Thread by @mpwarwick

Conning a battleship without a Conning Tower - a small thread.

Or, where should you drive a battleship from if you're being shot at? And what happens if that position does get shot?

1/14

Traditionally, capital ships had both something called a Compass Platform and an armoured Conning Tower. Helpfully modelled below by HMS Hood.

2/14

Without going into too much detail - bridges and command and control arrangements were constantly being tinkered with - the compass platform was the ship's normal control position - where orders were pass from - and was often open to the air.

3/14

The conning tower was the armoured position for when the ship was in action. The idea was to protect the command arrangements of a ship.

Here is the USS Iowa's conning tower, with a bridge built around it.

4/14

However, conning towers were heavy - Hood's was about 600 tons - and they weren't always used as intended. Ship's officers were typically more used to the compass platform, and often preferred the familiarity and better situational awareness rather than the armour.

5/14

Consequently, the 1930s British battleships, and the reconstructions, did not have conning towers. At least not the traditional, several hundred ton structure, type of conning tower.

6/14

Still, it was important that a single hit from a destroyer calibre gun not be able to put a battleship out of action, so multiple conning positions were provided.

This is the forward superstructure of HMS King George V.

7/14

The compass platform is at the top. The fore part has a roof, which was a very late addition to the design (1940). The captain will normally command the ship from here.

Below is the enclosed Admiral's bridge and a plotting office.

8/14

Then there is the Conning Tower, which has 3" armour on the front and back, 4" on the sides and 2.5" on the roof and floor.

This protects against splinters, close range destroyer fire and battle range 6-inch gunfire.

The ship can be conned from here as well, if required.

9/14

It was acknowledged that these two positions were very close together, and could be put out of action by a single hit.

So a navigating compartment was provided in 'A' turret.

10/14

This had the advantage of being armoured, but trying to navigate a ship, at high speed, in the line of battle, from inside a turret that's in action, with just a periscope to provide a view outside... well, it was problematic.

Described as "An evil compromise as best"!

11/14

So, the designers sought out a 4th conning position for the ship, and they decided upon the aft funnel.

This had excellent all round views, and so was fitted with telephones, a gyro repeater, rudder indicator and steering telegraph.

12/14

Director of Navigation wanted a return to a proper conning tower, with the same level of protection as the citadel, in future construction. It was pointed out this would add 1,000 tons or more to the ship's overall displacement.

13/14

Ultimately the ship would be conned from, in order:

1a - the compass platform
1b - the conning tower
2 - the position on the aft funnel
3 - 'A' turret

This provided a good level of redundency in case of action damage.

14/14

As a small addition to the above, steering could be done from one of 4 positions:

- the conning tower
- the lower steering position (under armour)
- X engine room
- the steering gear compartment itself