When lawyers decide on warship building

 When lawyers decide on warship building.

"Akagi" postcard from https://www.oldtokyo.com/

Based on her early photo without turrets.

See the upper hangar has open sides? Why is this? After all, wet surrounding is not the best place to store aircraft.

The reason for this is LEGAL. At postcard’s bottom is an official displacement of "Akagi" – 26500 tons. Within the limits of Washington Naval Treaty. What if your ship is going to be above the treaty limits? – You remove walls of upper hangar and declare hangar not a part of the hull, but upper deck with rain cover in from of the flying deck. Such arrangement does not count against ship’s displacement.

I’d really like to know the name of the lawyer, who came up with this idea.

This arrangement wouldn’t last long. It turned out no Washington Naval Treaty member was eager to make a fuss over some minor treaty violations, so in a year sides of upper hangar were plated to ensure proper aircraft storage (see 1930 photo below).

Some more photos and postcards of "Akagi" in 3-flying deck configuration: