![]() ![]() The United States Navy had mixed opinions of the conning tower, pointing out that its weight, high above the ship's center of gravity, did not contribute directly to fighting ability. Even in the USN, battleship captains and admirals preferred to use the unarmoured bridge positions during combat. There is no evidence that RN captains and admirals utilized the armoured conning towers on those ships that did have them during World War II and Captain Kerr and Admiral Holland fought the Hood, for example, from her unarmoured bridge. These new conning towers were also placed much higher in the ship, for superior visibility. Older RN battleships that were reconstructed with new superstructures, had their heavily armoured conning towers removed and replaced with much lighter structures. The RN's analysis of World War I combat revealed that command personnel were unlikely to utilize an armoured conning tower, preferring the superior visibility of unarmoured bridge positions. The King George V class, in contrast to the Nelson class had comparatively light conning tower protection with 4.5 inches sides, 3 inch front and rear, and 2 inch roof and deck. ![]() In the Royal Navy (RN), the conning tower became a massive structure reaching weights of hundreds of tons on the Admiral-class battlecruisers (such as HMS Hood), and formed part of a massive armoured citadel (superstructure) on the mid-1920s Nelson-class battleships which had armour over a foot thick. The first Royal Navy conning tower appeared on HMS Warrior which had 3 inches of armour. They were then fitted to the first ironclad the French battleship La Gloire. At all other times than during battles, the ship would be navigated from the bridge instead.Ĭonning towers were used by the French on their floating batteries at the Battle of Kinburn. Designed to shield just enough personnel and devices for navigation during battles, its interior was cramped and basic, with little more than engine order telegraphs, speaking tubes or telephones, and perhaps a steering wheel. ![]() Located at the front end of the superstructure, the conning tower was a heavily armored cylinder, with tiny slit windows on three sides providing a reasonable field of view. On surface ships, the conning tower was a feature of all battleships and armored cruisers from about 1860 to the early years of World War II. ![]()
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