipher machine |
| F2A |
Brewster F2A Fighter (Buffalo) |
| F4F |
Grumman F4F Fighter (Wildcat) |
| FDO |
Fighter Director Officer |
| fish |
torpedo |
| GCT |
Greenwich Central Time |
| HMS |
His Majesty’s ship |
| Huddle |
Ndeni |
| Hypo |
Combat Intelligence Unit, Fourteenth Naval District |
| IFF |
identification, friend or foe |
| IJN |
Imperial Japanese Navy |
| JCL |
“Johnny come lately,” term for naval aviators |
|
who qualified as captains or commanders |
| (jg) |
junior grade |
| Kidō Butai |
striking force |
| MAG |
marine air group |
| Mardiv |
marine division |
| NAS |
naval air station |
| Navsta |
naval station |
| Negat |
Op-20-G, Radio Intelligence Unit, Office of |
|
the Chief of Naval Operations |
| NHC |
Naval Historical Center |
| Norpac |
North Pacific Area |
| NWC |
Naval War College |
| NY |
navy yard |
| ONI |
Office of Naval Intelligence |
| Opnav |
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations |
| Op-Ord |
operations order |
| Op-Plan |
operations plan |
| P-40 |
Curtiss P-40 Fighter (Warhawk) |
| Pacflt |
Pacific Fleet |
| Patwing |
patrol wing |
| PBY |
Consolidated PBY Flying Boat (Catalina) |
| Pestilence |
three-part offensive to seize Rabaul |
| RAAF |
Royal Australian Air Force |
| RAN |
Royal Australian Navy |
| RG |
record group |
| Ringbolt |
Tulagi |
| RN |
Royal Navy |
| Roses |
Efate |
| SBD |
Douglas SBD-2, -3 Scout Bomber (Dauntless) |
| SC |
Sail Cast (a type of radar) |
| Secnav |
Secretary of the Navy |
| SOC |
Curtiss SOC Seaplane (Seagull) |
| Sopac |
South Pacific Area |
| Sowespac |
Southwest Pacific |
| SWPA |
Southwest Pacific Area |
| TBD |
Douglas TBD-1 Torpedo Bomber (Devastator) |
| TBF |
Grumman TBF-1 Torpedo Bomber (Avenger) |
| TBS |
talk-between-ships short range radio |
| TF |
task force |
| TG |
task group |
| Transdiv |
transport division |
| TS |
top secret |
| TU |
task unit |
| Ultra |
ultra secret radio intelligence |
| USMC |
United States Marine Corps |
| USN |
United States Navy |
| USNA |
United States Naval Academy (Annapolis) |
| USNR |
United States Naval Reserve |
| USS |
United States ship |
| VB |
bombing plane, bombing squadron |
| VF |
fighting plane, fighting squadron |
| VHF |
very high frequency |
| Victor |
defensive formation |
| VMF |
marine fighting squadron |
| VMO |
marine observation squadron |
| VMSB |
marine scout-bombing squadron |
| VP |
patrol plane, patrol squadron |
| VS |
scouting plane, scouting squadron |
| VSB |
scout bomber |
| VT |
torpedo plane, torpedo squadron |
| VTB |
torpedo bomber |
| Watchtower |
Task One in Rabaul offensive |
| YE |
homing signal and transmitter |
| Z |
Greenwich time zone; times are given as Z-plus or Z-minus GCT |