Coupla things:
1. To answer the question about the added deck space around the 5-inch gun, yes, as boats received larger deck guns, the working area around them was increased by adding space at the deck edges, also known as sponsons. What also is shown is that some boats also received metal grating around the gun working areas to improve traction on a wet deck.
2. Yes, indeed, African-Americans were part of U.S. submarine crews throughout the war but served as "mess attendants" and/or "steward's mates." That meant their duties were serving meals and coffee to the officers and cleaning the officers' staterooms. They usually manned the battle phones in the forward battery as their battle station. Sometimes they helped load torpedoes. While they mostly were treated as part of the crews, they were restricted to their steward's duties in the segregated Navy of the time.
Finally, in the final Bowfin/Skate/Seadog et al clip, I especially like the footage of the subs plowing through heavy seas. Very cool.
Fred
