The 37th Deep Ones ASC Sea Sqaud(Paordy)

[Kargan3033]

That, or he and Sammy are enjoying the dividend check from the licensing of his name on the toned-down commercial version of the stuff, which is still hot enough to be sold in insulated bottles and with a valid ID requirement.

Or Both.

So it goes without saying that even after a world wide holocuast at the hands of of genocidal aliens merchandizing still makes the world go round.

Got my Rain of Death protective foil cooly-hat beanie right here.....

Ya but do you have the Rain of Death protective aspestoess jock strap?

[taalismn]

That, or he and Sammy are enjoying the dividend check from the licensing of his name on the toned-down commercial version of the stuff, which is still hot enough to be sold in insulated bottles and with a valid ID requirement.

Or Both.

So it goes without saying that even after a world wide holocuast at the hands of of genocidal aliens merchandizing still makes the world go round.

Got my Rain of Death protective foil cooly-hat beanie right here.....

Ya but do you have the Rain of Death protective aspestoess jock strap?

Boxer Shorts with the reinforced posterior paneling.

[Kargan3033]

That, or he and Sammy are enjoying the dividend check from the licensing of his name on the toned-down commercial version of the stuff, which is still hot enough to be sold in insulated bottles and with a valid ID requirement.

Or Both.

So it goes without saying that even after a world wide holocuast at the hands of of genocidal aliens merchandizing still makes the world go round.

Got my Rain of Death protective foil cooly-hat beanie right here.....

Ya but do you have the Rain of Death protective aspestoess jock strap?

Boxer Shorts with the reinforced posterior paneling.

Well as long as you have that then you are all set then.

[taalismn]

And the Early Warning Wristwatch. Though all it it does is shrill and then say "Kiss your @&& Goodbyyyyyeeeeee!!!"

[Arnie100]

And the Early Warning Wristwatch. Though all it it does is shrill and then say "Kiss your @&& Goodbyyyyyeeeeee!!!"

That's IF it works.

[taalismn]

"So...how many fishing trawlers have we accidentally pulled under this summer?"
"None, though we did manage to snag three yachts and a fishing charter boat."
"....plot a course north. Maybe we can run into a crab fishing boat or two."
"Ice Guard doesn't like us poaching in their backyard pool. We might have iceberg trouble if we go into the Bering."
"Bah! Surface dwellers!"

[SRoss]

Morgan: "Do you hear something?"

The Gargoyle goes through the Ice and lands on the 37[sup]th[/sup] Deep Ones

[Arnie100]

"I hoped they forgot sbout us."

[SRoss]

:shock: "I hoped they forgot about us."

"Shut up and start bailing!!!"

[taalismn]

Worse if the Gargoyle (re)activates its fold drives and does a repeat of Macross Island....precipitating the 37th into space...like fish out of water...
"I don't see what the problem is; you're airtight, right?"
"....this is a SUBMARINE! It is designed to move through a LIQUID medium! Which we are right now not IN! Thanks to you idiots!!!"
"Hey, it worked for Prometheus and Daedalus!"
"...right now I'm contemplating ordering a boarding and some throat-cutting..."

[Arnie100]

"Toombs, when you're done with that other mess...here's another one for you clean up."
Chief Toombs: "Is this about that Siberian base commander's toupee?"

[glitterboy2098]

given we saw some of the daedalus class in orbit during the initial attack by the zents, i still hold that it and the Prometheus class were designed to be vacuum rated from the start, with at least some antigravity flight ability. certainly explains how they could be adapted to the SDF-1 so easily, when refitting to be vacuum proof would require near total rebuilds (which the SDF-1 wasn't set up to do, and certainly didn't have time for)

the ships being able to fly to at least the upper atmosphere/suborbit would certainly allow them some advantages.. it would allow the Prometheus class to deploy its Valkyries to low orbit fairly easily (by reducing the Delta-V and altitude requirements), and it would allow the Daedalus class to deploy its troops literally anywhere on the planet..

