My Models – US WWII Fleet Carriers

Posted on by awetherhorn

My collection once had models representing every large American aircraft carrier that served in WWII. Each one was painted in a distinctive camouflage pattern. CV 2 represents the prewar measure 1 overall dark grey. That design gave way to measure 12, modified, which used three colors in a mottled pattern. almost every ship that was painted in ms 12 modified had an individual pattern, unlike any other ship. Later in the war the measure 3x patterns came into use. the “x” could be a 1,2, or 3, depending upon the colors used. Those patterns were always different for each side of the ship. The deck included a large hull number to help aviators find their own home carrier. But other markings, like the dotted guidelines and elevator outlines were not always the same.  LEXINGTON used black, others white, and yellow was also used for elevator outlines. Some carriers marked the elevators with a thin white “X”, others were unpainted. INTREPID outlined her hull number in white. In order to have examples of all the ESSEX class I built several models out of wood. The aircraft also were painted in differing colors over the course of the war, and used more than one method of identifying individual aircraft, squadrons, and air groups. That part of the history is not shown here.

PENTAX Image
CV 2 LEXINGTON in early war dark grey with a false bow wave

CV 3 SARATOGA port measure 32-11A

PENTAX Image
CV 3 SARATOGA starboard measure 32-11A
PENTAX Image
CV 3 SARATOGA port measure 32-11A
CV 4 RANGER p ms 33-1A
CV 4 RANGER port ms 33-1A
CV 4 RANGER s ms 33-1A
CV 4 RANGER stbd ms 33-1A
CV 5 WASP p
CV 5 WASP port measure 12 modified
CV 5 WASP s
CV 5 WASP stbd measure 12 modified
CV 6 ENTERPRISE p
CV 6 ENTERPRISE port ms 33-4Ab
CV 6 ENTERPRISE s
CV 6 ENTERPRISE stbd ms 33-4Ab with a load of TBF avengers on deck
PENTAX Image
CV 8 HORNET measure 12 modified port
PENTAX Image
CV 8 HORNET measure 12 modified stbd
CV 9 ESSEX s
CV 9 ESSEX stbd measure 32 6/10D a wooden scratch built model
CV 9 ESSEX p
CV 9 ESSEX port measure 32 6/10D a wooden scratch built model
CV 10 YORKTOWN p
CV 10 YORKTOWN stbd measure 33-10A showing deck markings. this is a wooden scratch built model
CV 10 YORKTOWN p
CV 10 YORKTOWN port measure 33-10A This is a wooden scratch built model
CV 12 HORNET p
CV 12 HORNET port measure 33 3A Another wooden scratch built model
CV 12 HORNET s
CV 12 HORNET stbd measure 33 3A Another wooden scratch built model
CV 16 LEXINGTON p
CV 16 LEXINGTON port measure 21 Another wooden scratch built model
CV 16 LEXINGTON top
CV 16 LEXINGTON port measure 21 showing her black deck markings Another wooden scratch built model
CV 17 BUNKER HILL p
CV 17 BUNKER HILL port measure 32 6A
CV 17 BUNKER HILL s
CV 17 BUNKER HILL stbd measure 32 6A
CV 18 WASP p
CV 18 WASP port measure 33 10A
CV 19 HANCOCK p
CV 19 HANCOCK port measure 32 3A
CV 19 HANCOCK s
CV 19 HANCOCK stbd measure 32 3A

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