A good look at BLUEBACK's electronic mast complement and periscope collection raised for the gawkers. Yes, they are painted that way for real, and not just for effect. However, it is very unlikely they'd all be raised like for real. Well, maybe for some schlocky movie . . This section is properly called the 'sail' - not the conning tower. Conning towers disappeared when subs took on the streamlined look from keel up. It actually was an 'armored' tower raised above the deck. The attack center is now well within the hull proper, not in said tower. The planes of course are the goin' up/down controls. You can see the sail-mounted planes on BONEFISH's image very clearly as well as how 'clean' the hull appearance is for this class -- and all following classes. No cleats, etc. permanently mounted protruding from the deck. They now swivel to retract when not in use. Since I'm including sea stories in this series, this is probably a good place to describe snorkling. The top of the intake tube has electrodes on it to sense when water is about to slosh into the intake and then into the engines. This would not be good for the engines, so the intake valve slams shut. OK. What's the logical question? If the intake is closed, where do the engines get their air? From inside the boat. This of course causes a loss of air pressure inside the boat, so crew start gasping like guppies, tin cans start to expand (inside pressure is now higher than the outside), they will contract and pop some more as pressure eventually equalizes, and ears start to pop. Not pleasant. Once described, eloquently, like getting a (hmmmmm) from an elephant. On the good side, it's a darn quick, effective way to change the air quality inside the boat. As time goes by, the Oxygen level starts to drop. To light a cigarette, one finds that onehas to 'flick his bic' from a level above one's head -- the air is fresher 'up' there. By sucking all the stale air into the engines, it is all replaced by real fresh air when the snorkel breaks surface. It can also be painful. In general, IIRC, a 7 inch vacuum is all that is required for a total change of pale, stale air. It is also something you don't want to do everyday. This also brings up another interesting aspect of the living museum. The boat is 'running' on one engine. When the tour enters the engine room, noise is deafening. It's only a recording, but man! Those subwoofers must be fab!! As the guide shouts out what is going on, he will bring another engine on line. There is the loud sound of air being injected and the diesel starts to cough and sputter. Then it comes on line. The amazing thing is that after leaving the engine room, all this noise is still going on, but it's mostly un-noticeable from the next compartment. I had an uncle worked as an engineer for the Reading RR. Used to shout quite a bit. I figured it out real quick after visiting an engineroom. Enjoy; thanks for viewing. Conn - Maneurvering. Prepare to snorkel on two snorkling engines, aye!'