Dolphin Control and Pump Room

Control Room

Control room looking forward along the starboard side. The primary gyrocompass is the black barrel shaped object just inside the door. The black box directly aft and next to the helm I believe to be the gyrocompass repeater that took inputs from the gyro and indicated the course you were steering.

In the center above the helm wheel is the rudder angle indicator, flanked on both sides by the engine order telegraphs. The lever on the vertical shaft was used to engage/disengage the control room helm from the conning tower and bridge helm. Which helm would have been the primary station for submerged operations? We would lean towards the conning tower, but that opinion might be flavored by what was done in combat in WWII and may not necessarily reflect pre-war 1930's practice.

Large levers next to helm are for switching from normal hydraulic to hand hydraulic. In hand hydraulic you spun the wheel to develop hydraulic pressure and this was a very laborious process.

Oval hatch in deck next to helm most likely leads to a store room. Note speaking tube to conning tower above the helm.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

The view looking aft from the front of the Control Room. The motor on the deck in the center is suspected to be the hoist motor for the Control Room and Conning Tower periscopes. The location of the control room scope does not seem to be in a good place. It is at the far aft end of the room behind the ladder to the Conning Tower and cut off from direct view of the helm.

Open grate in the deck leads most likely to the Pump Room and the grating is for drainage of any flooding into the Pump Room, where it can be pumped out through the main drainage system.

The square hatch is suspected to be the access to the Cold Room/Freezer. The padlock seen on the hatch seems to correspond to other food storage areas with padlocks making us think this is that space. Drawings indicate that the Cold Room/Freezer was directly under the middle of the Control Room.

On the right edge of the photo, just below the polished bell of the speaking tube, and above the battle lantern, is the mechanical linkage for the bow planes coming out of the angled enclosure just above and to the right of the bow planes control wheel.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

Crewman, possibly the below decks watch. His name has been lost to time. This is the only photo in the whole sequence showing crew aboard. Date is July 3, 1933. Hopefully he had the next day off to celebrate.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

A look at the after starboard corner of the Dolphin Control Room. Electrical panel in the left foreground and next to the door Fuel Oil Ballast Tank transfer piping.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

Fuel Ballast Tank Fuel Oil Valves. Several large tags on the handles say "Fuel Oil Do Not Blow"

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

A hull opening indicator, commonly called a Christmas Tree by submarine sailors due to its red and green lights, sits next to the ladder up to the conning tower. View is looking aft and to port.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

Close up of the aft of two Christmas Trees. Another is seen on the forward bulkhead of the control room.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

Stern planes control wheel on the left, bow planes wheel on the right. Two shallow water depth gauges with the deep water gauge in the center. Horizontal bubble clinometer gauges for angle. Rudder angle indicator is probably for the Diving Officer to keep in the loop.

The large, angled sheet metal enclosures, to the left and right of the stern planes and bow planes wheels, cover the mechanical linkages for the stern and bow planes control rods.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

Closeup of the angle clinometers than indicate whether the boat has an up or down angle, and how much. There is also an indicator for the angle position of the bow and stern planes. The circular gauge in the center is a rudder angle indicator. How much rudder is on will affect the up or down angle of the boat. Large amounts of rudder tend to make the stern squat downward.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

A closeup of the depth gauges. The two large ones are shallow water gauges, which go to only 150 feet. The smaller one in the center is the deep water gauge, calibrated to what appears to be 400 feet. Depth is measured to the keel.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

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Ric Hedman & David Johnston
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