The Navy Department Library
U.S. Naval Abbreviations
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--H--
Note: Where the same abbreviation has more than one meaning, the several meanings have been arranged alphabetically. Abbreviations preceded by an asterisk (*), other than Navy numbers, may never be used singly; those preceded by the symbol for number (#) are the Bureau of Personnel Condensation Code for use in dispatch orders to personnel.
H -- Hall-Aluminum Aircraft Corporation (now Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft Corporation) (manufacturer's symbol)
H -- Heavier-than-air rotary wing aircraft (helicopter)
(H) -- Heavy or 4-engine plane
H -- Hospital plane (suffix to plane designation), as PBJ-2H
H -- Howard Aircraft Corporation (manufacturer's symbol)
H -- Medical Department aboard a carrier
H -- Mustard gas
H -- Stearman-Hammond Aircraft Corporation (manufacturer's symbol)
HA -- Headquarters Administration Division (USCG)
HA -- Home Address
HA -- Hospital Apprentice
HAC -- Haitian Air Corps
"Harpoon" -- See PV-2
HAV -- Heavily Armed Vessels
"Havoc" -- See BD-#
*HAW -- Hawaiian, as COMHAWSEAFRON (Commander Hawaiian Sea Frontier)
Haw Dept -- Hawaiian Department
HawSeaFron -- Hawaiian Sea Frontier
"Hayrake" -- Radar beacon and homing device (YE)
HB -- Heavy Bomber
HB -- Horizontal bomber
HBDC -- Home Base Development Committee (OpNav)
HBS -- Harbor Boat Service
HC -- Hexachlorethane Mix
HC -- High Capacity
HC -- Hospital Corpsman
HC -- USN Reserve designation for Hospital Corps, USN
HCA -- Absent by reason of being held by civil authorities
HCCG -- Discharge under honorable conditions, convenience of government
HCCM -- Discharge under honorable conditions, convenience of man
HCDP -- Discharge under honorable conditions, dependency existing prior to enlistment
HCEE -- Discharge under honorable conditions, expiration of enlistment
HCMS -- Discharge under honorable conditions, medical survey
HCMU -- Discharge under honorable conditions, under age of authorized enlistment
HCMW -- Discharge under honorable conditions, minors enlisted without consent, under 18 at time of discharge
HCO -- Hanger Control Officer
HCP -- Hangar Control Position
HCR -- USNR officer designation for General Service, Hospital Corps. Formerly HC.
HCS -- USNR officer designation for Special Service, Hospital Corps. Formerly HC(S).
HCUS -- Discharge under honorable conditions, unsuitable
HC-V(G) -- USNR designation for Hospital Corps officers, commissioned and warrant, including pharmacists, qualified for general detail ashore or afloat. This classification was abolished in September 1944 and replaced by HC or HC(S).
HC-V(S) -- USNR designation for commissioned and warrant officers, including pharmacists, qualified for specialist duties in connection with the Medical Corps of the Navy. This classification was abolished in September 1944 and replaced by HC or HC(S).
HCW -- USNR officer designation for Women's Reserve, Hospital Corps. Formerly HC(W).
HD -- Harbor Defense (Army)
HD -- Hydraulics
HDC -- Harbor Defense Command (Army)
HDCG -- Honorable discharge, convenience of government
HDCM -- Honorable discharge, convenience of man
HDDP -- Honorable discharge, dependency existing prior to enlistment
HDDS -- Honorable discharge, dependency arising since enlistment
HDEE -- Honorable discharge, expiration of enlistment
HDMS -- Honorable discharge, medical survey
HDMU -- Honorable discharge, under age of authorized enlistment
HDMW -- Honorable discharge, minors enlisted without consent, under 18 at discharge
HDNPRSGR -- Headquarters Squadron personnel Group
Hdr -- Header type (boiler)
HDR -- Home Dockyard Regulations
HDV -- Horse Drawn Vehicle
HE -- High Explosive
HECP -- Harbor Entrance Control Post
HECPost -- Harbor Entrance Control Post
HED -- Headquarters; as COMHEDRONFAIRWING
HedRon -- Headquarters Squadron
HedRonFairWing -- Headquarters Squadron Fleet Air Wing
HEI -- High Explosive Incendiary
HEIT -- High Explosive Incendiary Traced
"Hellcat" -- See F6F-#
"Helldiver" -- See SB2C-#, SBF-#, SBW-#
HERALDS -- Harbor Echo Ranging and Listening Devices
#HERDESNAVAV -- Hereby designated as student naval aviator
#HERDET -- Hereby detached from duty indicated and from such other duty as may have been assigned
