Museum of Science and Industry

The U-505 was able to dive and surface with two sets of moveable dive planes (bow and stern) to control the angle of the boat's descent or ascent. When the sub reached the desired depth, the planes were leveled to keep the boat at the desired depth.  

 In a recreation of the U-505's control room, maneuver the bow plane and stern plane steering positions. Split-second communication between the crew was essential to survival on the U-505, so both planesmen need to work quickly in tandem to react to commands given by the sub's Captain. Here, try to move the sub through a controlled dive, crash dive and emergency surface sequences, while battling against dangerous depth charges that could force the vessel to surface! As you respond to commands, the floor of the "sub" shifts to simulate the vessel's movement. Above the steering stations, a large plasma screen models the motion of the submarine in response to your steering commands.