The Island: New Bridge and Signal DeckReferences indicate that some features of the kit's island are more accurate for a 1944
Yorktown (e.g. small, rounded bridge) while other features are more accurate for 1945 (e.g. Bofors configuration - see Note 1 below).
The most noticeable changes made to the island during the 1944 refit included the addition of an enlarged bridge, changes to the signal deck's port side, and the addition and relocation of radars.
GMM produces two superb PE detail sets for the Trumpeter kit and I will be using both for this build. They contain some very nice items, prominent in many photos of the real ship, such as the loudspeakers seen in the photo below.
Each Essex class ship was slightly different in radar fit. "Warship's Data 5: USS Yortown (CV-10)" by Robert F. Sumrall has terrific, detailed photographs of
Yorktown's radar fit as it changed throughout her service life.
The photo on Page 35 indicates where each of the GMM PE radars should be installed for Yorktown's 1945 fit.The mast platforms located between the tripod legs are also GMM PE. The GMM parts are connected making them easier to align. To ensure that the platforms are positioned at the correct height, locate the upper platform so that it is even with the funnel cap service walkway (base of the cap).
Although the most dramatic alterations to
Yorktown were made during the late 1944 refit, by the spring of 1945 additional railings had been installed along the funnel cap service walk and some other radar changes had been completed.
ShipCamouflage.com, a terrific reference, has the official, approved Ms 33-10a pattern used for Yorktown. (See below). Check photos to see how it was applied to the ship. Photos indicate there were minor variations.
Although I chose the colors stated in official design sheets for Ms 33-10a (5-L, 5-O, 5-N and 20-B), there has been some discussion that the colors applied to
Yorktown were actually Pale Gray 5-P, Haze Gray 5-H and Navy Blue 5-N on vertical surfaces with Deck Blue 20-B on horizontal surfaces. Keith Hufnagel chose the latter for his terrific build. (See:
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/cv/cv-10/350-kh/kh-index.html)