The U-Boats that had hunted Allied ships since September 1939 were complex, crowded war machines.

Ordinarily the centre of command in a U-Boat, the control room brought together vital controls, equipment, and sensors for fighting. Some of these controls and equipment are visible here, including valves (left) controlling compressed air for the submarine's diving tanks, which allowed it to submerge and come to the surface. In the centre, the ladder to the conning tower and the large vertical housing for the two periscopes are clearly visible.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 20010066-041_11