The Ship Model Forum

The Booklet of General Plans for CV5 indicate that there was a pelorus located at each end of the large bridge platform.

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Looky here:



Booklet of General plans Tom mentioned is here at Maritime.org for those that don't already have a copy. 1940 fit. Bridge is on sheet / page 5, looks like this shelter is offset and close to the top of the inclined stairs to the flag level.

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Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

Oh WOW, WOW, WOW!!!! Thank you for posting this Tracy!!!!

AWESOME!!! A lot to see here: You can pretty well make out the shape/size of the "shelter" and it does look like it extends all the way to the front of the platform. Looks like open arches on both sides. There is also the round conduit located on the port side of the armored lookout sections like we see on the starboard side (interesting as to what this was). I 'think' you can also see the top of the pelorus on the starboard side of the platform.

Gonna have to change some plans on my build now.

Thanks again, Tracy!!!

Got anymore goodies?

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Not until after Steve's CV-5 book has been out for a bit

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Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

TERRIFIC!!!!!

I've waited 45 years for a good kit and new pics, so I guess I think I'm good to wait a little bit longer!

I can't wait, though, to get Steve's new book!!!

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So, comparing Tracy's pic to 2 others, did the port wing platform (for lack of appropriate term) get shortened at Pearl prior to leaving for Midway. On the far left pic taken at Pearl, you can see it plainly extends out. In the middle image (at Midway), I just thought that smoke was obscuring the platform - except the sailor standing at the edge of "something" was confusing. You also can't see the starboard wing in the original pic either (again due to smoke?).

In Tracy's pic, you can see the port wing and it definitely looks cut back to me. Thoughts?

Thanks!

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The Yorktown's were built with short bridge wings that folded back out of the way for most operations. However, while maneuvering in tight spaces, like pulling into a drydock, the wings would be extended to allow the conning officer a better view. Check this photo from April of '42 where the port wing is not showing.
http://www.history.navy.mil/our-collect ... 95571.html
Sometimes the starboard wing would be left extended, but the one on the port side was usually folded back for air operations.

DickJ,

I was just about to ask that question as I was studying the Ballard Yorktown pics and saw some type of device that made me think it was retractable. Thank you very much for your info on that! That is something I've never ran across.

In the pic you referenced, it looks like the starboard wing is retracted as well and probably explains why I couldn't see it in the battle damage pic taken at Midway from the bow - as I always thought it was hidden by smoke. This is very interesting.

Thanks so much, DickJ!!

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Thanks for all the photos and info on the bridge everyone!!!

I checked my Cressman book and it looks like this was probably erected sometime in april. Not there in picture of Yorktown returning from the Gilberts on 2/6(p67) and not there in a photo taken circa 4/42 if the photo caption is correct(p85). It is there at coral sea. However, I suppose this could be collapsable structure.

I went through my Ballard book too, but the open bridge was too badly damaged in the roll over and plunge to the bottom.

What new book coming out are you guys referring to?

I currently have Tom's 1/700 and some things to spruce it up which is going to be my ultimate build of the Yorktown, but is there supposed to be a new kit coming out from someone too?

New book: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=161746

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Outstanding, Thanks TOMLABEL!!

Probably not collapsable, and it was present in the April '42 photo that I linked to above. That would indicate that the structure was most likely added at Pearl between the time Yorktown arrived from the Gilberts raid and when she departed for the South Pacific.

Wow! What a long thread, took me a while to get through it all. First I want to say thank you to all who contributed... so much information! Thank you, thank you! It's been a long time since I built a model, but once I heard there was a 1/350 Yorktown, I had to have it! This thread has given me even more than I thought I would get. Yorktown has always been my favorite WWII subject.

I have a copy of "That Gallant Ship" and all the photo's that were referenced with page numbers apparently don't apply to the latest release of that book. I'm looking forward to picking up the Warship Pictorials copy, here it is mid February and already I can't wait!

Unfortunately, many of the links and photo's in the first pages of this thread are no longer around.

Does anyone know if AJ Press plans on releasing a volume 2 in the near future?

Thanks again,
Joe

The Cressman book had two photos labeled April and one had the structure and the other didn't or one of them might have been labeled simply Coral Sea in the book(second picture below). I think the one that didn't have the structure(I don't have the book with me right now) is the peaceful dawn picture from the bow that is kinda dark(first picture below). If you look closely in that photo(not the copy I posted) the structure is not there and you can see the starboard forward view slit in the armored wheel house that is not visible with the shelter structure erected. So far I have not found a suitable copy on the internet. They are all too dark - as is the one I posted. The big IF in all this are all the pictures labeled correctly. If all pictures are labeled correctly then it was not there when Yorktown left Pearl on March 6th for the South Pacific.I wonder if this could have been built during the brief respite at Tongatabu. I went through all these dates and photos pretty fast the other night. I will have to check everything a lot more closely when I get the chance.

I can't speak to the actual date on the Cressman photo, but the lower photo is definitely pre-Midway (rudder stripes on aircraft) and the enclosure is in place on the open bridge. NHHC placed the date of the lower photo as some time in April of '42. It is highly unlikely that the structure would have been collapsible or could otherwise have been disassembled because the parts would have been too large and getting them on and off that bridge at sea would have been a nightmare. There is no sign of the parts in the Cressman photo and nowhere on the open bridge to stow them in place and out of sight. Beyond that, I don't know when it was added for sure, but right after the Gilberts Raid was the only time she was in a shipyard between the raid and the Coral Sea battle.

Hi there, I'm working on a pixel drawing of Yorktown and Enterprise and wondered if I could pick your brains. Did they have Mk 33 directors as built and where's the best place to I get a detailed drawing of them? Thanks.

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USS WASP CV-7 VIDEO SERIES

Episode 05: Builder's Trials
Guided Tour1: Hangar Deck

ESSEX CLASS TIMELINE
USS Ticonderoga CV-14 Operational History
USS Shangri La, 1945 in Color

Both had the open topped version of the Mk 33 director. I don't have a detailed drawing but maybe one of our members has links to one.

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Mike

Thanks a lot. You guys have done an amazing job here. I've learned so much about these ships from reading this thread.

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USS WASP CV-7 VIDEO SERIES

Episode 05: Builder's Trials
Guided Tour1: Hangar Deck

ESSEX CLASS TIMELINE
USS Ticonderoga CV-14 Operational History
USS Shangri La, 1945 in Color

Does anyone know what these structures are located on the top back half of the pilot house on either side? You can see them in the pic that Tracy White posted recently and in the Ballard pic. In the Ballard pic (taken a somewhat of a higher level than the pilot house) you can see a shadow cast on it from the main shielding. They look to be kind of an angular enclosures - not quite circular. In the Midway Yorktown pic, taken from the bow looking aft, it seems like there is quite a congregation around these two sections of these structures.

I also see that CV6 had similar structures on top of the pilot house from the PH 1942 pic.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

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They contain sky lookout positions similar to these on the Portland:
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/9ee39321d2d7fe59_large