One solution is to use the '6-Dials Simfeeling' mod. FB Sale U-999 has created a mod that removes everything from the screen. The dials are all very large and are all slide-outs. The officer pictures and the bottom bar are also slide-outs.
You still have to use the keyboard to back out of the periscope views, though.
http://www.subsim.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=48292