[taalismn]

given we saw some of the daedalus class in orbit during the initial attack by the zents, i still hold that it and the Prometheus class were designed to be vacuum rated from the start, with at least some antigravity flight ability. certainly explains how they could be adapted to the SDF-1 so easily, when refitting to be vacuum proof would require near total rebuilds (which the SDF-1 wasn't set up to do, and certainly didn't have time for)

the ships being able to fly to at least the upper atmosphere/suborbit would certainly allow them some advantages.. it would allow the Prometheus class to deploy its Valkyries to low orbit fairly easily (by reducing the Delta-V and altitude requirements), and it would allow the Daedalus class to deploy its troops literally anywhere on the planet..

Yes, but in this case we're talking about a Typhoon-class SSBN frozen to the Gargoyle's hull. If they're lucky, the Garg's crew will break the ice off and leave the 37th LOOOSSSTTT in spaceeeeeeee before they can figure out how to mate airlocks and get close and personal.

[SRoss]

Kirk: "Ok, let's fold the hell out of here!" (Throws lever)

Cut to the Engineering deck, the crew watches the Fold Drive fold ... leaving the Gargoyle behind.

[taalismn]

Kirk: "Ok, let's fold the hell out of here!" (Throws lever)

Cut to the Engineering deck, the crew watches the Fold Drive fold ... leaving the Gargoyle behind.

Random 37th member: "Okay....what ocean are we in NOW?!"
"I really hope it's not Europa again..."

[Arnie100]

Chief Toombs: "Guys...where'd you all go?!"

[taalismn]

You know, aside from some discussion of their ships, the 37th hasn't had a Table of Equipment drawn up, like the Ice Guard list...That needs to rectified. Heck, even the Gargoyle got some discussion of their ship.

[SRoss]

Pitcher: "Howcome we don't have any mutant animals?"

[taalismn]

Pitcher: "Howcome we don't have any mutant animals?"

A few, from the REALLY deep waters. Of course, nobody(even aboard ship) believes some of the 'sea monster' reports. Most of the mutants are up in the arctic, though some might escape into more southerly waters during the Ice Guard time-skip.
The 37th, though,is mainly about piracy and the stuff people dump in the ocean, including Zentraedi watships.
Remember, the 37th has a lot more ACCESS to alternate venues of resupply to make up for what they've been deliberately shorted on, if they make that decision to cross certain lines of conduct.
"So, in order to FIGHT pirates, we have to BECOME pirates?"
"Yep. Arrrrrrrrrrr.."
"Let's not go THAT far...."
"Faaarrrrrrrrrr....*OW!*OW!STOP HITTING ME!!!!!""

[taalismn]

Well, refreshing my knowledge of this thread...yeah, the mutants are already here, what with the mutant clams, sunken biological experiments, and mutants in the crew.....
And I'm getting some new ideas for equipment. Maybe not Ice Guard levels of insanity, but the 37th has its own unique nature.
Okay, we also have their flagship, the UENS Typhus, but Kargan posted, page 1, that they also have a Beachmaster SLV as a cargo hauler. That ship needs a name, a crew, and a history to explain why a group of losers like the 37th are tooling around with such a vessel(when it's likely that the Southern Cross Navy is STILL using such vessels).

[taalismn]

37th Deep Ones
Equipment
Like Ice Guard, the 37th Deep Ones Naval Unit has to make do with the castoffs of other services. Founded later than the Ice Guard, however, and with much more access to the black markets of the Pacific Rim, the 37th had greater access to Southern Cross gear and other equipment, especially when they started their own ‘creative resupply and capability upgrade’.

Armor:
“You know, Petra, it’s nice you gave the Tirolian gynoids their own scuba-mail, but it’s supposed to go OVER a scuba suit, not commando.”

For the most part, the UEDF Naval Division didn’t count on the 37th needing much in the way of personal protection, leaving them shorted, for the most part on personal protective gear. So the 37th has had to scrim, steal, and improvise.

*Scuba-Mail---Light chainmail overcoat based on the ‘Neptunic’ of the pre-Rain era. It provides some protection from penetration attacks(such as blades or teeth), but none against crushing attacks. The 37th also regards the many fine links as a bastard to clean and maintain.

*Rebreather Gear-----These closed-cycle breathing systems have become more reliable with the infusion of offworld technology, but they still require careful maintenance and a watchful eye, ‘else they can deliver the wrong gas ratios and asphyxiate a diver.

