[Geoff Murphy]

Doing my first ship model, Hasegawa Gambier Bay. Building it as the Fanshaw Bay and would like info if anyone knows about the color scheme applied during the middle of 1945. TIA

Geoff M.

[Tracy White]

Actually by 1945 the dazzle schemes were on the way out as they made nice, bright targets for kamikazes and other aerial attacks.
In February of 1945, new directives were sent out (see page four) that called for Fanshaw Bay to be painted in the 1945 version of Measure 21:

Quote

MEASURE 21.

Apply #7 Navy Gray (5-N) to all vertical surfaces without exception.

Apply Deck Gray (20) to all deck and other horizontal surfaces.

These were with new, neutral paints. One of the questions we still have that I've been (unsuccessfully so far) trying to answer in the National Archives was how quickly these new paints were spread, and how much stocks of the old paints existed. Generally, anything painted stateside after February of 1945 was in the new paints, but Fanshaw appears to have been overhauled just before or just about that time, so it's more of a crap shoot without photos. I'll try and do some more digging tonight to see what I can find for you.

[Tracy White]

No luck, sorry. I tried looking through what I've scanned in at NARA as well as for shots of the airgroups that might have details of the ship in the background and struck out.