Quote:
Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins
...you could go to the end of the war with your old conning tower, as many boats really did in the war.
|
If this is happening in the game, then it is modeled incorrectly and is historically inaccurate. I can say, with a very high degree of confidence, that all of the fleet boats that started the war with the original conning tower fairwater configuration (with the possible exception of Dolphin) had at least some changes made to the fairwaters during the war. Some had more extensive modifications than others, but all received at least something.
See these links:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/10idx.htm
The Mod 2 configuration (cigarette deck cut down, nav bridge still in place) started showing up in the early spring of '42 (it was officially authorized by the Navy on 9 March 42!). The Mod 3 (both ends of the fairwater cut down, high bridge) started showing up in late '42 and early '43. New construction boats began to roll off the ways with Mod 3's in early '43. The Mod 4 (same as Mod 3 but with a low bridge) started to appear in early '44.
In real life, the process was not random. These modifications were officially approved and performed during the boat's first stateside overhauls, but some were done by tender crews at forward bases between patrols. Boat CO's quickly realized that the huge bulk of the fairwater was a visual liability and were very anxious to get rid of it as soon as was possible. I have yet to find a single instance where a boat carried the original configuration (Mod 1) on patrol into 1943. The boats that were launched with a Mod 1 after the start of the war usually had the fairwater cut down before the boat even left the builder's yard, and certainly before it went on it's first patrol.