*CHR-1/DVHR-1----Nautical version of the CHR-1 armored spacesuit, adapted for ‘hardhat’ diving. Very awkward and encumbering, but better than nothing, especially after the Deep Ones started running into mutant sea life. The suits soldiered on until eventually replaced by CBR Mrk 2E Heavy Armor .

*JIM/WASP Suits---These are simply pre-Rain diving suits rebuilt/refurbished with modern MDC materials and more advanced rebreather gear. Clumsy as hell and, despite having attachment points for weapons on the arms, not recommended for combat. Still, the 37th makes do with the clumsy diving suits when conducting salvage work.

*CBR Mrk 2E Heavy Armor ----The 37th actually got their suits of this wonderful stuff from the black market, and then it was Chinese copies of UEG suits. The 37th managed, with no small amount of effort, to modify the rather generic-looking basic black market copies to match what they knew the better-equipped TCNDs were using. CBR Mrk 2E-37N suits had a somewhat different visual design to them, setting them apart from their ASC counterparts, but are arguably just as good. Later on, the 37th acquired actual TCND CBR Mrk 2E suits, but by that time, the members of the 37th preferred their homecrafted copies to the versions they SHOULD have officially been issued.


Weapons:
“This is, what? The eighth time I’ve had to surgically remove a spear from your ass? Maybe you should quit insulting Private Kelper. You’re lucky she’s only nailing you with straight points and not the barbed heads. And definitely not the exploding types. Or that she doesn’t bother to reel you in; I wouldn’t bet on the chances of your survival if she got you within arms’ length.”

For the most part, the organizers of the 37th didn’t anticipate that the soldiers exiled to the unit would actually get into personal combat(it was anticipated that they’d primarily be engaging any rogue Zentraedi that encountered underwater with torpedoes), but certain mandatory TOE requirements had to be met.

* MP-84 Machine Pistol---Along with the M-21 Assault Rifle, these two original UEDF weapons soldiered on with the Deep Ones in one form or another for years. When they couldn’t get factory-fresh replacements, the 37th could easily get black market knockoffs from suppliers in Asia and Africa.

*M-30 Hound 9mm Auto-Pistol----This small-caliber weapon fared somewhat better in the 37th than it did the Ice Guard, owing to the compact size and shape of the weapon being better suited for use inside ships. However, like most conventional projectile weapons, it was fairly useless underwater and the regular 9mm ammo lacked stopping power against more aggressive sea life(i.e., tentacles snaking into the habitats).


* TL-1---This is the RL-1 60mm rocket grenade launcher refitted to fire the same 45mm mini-torpedoes as the TDWS-45 Torpedo Gun carried by the HADS-10 Kraken. The 37th rarely is able to make use of the full one-mile range of the projectiles owing to limited visibility underwater

*SAL-9 Laser Pistol---This laser pistol is pretty much the standard energy weapon of the 37th, just as it is Ice Guard’s, because of its low cost and easy operation. Captain Morgan particularly likes the bayonet feature, which he feels gives it a proper ‘pirate’ look.

*FAL-2 Laser Rifle---Generally regarded as the ‘AK of laser weapons’, the FAL-2 and its knockoffs were common enough that the 37th was able to acquire a generous supply even when the ASC failed to provide them. The FALN-2 is a home-brewed modification, adding an extension to the muzzle to modulate the beam into the blue-green frequencies favored for optimal underwater penetration.

* LP-10 and LP-09 Laser Pistols----Both these weapons are well-regarded by the 37th when they can acquire them. The -N variants of them add a modified barrel for blue-green frequency projection.

*M-25 ‘Wolverine’ Assault Rifle---Because, compared to Ice Guard, the 37th Deep Ones never went through a time skip, or were cut off far from the world’s trade lanes and black markets, the Deep Ones had more time and access to acquire Southern Cross-issued weaponry, rather than soldier on with older pre-Rain equipment. The 37th adopted these assault weapons because of their greater availability, and the easier access to supplies of the more powerful SLAP ammunition. The streamlined design also appealed to the submariners’ sense of aesthetics. The folding stock version was also appreciated by shipboard security and boarding teams.

*IPC-12 Ion Pulse Carbine---Once their black market connections were established, the 37th was able to acquire several of these compact, durable, and hard-hitting weapons. The ion beams had good penetration underwater and the small size made them easy to use during ship defense and boarding actions.

