Conning tower

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HMS Hood conning tower and bridge
1Conning tower
2Bridge

A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armoured, from which an officer in charge can conn (conduct or control) the vessel, controlling movements of the ship by giving orders to those responsible for the ship's engine, rudder, lines, and ground tackle. It is usually located as high on the ship as is practical, to give the conning team good visibility of the entirety of the ship, ocean conditions, and other vessels.

The naval term "conn" may derive from the Middle English conne (study, become acquainted with) or French conduire from Latin conducere (conduct).[1]

Armoured cylinder of USS Massachusetts (BB-2)'s conning tower during construction c. 1892
Queen Elizabeth-class battleship armour layout, with conning tower having the same heavy 11 inches (28 cm) armour as the gun turrets while the bridge is unarmoured
  1. ^ OED definitions 4 and 6 at Lexico website