I'm building Fujimi IJN Junyo in her October 1944 configuration.
My references are mainly this forum, pictures from the internet and TROM from combinedfleet.com. I have a few questions and some of my assumptions here which I'd appreciate comments on.
Junyo's modification after the Battle of the Marianas, base on TROM, included
14 July 1944:
1. three Type 96 triple 25mm AA mounts << I assumed they were placed around the island.
2. two Type 96 twin 25mm AA mounts << where were they placed?
3. a number of single 25mm AA mounts << I assumed some were detachable mounts, so maybe there position is not very strict.
4. I wasn't mentioned but I guess the small structure (a room?) behind the island, where the mast used to be place on the deck, was added during this refit as well. Is it for the gun crew? or it was added in September in association with the type 13 radar?
26 September 1944:
Since there was not any other major refit after this one, I assumed Junyo stayed in this configuration until the end of the war.
5. six racks of 30-tube (180) 127mm. (5-inch) AA phosphorous rocket launchers mounted in sponsons on each beam far aft.
This is one of the problematic areas. TROM mentioned "each beam far aft". From The aerial view from her stern, I could spot the battery of 3 launchers on her port aft sponson. The starboard side is hard to see. I'd say I don't see any from this angle.
A view looking aft on the starboard, I'd say I can't spot them from this view either.
Instead, they can be found in the forward part of the ship, 3 launchers on starboard side and, I think, another 3 on the opposite side as well. (Tamiya place the launchers in the forward part in their kit.)
So, how many launchers did Junyo carry? 6? 9? 12?
6. Camouflage: I want to do green camouflage for my Junyo. Based on the picture of her bow after being torpedoed in December 1944, she already had camouflage then. So I assumed she was given her camouflage during the September refit. And was the deck camouflaged too? Her deck in 1945 still showed hint of camouflage similar to those on Zuikaku/Zuiho/Unryu-class. So I assumed she had deck camouflage in September too, which had worn out since.
7. Her air group. The last mention on her being assigned an air group is right after her September refit. It was when she was training with 634th air group. However, the 634th departed on October 11th. What type of aircraft the 634th had? on Junyo? A quick google search showed a profile of a D4Y1 Judy. Did she have any aircraft assigned while she was on her transport role?
Well, to summarize my long questions, would it be historically accurate to model this Fujimi Junyo, modified according to assumption above, in camouflage and with aircraft on board?