* M-27N Grapple Gun---This mountain weapon has found a special home with the deep water corps. The alpine weapon has instead been refitted to fire spears. The M-27A-N conversion is especially cherished for its integral lasers. The Deep Ones are especially fond of using the launchers to climb aboard vessels for boarding, or hitching rides, tow-style, on passing ships.

*M-29N Flechette Gun----The 37th’s favorite new toy is a navalized version of the M-29 ‘Arbalest’ Flechette Gun. The navalized version does away with the cross-arms, and fires specially shaped flechettes for better penetration underwater.

*Tr-LLR Mk.1 Laser Rifle---The 37th never had the sort of contact with the Robotech Masters as Ice Guard did, aside from a few waterlogged examples of Tirolians found adrift at sea(where they got Privates Orange, Lemon and Lime), so they never really acquired much of their hardware. They acquired their first Tr-LLR Mk.1 Laser Rifles from black marketeers, and found the weapons to be sturdy enough, but hard to modify to the blue-green frequencies they favored for underwater use.

Power Armor:
“You know what I love about power armor? Being able to tear giant squid tentacles off without losing my own skin in the process.”

*HADS-09 Proto-Kraken-----This was an early version of the HADS-10 Kraken. The models seconded to the 37th tended to suffer from stuck joints, finicky life support systems, and erratic buoyancy control. With time and black market connections, though, the 37th has been able to fix most of the problems and upgrade their HADS-09s to the -10 spec, and the late-period Proto-Krakens are generally well-regarded by the Deep Ones.

*HPSI-6DSV Trident----This was an experimental deep-water capable version of the HPSI-6 Triton. Environmental sealing, reinforced waterproof joints, and internal variable buoyancy system allowed for deep-diving capability. Early trials showed a number of teething problems, but the design showed promise, and the manufacturers were tooling up for a contract from the UEDF. However, the perfected HADS-10 Kraken was on the horizon, and the ASC Navy Division found the HPSI-6DSV too cumbersome underwater and its built-in weapons too limited compared to the Kraken, which they really wanted. Furthermore, the Navy thought supplying the Marsh Division(effectively the Marines) with a deep-water mecha was encroaching on their territory, and put pressure on the UEDF to cancel the project and procurement plan in favor of expanded Kraken production(they sweetened it somewhat by also petitioning for two new assault carriers for the TCMD). Inter-service politics carried the day, and the HPSI-6DSV was canned. The preproduction models ended up being literally deepsixed to the 37th. There they found a home with the undersea misfits who appreciate the design’s heavy armor and slicing blades.

*CDRC-1 Unicorn/NDRC-1 Waterhorse---Another attempt to multitask an existing design was an effort to adapt the CDRC-1 Unicorn Civil Defense Power Armor to underwater use. The idea was for a low-cost unit that could be provided to UEG client-states already using the Unicorn, as a coastal defense and coast guard mecha. Some planners saw city national guard units equipped with NDRC-1s wadding out into the oceans or lakes to meet Zentraedi forces landing in the water(as was commonly done during the First Robotech War) head-on. Alterations included adding flotation units and an underwater propulsion system based on commercially-available hydrojet installations, in hopes of streamlining logistics. The forearm grenade launchers were refitted to be able to accept RPG ‘mini-depth-charges’ that had been produced by the Russian component of the UEG.
The NDRC-1 proved a flop; it fairly wallowed underwater(earning the nickname ‘watercow’), and city police hardly made good coast guardsmen, or underwater warriors. And navy men saw the NDRC-1 for what it was; an attempt to create a cheap naval mecha. The same navies that were targeted to get the NDRC-1 held out instead for Krakens. A few dozen were retained by various UEDF CD units around the world, but the ,majority of the hundred or so NDRC-1s optimistically produced, ended up being shipped piecemeal to the 37th. After some reinforcement to allow for deeper diving capability, and a lot of tinkering, the 37th actually found the NDRC-1 rather serviceable; the SRAD acoustic projector turned out to actually be quite effective underwater at stunning mutant sea life, as did the shock baton also available to the power armor. The CSAR blades came later, when the 37th acquired several loads of spare parts meant for garrisons in the Philippines, and fitted them to their Waterhorses.