#HERDUFLY -- Hereby detail to duty involving flying upon reporting in obedience to these orders
HESO -- Hospital Educational Service Officer
HET -- High Explosive Traced
HF -- Fighter Aircraft fitted with engine rated for high altitude performances
HF -- High Frequency radio
HF/DF -- High Frequency Direction Finder
H&H -- Harlan & Hollingsworth (ship engines)
HH -- Hedge Hogs
HHE -- Household Effects
H-Hour -- Hour set for attack or other operation to begin (on D-Day)
HHX -- Halifax Joiner to HX Convoy (routing designation)
*HI -- High
Hiatus Area -- Area outside of zone of communications (where Army not concerned with local population except as factors which in these areas might affect progress of allied armies)
HiCom -- High Command
HJ -- Utility helicopter
HK -- Galveston to Key West (routing designation)
HMAS -- His Majesty's Australian Ship
HMBS -- His Majesty's British Ship
HMCS -- His Majesty's Canadian Ship
HMG -- His Majesty's Government (GB)
H-minus 1, 2, etc. -- 1, 2, etc. hours before hour of attack
HMIS -- His Majesty's Indian Ship
HMNZS -- His Majesty's New Zealand Ship
HMRP -- Hurricane Microseismic Research Problem (aerology)
HMS -- His Majesty's Ship (GB)
HN -- Training Helicopter
HN -- Nitrogen Mustard Gases
HNS-# -- "Hoverfly"; Navy training helicopter (HN), manufactured by Sikorsky Air
HO -- Hydrographic Office
HO -- Observation helicopter
HOMP -- Halifax Ocean Meeting point
Hon -- Honorable
Hono -- Honolulu, T.H.
HOR -- Hoover, Owens, Rentschler Company (ship engines)
Horiz 3-exp -- Horizontal, triple expansion engine
Hornet" -- Naval aircraft engine, 9 cylinders, manufactured by Pratt and Whitney
HOS-# -- Navy observation helicopter (HO), manufactured by Sikorsky Air
*HOSP -- Hospital
HOSP RATS -- Hospital Rations
"Hoverfly" -- See HNS-#
How -- "H" in the phonetic alphabet, replaced the obsolete "Hypo"
How -- Howitzer
HP -- High Pressure
HP -- Horse Power
HP -- USNR officer designation; probationary commissioned, direct from civilian life, for special duties in Medical Corps; formerly H(P)
HPF -- Harbor Patrol Fleet
H-plus 1, 2, etc. -- 1, 2, etc. hours after hour of attack
HPT -- Horizontal Plot Table
Hq or HQ -- Headquarters
HQDP -- Headquarters, Department of the Pacific (USMC)
HQMC -- Headquarters, Marine Corps
Hq&Serv -- Headquarters and Service (USMC)
HqSq -- Headquarters Squadron
HR -- Transport helicopter
HR (number) -- House of Representatives, Bill (number)
H & RP -- Holding and Reconsignment Point (Army)
H&S -- Headquarters and Service (Army)
H(S) -- USNR officer designation for Special Service, Special Duty in Medical COrps, restricted to those formerly H-VS.
HS -- USNR officer designation for Special Service, commissioned direct from civilian life, special duties in medical Corps. Formerly H(S).
HSF -- Hawaiian Sea Frontier
HSL -- High Speed Launch
HS & SS -- Headquarters and Service Squadron
H&S Tr -- Headquarters and Service Troop (Army)
HTA -- Heavier Than Air
HTD -- Hand Target Designator
HTO -- Highway Transportation Officer (Army)
HTS -- High Tensile Steel
"Hudson" -- See PBO-#
Hula Unit -- Shipping designator for Lend-Lease transfer of material and training of personnel in 13th and 17th Naval Districts
Hun -- Hundred
HUSAFICPA -- Headquarters, U.S. Army Forces in Central Pacific Area
HV -- Hihg Voltage
H-V(P) -- USNR designation for medical and dental students, appointed as ensigns, for special duties in connection with the Medical COrps of the Navy. This classificaiton was abolished in September 1944 and replaced by H(P) Corps.
H-V(S) -- USNR designation for comissioned and warrant officers qualified for specialist duties in connection with the Medical Corps of the Navy. This classification was abolished in September 1944 and replaced by H(S).
HW -- Herewith (enclosures)
H/W -- Highway
HXHW -- USNR officer designation fo rmen commissioned direct from civilian life, special duties in the Medical Corps. Formerly H(W).
HXF -- New York to Liverpool, Fast (routing desgination)
HXM -- New York to Liverpool, Medium (routing designation)
HXS -- New York to Liverpool, Slow (routing designation)
Hydr -- Hydraulic
Hydro -- Hydrographic Office
Hydrog -- Hydrographic
Hypo -- "H" in the phonetic alphabet; now obsolete and replaced by "How"
