Jackspeak of the Royal Canadian Navy

Conning Tower

1. The armoured control tower of an iron or steel warship built between the mid-19th and mid-20th century from which the ship was navigated in battle.
2. A tower-like structure on the dorsal (topside) surface of a submarine, serving in submarines built before the mid-20th century as a connecting structure between the bridge and pressure hull and housing instruments and controls from which the periscopes were used to direct the submarine and launch torpedo attacks. Since the mid-20th century, it has been replaced by the sail (United States usage) or fin (European and British Commonwealth usage), a structure similar in appearance which no longer plays a function in directing the submarine.

Added: 2014-11-01 Last modified: 2014-11-01