Mecha:
“Got more seaweed tangled in the joints, I see. That’s going to be another hour of cleaning work! Damn it, but I’m almost in favor of clear-cutting every kelp bed in the Pacific and to hell with the ecology! The otters can just join the Squid Division and eat military rations like the rest of us!”

*MBR-07N Mk IIN ‘Thetis’ Spartan
One of a number of post-Rain stopgaps rushed into service, the MBR-07N was an attempt to produce a Spartan capable of surviving deep underwater, in an effort to salvage Zentraedi vessels that had gone down at sea. Modifications included bolting ballast chambers to the legs and shoulders, cutting the shoulder missile pods’ capacity in half to accommodate additional variable buoyancy chambers, replacing the missiles with torpedoes, and mounting maneuvering thrusters to the back. The centerbody weapons bay received a similar treatment as the shoulder racks, being divided between a sonar array in the front, and a laser pod and mini-torp launcher in the back. The arms were fitted with retractable utility tentacles similar to those on the VF-1s.
Unfortunately, the Thetis proved clunky and cumbersome, even in water, and its great mass and the thrust necessary to move the big robot underwater with any speed tended to stir up ocean bottom sediments into a murky mess around the Thetis. Despite numerous attempts to use the modified Spartans in various theaters of operation, the mecha earned nearly universal dislike from its pilots(although, admittedly, as many of these pilots were veteran Spartan operators, their resentment may have stemmed mainly from being assigned stripped-down MBR-07s and going into the drink). The program was less successful than hoped, and the threat of a wave of Zentraedi emerging from submerged wrecks to surprise the mainland nations never materialized. Salvage work was taken care of by other more conventional means, and the ‘Thetis’ destroids came to be regarded as simply too expensive and unwieldy to deploy in numbers. The 37th got theirs when the newly formed UEDF/ASC TCND was cleaning out its motorpools of obsolete equipment.

*CBH-4A1/NBH-4N Salamander
A decade later, when memories of the MBR-07N debacle had faded somewhat, a fresh ASC-affiliated design team thought they could beat the old RDF gang by converting examples of the new CBH-4A1 battloid into a marine operations mecha.
The NBH-4N was a rather more streamlined affair, courtesy of multiple conformal ‘camel tanks’ attached to the legs, torso, and shoulders. The head received a similar streamlined ‘cap’ holding a sonar system.
The ‘Pollywog’ proved as cumbersome and hard to operate as the MBR-07N had been, and after having to trawl the depths to recover yet another battloid that had become stuck underwater, the TCND ultimately scrapped the program in favor of the more logistics-friendly Kraken Power Armor. The dozen or so NBH-4Ns, battered and un-repaired, wound up getting barged to a ‘deep water repository’(the 37th).

*VFS-8N Sea-Logan---The VFA-Logan became the darling of the TCND/TAF air arm, serving aboard multiple vessels, but the submersible variant is less well-known. The VFS-8N replaced the MPL turbofans with slightly larger TFs capable of passing both air and water, while a reinforced body frame allowed for dives down to a thousand feet. A more bulbous nose contained a sonar system, while modified shoulder/wing roots held mini-torpedo launchers. The VFS-8N sacrificed higher flight speed, space capability, and climb rate for its aquatic capabilities, however, and the big coarse fanjets were described as ‘giant food processors’ by mechanics. Underwater, the VFS-8N made almost as much noise as Zentraedi mecha, making all but the slowest underwater approaches useless for stealth attacks. While the VFS-8N saw greater acceptance than other specialist underwater mecha conversions, and actually saw deployment with a handful of units, the type was generally regarded with disdain by TAF pilots. Mechanically, the VFS-8N required more frequent maintenance than the regular VFA-8s, with special attention to removing salt encrustations in the engines.
While the 37th received both VFA-8s and VFS-8Ns(and in both cases they got secondhand mecha from units that were upgrading to newer marks), their Logans were rarely used as a result of the Deep Ones’ underwater operations. Their VFS-8Ns were worked harder, with even less access to new spare parts. Those VFA-8s that the 37th acquires that fail airworthiness are recycled into VFS-8Ns.

