1.) At what attitude would a dive bomber approach a ship for an attack run? I was thinking enfilade (either bow-to-stern or stern-to-bow) rather than defilade (amidships) to increase the chance of a hit.
Correct. That maximized the target profile, so Dive Bombers would try to align with the ship as you described, whilst Torpedo Bombers wanted to approach broadsides. It didn't always work out that way, but that was the general plan.
2.) Any resources you guys use other than Google for appropriate decals, paint schemes etc that you can pass on?
Honestly, I don't even bother with most books anymore as there is so much online now. Even when I did use books, I went by this guidance: Use actual combat photos for references. Even museums get color schemes wrong (French museums are especially notorious for getting German armor very wrong for some reason). Don't trust artist's impressions, paintings, or non-technical drawings. The appearance of units in peacetime, in port or parade ground formation may vary greatly from their wartime appearance, doubly so if it was a propaganda photo.
Do your research on the Musashi vs her sister the Yamato. Many people take the easy way and assume since they were sister ships that they are identical in every aspect, but that is very wrong especially when it comes to capital ships.
IIRC the most evident difference between the two would be that the Musashi had a slightly different
AA configuration, so the smaller guns may be placed differently and in different numbers than on a model for the Yamato. Also be sure you are modeling the Musashi as it would have appeared at the time of Leyete Gulf. Many ships had retrofits and changes made during the war, but the offerings of most model kit builders are of pre-war configurations as these were often the most photographed. Placement of
AA guns, torpedo tubes, boats and paint schemes can vary a lot even throughout the same class of ship.
