| 50 Dylan CDs and an Icepick | 12 Feb 2008 10:23 a.m. PST |
I'm putting the finishing touches on my Lexington and Yorktown for Coral Sea, and wondering if I should paint their CV # on the deck or superstructure, as I've seen in some photos…. Should there be a big, white "2" on Lexington's flight deck, forward of the first elevator? |
| withelan | 12 Feb 2008 10:53 a.m. PST |
I am a retired Navy CPO and served on two aircraft carriers the Nimitz and the Truman. The hull markings for aircraft cariiers are painted on the port and starboard side of the "island" and on the flight deck all the the forward between the bow catapults. They should be numbers only, for instance Truman is CVN 75, you would see 75 painted in white on each side of the island, they would be very large extending about 3 decks high coming up to a point just under the first catwalk on the flight deck side. The Bow numbers painted on the flight deck can either be white outlined numbers or solid white, I have seen both. The number on the flight deck should be situated so that it can be read from the stern (rear) of the ship. Hope this helps. |
| 50 Dylan CDs and an Icepick | 12 Feb 2008 11:08 a.m. PST |
I understand that's how it's done today, and how it was in the pre-war peacetime navy, but I can't find a single picture of a US navy carrier in 1942 with her hull number showing. |
| Warbeads | 12 Feb 2008 11:46 a.m. PST |
Perhaps it was to reduce the intel value of pictures of the ship during war? Gracias, Glenn Just guessing without any evidence… |
Wyatt the Odd  | 12 Feb 2008 12:01 p.m. PST |
It would appear that the Lexington didn't have numbers on her flight deck or her island. This one would have to be just at the start of the war as she's fully loaded with Hellcats, Devastators and Dauntlesses (and looking a little worse for wear) picture This one is pre-war with biplanes around 1929:
picture There's also no number on the island when her turrets were removed:
picture Wyatt |
| withelan | 12 Feb 2008 12:42 p.m. PST |
Take a look at the link provided, scroll down and you will see the markings Saratoga CV 3. She is painted in combat camoflauge and the hull number is visable on the flight deck. I didn't read your question totally and after your reply had to find something for you. I think that what "All over the Shye" said has a lot of merit. I am sure that all carriers of the time had the same hull markings as Saratoga as the Navy is very regimented about some things. The hull markings on the flight deck look to be the outlined type and could be faded from numerous launches. This is a problem even modern CVN's have. That and the poor picture quality of some WWII images may account for it appearing to have no hull markings on the flight deck. I guess aircraft on the bow could hide it as well couldn't it? Good luck.
link |
| withelan | 12 Feb 2008 12:43 p.m. PST |
By the way, click on the photo and it enlarges so that you can see the hull marking. There is also notes on both the lexington and Yorktown on that site but I didn't see any photos that would help. |
 McKinstry  | 12 Feb 2008 8:57 p.m. PST |
I'm fairly certain the Essex class MS32 standard medium scheme (and any MS31&MS33's in use) included the CV# in black on a flight deck stained with the blue flight deck stain. I believe later in the war there was a switch to the number in pale grey 5-P. |
| McKinstry | 12 Feb 2008 9:10 p.m. PST |
Here is a link to a picture of Essex, CV#9, with a black deck number on the flight deck blue stained deck. picture |
| Corsair | 13 Feb 2008 4:28 a.m. PST |
The flight deck #s cam into use in 1943. Generally, they were black/dark gray. The white and yellow flight deck #s were postwar. The hull # on the island was also postwar. As Lex and Yorkie were in camo, the only #s would have been on the hull at bow and stern, in white, and fairly small. Corsair |
| Dan Cyr | 13 Feb 2008 10:49 a.m. PST |
I was going to ask, since I use 1/6000 ships if any details like that could even be seen at 2 or 3 feet on the gaming table (at 1/6000 scale a foot is a mile)? Dan |
| CharlesRollinsWare | 14 Feb 2008 6:41 a.m. PST |
Prior to Pearl Harbor the USN Pacific Fleet had removed the visible numbers from anything that could be seen from a distance. Prior to March 1942, and the carrier identifier number was removed from the individual aircraft codes as well. This was done to eliminate possible intellignece that the enemy might gain. The Flight deck numbers were not returned until after the ultimate result of the war was no longer in doubt, and some such was needed to help the aircrews determine which carrier was which in multi-carrier Task Forces. Specifically, neither USS Yorktown (CV-5) nor USS Lexington (CV-2), nor any of their aircraft, carried the 5 or 2 itentifier at Coral Sea. Mark E. Horan |
