Thomas,
I hope you don't mind me responding (I'm sure Tracy will correct me where I'm wrong!
), but I think I can help a little (if not, I'm sure I'll add to the confusion!).
FWIW, these are probably the best resources out there on CVG-4 and its time aboard
Essex:
http://www.airgroup4.com/ and
http://www.airgroup4.com/torpedo-squadron-four.htmJust to be sure,
Essex was wearing her "dazzle" (Measure 32, Design 6/10D) in December 1944 (she wore it April 1944 to mid-March 1945, the best I can tell), but it was pretty heavily weathered by December. I would love to find a photo of her port side between frames where she had been kamikazed on 25 November 1944, as I would think that area would be somewhat differently shaded. Nevertheless, that area doesn't show up in any of my uncle's papers/cruise books/etc. (he served on her from late '43 until Feb. '46). nor other publications (there's some of the damage, but none of the repair that I've found).
When in December 1944 do you want to model her? It appears you want to model her early- to late-month with the aircraft you describe. But just to be sure, through most of December it APPEARS she carried ~55 F6F-3 & F6F-5X (mostly the latter, and the X stands for the regular -5, -5P, and -5N), ~24 SB2C-3, and ~18 TBM-1C until the 28th. Sources:
5 December 1944 Location of US Naval Aircraft12 December 1944 Location of US Naval Aircraft19 December 1944 Location of US Naval AircraftHOWEVER, I'm not sure I exactly trust those numbers, as I have trouble seeing the drastic changes of F6F-3 and -5 between the three dates.
Also,
Essex's cruise book
Saga of the Essex lists CVG-4 as having 49 F6F-5 and 4 F6F-5N, 25 SB2C-3, and 18 TBM-1C from 18 November 1944 until right before 11 December 1944. Right before setting sail from Ulithi on that date, her compliment of VF was increased to 69 F6F-5 and 4 F6F-5N, and VB and VT were reduced to 15 each (same aircraft types as before).
Then, on 27 December, VB-4 (15 SB2C-3) was detached, and on 28 December, VMF-124 and VMF-213 reported aboard with 36 F4U-1D split evenly between them, VF-4 was reduced back to 50 F6F-5 and 4 F6F-5N, and VT-4 switched from TBM-1C to TBM-3. CVG-4 would carry this basic compliment forward until being detached on 10 March 1945.
SO, short story long, CVG-4 for most of December 1944 was mostly F6F-5 (solid blue, with perhaps a few -3 tri-color), SB2C-3 (tri-color), and TBM-1C (tri-color). All these carried the horizontal white stripe on their vertical stabilizers, carried over from CVG-15. VERY late that month, VB-4 and its SB2C-3 were detached and replaced by F4U-1D (overall navy blue; they got the horizontal stripe on the vertical stabilizer, too, but possibly not until early January (by the 7th), as I've seen a few Corsair pics labeled as VMF-124/-213 without stripes).
It wasn't until late (28, IIRC) January 1945 that CVG-4 less VB-4 plus VMF-124 and VMF-213 received orders to switch from the unofficial horizontal stripe to the G-symbol "double diamonds", worn by
Essex air groups (Four and Eighty-three) through the Tokyo strikes, Iwo Jima, Okinawa campaign, and July strikes on the Home Islands.
As to modex numbers, I have trouble finding anything definitive. VF-15 generally wore the numbers 1 to the mid-50s (I've seen "55", and excluding McCampbell's Minsi's). When VF-4 replaced VF-15, they kept Fabled Fifteen's aircraft. There's a photo in Gerald Thomas's book that has a F6F-5 on the deck edge elevator in November '44 wearing "48", so I think I'm pretty close to right, but I would love to get visual confirmation.
Here's some decent footage out there from the day of her kamikaze hit (25 Nov. '44) with clear views of some Hellcat and one Helldiver (69) numbers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dROjC7breGoYou can pick out a few more numbers (mainly VF) here (apparently 29 Nov. '44):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og4V13UwzisThe Avengers wore numbers in the 80s and 90s. I'm sharing these because I'm pretty sure the same system was carried through into December.
After the Marines went on board, the Corsairs appear to wear numbers between the 60s and mid-90s (97 is the highest I've seen), and the Avengers wore numbers in the 120s and 130s. And I'm pretty sure the Hellcats wore numbers in the 50s and below (again, I'm always hunting for visual confirmation).
So, with all the changes in aircraft compliment in December 1944 with CVG-4, I haven't found anything absolutely definitive for her squadrons (and I want to!). I THINK before 11 December 1944, VF-4 would have wore 1-55ish, VB-4 would have worn 55-79ish, and VT-4 would have worn 80-95ish. For the brief period between 11 December and 27 December, I really don't know. I would THINK that they probably didn't have time to repaint VB-4 and VT-4 numbers, but that is pure speculation. I've got NO photo evidence (yet!) of that exact (short) time period.
Assuming CVG-4 kept CVG-15's aircraft (which I'm confident they did), as to location of numbers,
Essex fighters through after her early-'44 refit and before the Marines came on board wore their number on their vertical stabilizer and the small main gear doors. SB2Cs were similarly marked. TBMs had smaller numbers on their cowling and vertical stabilizer, and larger ones near the insignia on the fuselage. F4Us wore numbers on the fuselage in front of the insignia and on their main gear doors. If you want links to photos, let me know.
As to special markings, the only thing I've seen are the last three digits of the BuNos painted on some cowlings. These were mainly on replacement aircraft, of which there could be a lot, depending on losses or strikes. CVG-4 was pretty bereft of any nose art or squadron markings.
CVG-83 on the other hand, especially after Fightin' Freddy Sherman left in June '45, had a LOT of nose art. Also, after CVG-83 went on board were the aircraft renumbered, and I've got pretty good data for that (VF & VBF: 100s, VB: 200s, VT: 300s until July '45, then VF: 100s, VBF: 200s, VB: 300s, and VT: 400s).
FINALLY, as to the history of USN fleet carrier aircraft numbers, from all my years of studying WW II naval aviation, at the beginning of the war until some time in 1944 (I don't know the exact date, but probably the summer of), each squadron started with the numeral one and went up from there. Then in the summer of '44 it appears, probably to reduce confusion with the deck crews, it appears the planes were renumbered consecutively, with the VF first, then the VB, then the VT. Things started changing in early (March?) 1945, when the VF and VBF were renumbered to the 100s, VB 200s, and VT 300s. Then later on (summer '45), it appears each squadron was given a different number (VF 100s, VBF 200s, VB 300s, VT 400s). HOWEVER, on ships that carried the same type of VF and VBF, I'm not sure they renumbered each squadron, as they usually shared aircraft. HOWEVER, NONE OF THIS IS BASED ON DOCUMENTS, just from studying photographs and dates. And ships converted at different times. What's true for
Essex date-wise may not be true for
Yorktown or
Ticonderoga or
Hancock or
Shangri-la, etc.
I can't wait to see everything when you're done!
Mark