[Dogfish40]

Originally Posted by postalbyke

The control helm on a U-boat is right where the "chief" is standing. It should look like a box with two buttons on top, the box saying "BBC."
There should be another "BBC" box in the "bridge", right next to the Watch Officer.

edit: per dictionary.com:
helm:
noun
1. Nautical .
a. a wheel or tiller by which a ship is steered.
b. the entire steering apparatus of a ship.
c. the angle with the fore-and-aft line made by a rudder when turned: "15-degree helm".
2. the place or post of control: A stern taskmaster was at the helm of the company.

In short, it is both the "wheel" or apparatus, as well as the station that controls the heading of the ship. In the US Navy, "Helm, make your course three-five-zero." "Make my course three-five-zero, aye." (then the helm turns the rudder to accomplish the ordered course)

Yes, thanks for the info. I didn't know that the boat had no wheelhouse type steering. I will have to study the workings of the U-Boats a bit more. Not that I thought that the box labeled "BBC" was British cable TV but I had no idea that it was the steering apparatus. Did this box merely communicate the steering orders like the Telegraph for the boats engine speed, or did it control the rudders directly? All in all, thanks for the reply, very enlightening. I love when I learn something totally new (for me anyway) about the Boats.
D40