Dolphin Conning Tower

Conning Tower

The conning tower looking forward. The conning tower was a separate, horizontal watertight compartment situated above the control room. It contained one of the boat's periscope stations, a helm wheel, a navigation chart table, and torpedo firing controls. On the right is the #1 periscope. Just to the left of that at the top is the bridge access trunk. You can see daylight coming down the hatch.

In the center bottom is the access hatch from the control room. Directly above that on the forward bulkhead is the helm.

Between the hatch and the helm there appears to be a pedestal, painted black, with a square top on it. Its function is not known for sure. It is suspected to have been placed there for temporary storage during the upkeep. It was perhaps moved from the deck or bridge. Historian Jim Christley has theorized that this could be an early version of a Sperry Mark I Target Bearing Transmitter (TBT) that was mounted on the bridge. A TBT is used to aim torpedoes while the boat is surfaced. It is used in conjunction with a pair of 7x50 binoculars.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

A speaking tube, located directly above the helm wheel, probably leading to and from both the control room and the bridge. It was used by the helmsman to receive and send helm orders. You simply spoke into it and your voice carried through the pipe to the other end. Note the heavy duty closure valve to prevent flooding. This tube had to be test depth certified!

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

Besides showing a close up of the starboard engine order telegraph, (showing both motor and engine selections), there is a very good close up of the external voice tube shut off valve handle. A bit of the handrail and the ladder to the bridge is seen at the right. To the left top appears to be an alarm switch, possibly the diving alarm.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

We are not entirely sure what this piece of equipment is. The name plate is not clear enough to be read. We are speculating that it is some sort of automatic course keeping device, similar in nature to an autopilot, but we do not know for sure.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

This is the conning tower flood valve referenced earlier. There is a geared reach rod shaft with a swivel union that allows it to be operated from the bridge as well. There is a battery operated battle lantern to the left and the stool for the chart table to the right.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

Close up of the conning tower helm area. To the left is the port engine order telegraph and the right is the rudder angle indicator showing Dolphin has an 8 degree right rudder at the time the photo was taken.

The close up provides a look of the top of the mystery object sitting in the Conning Tower. It appears to have a polished brass cover on the top of it. Suggestions as to its purpose are welcome.

In the upper right corner there looks to be a device for looking at something outside the Conning Tower. The fairing to block light appears to unbolt and the cover, above, to slide down on rails on either side and lock down over the eyepiece. There is also a petcock drain on the bottom of the device.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

The conning tower looking aft from the helm wheel. Just to right of center is the #1 periscope used solely in the conning tower. The #2 periscope, that was used solely from the control room, was housed outside the conning tower. This arrangement was eventually done away with and both periscopes could be used in the conning tower. As an aside note it has been noted on the barrel of the periscope markings every two feet to allow the Conning Officer looking through the periscope to ask for and get the exact elevation he asks for and also remind him how much of the periscope has been raised.

On the far left is a portion of the hand rail for the bridge access ladder and to the right of that are the Port and Starboard shaft RPM dials. Below them is the chart table with a desk lamp. To the right of these are the pulleys and cables for raising and lowering the #1 periscope. The motor for this can be seen at the foot of the ladder to the conning tower in the control room.

The right side of the image shows at the top are the conning tower blow, vent and drain valves. Next to them are the torpedo firing buttons. This area would be rearranged later in the 1930's when a Torpedo Data Computer (TDC) would be added.

To the right of the periscope is the rear deck access door. Dolphin was the first submarine to have this feature. It allowed crew to access the deck through the conning tower. Once through the door you would be in a void space inside the fairwater. There was a cutout in the side of the fairwater allowing access to the main deck.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

Control Room, Pump Room, & Cold Storage Room | After Battery/Crew's Berthing & Messing

Page created by:
Ric Hedman & David Johnston
1999 - 2023 - PigBoats.COM^©
Mountlake Terrace, WA, Norfolk, VA
webmaster at pigboats dot com