1) Watercraft component 
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can conn the vessel, i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility of the entirety of their ship itself and of ocean conditions and other vessels. The verb `co.....
• (n.) The shot-proof pilot house of a war vessel.
(from the article `submarine`) ...this craft was made of copper sheets over iron ribs. A collapsing mast and sail were provided for surface propulsion, and a hand-turned propeller ...
Con'ning tow'er noun The shot-proof pilot house of a war vessel. 
[n] - an armored pilothouse on a warship 2. [n] - a raised bridge on a submarine
noun a raised bridge on a submarine; often used for entering and exiting
the low observation tower of a submarine, constituting the main entrance to the interior. · the low, dome-shaped, armored pilothouse of a warship.