*VFS-09N Hippocampus---Aka ‘Sprinklerhead’. About the last place anybody would expect to find a fully functional Ajax Veritech Helicopter, but the ASC actually trialed naval versions to expand the number of possible operating bases the mecha could be deployed to. Naturally, somebody wanted to know if they could operate underwater, and, despite their protests, the R&D teams gamely attempted to create an Ajax that could operate underwater. Effort was made to streamline and waterproof the design, and weight was recalculated to allow a pair of hydrothrusters and additional rudders to be added. The head was rebuilt to incorporate a sonar system, and the wing hardpoints modified to accept various underwater weapon modules(also under development).
The VFS-09N proved even more cantankerous than the early aerial VFH-10s had been. Poor control underwater, locking joints, and the less said about mechamorphosis underwater the better, all contributed to ringing headaches for the test pilots and mechanics alike. The type earned the nickname ‘sprinklerhead’ from the sheer amount of water shed and sprayed from the main rotors being engaged to lift the mecha free of the water. More often than not, though, the ships hosting the tests held ‘hippo-parties’, to describe fishing malfunctioning VFS-09Ns out of the water. “Wallowing like a hippocampus’ came to be a smirked byline among sailors witnessing the tests.
Ultimately, the UEDF called the whole experiment off, the TASC afraid of the repeated problems with the VFS-09N somehow tainting the still-struggling XVFH-10 program. The R&D team gratefully signed off on having the handful of VFS-09Ns trucked out of sight and mind, until some administrative beancounter noted the mecha on a ‘obsolete and redundant’ inventory and saw fit to transfer them to the 37th to fill mandatory equipment strength requirements(numbers, not quality).

*Zentraedi Regult
Though its ability to operate underwater is well-documented, the Regult in human service failed to impress terrestrial navies. Though possessed of a good turn of speed, the Regult as a submarine was just so damned noisy that it made a ready target for supercavitating torpedoes and sound-homing ASW systems. Without torpedoes, the standard Regult was poorly suited for naval warfare, while the missile-carrier Regults were even noisier and more susceptible to early detection. And without hands, the Regults were useless as salvage and recovery vehicles. Naturally, the 37th got quite a few, especially the remote control TRACT units, for use as decoys and targets in naval exercises. Until their split with the lawful side of the law, the 37th never had much use for them. After officially going rogue, the 37th sent their converted Regults on recon and decoy runs on surface installations, expending many of them in the process. A later modification stuffed the hull with mini-torpedo or mini-missile launchers firing through ports around the Regults’ sensor eyes; a nasty surprise for anybody expecting plain vanilla battlepods.

*Nousjadeul-Ger Male Power Armor---Nearly as common as the Regult, the ZMPA found greater acceptance with the 37th, especially after they found out how relatively easy it was to convert the mecha to underwater operations, Roomy inside with space for several crewmembers, even after conversion and reinforcement, the 37th’s Nousjadeul-Gers were much more useful for underwater work. Other alterations included refitting the chest cannon with a mini-torpedo launcher or blue-green laser, while the shoulder cannon(usually the first part lost in combat) could be replaced with a heavier torpedo rack or underwater water jet or suction vac for deep sea excavation. The 37th actually ends up having more Nousjadeul-Gers in its service than it reports to the surface command, owing to the availability of salvageable wrecks on the bottom. Due to field improvisations and tinkering, the 37th’s Nousjadeul-Gers take on a decidedly ‘steampunk’ look with multiple patches of appliqué armor, bolted-on accessories, and brass accents. Captain Morgan loves the Nousjadeul-Ger because it more readily wield a mecha-sized cutlass or cleaver.

*Quel-Gulnau Recovery Pod---Despite, or perhaps, BECAUSE of this vehicle’s underwater capabilities, the 37th never got access to one. The fact that Ice Guard got their hands on one would be irksome, to say the least, when the Deep Ones found out about it.

*Quel-Quallie ‘Cyclops’ Reconnaissance Pod---Another vehicle with excellent underwater capability that the 37th never was able to acquire, despite several close calls with success. Perhaps a good thing, given the lack of stealth these vehicles have operating in a liquid medium.

Vehicles:

“You know, Mackenzie, could you take another look at the Sea Sarges’ electronics? I swear, every time I go up in the things, the missile alert lights start blaring.”

*SH-62 Sea Sergeant Utility Helicopter---This virtually ubiquitous aircraft was so common that it couldn’t help but be assigned to the 37th’s Beachmaster air units. where they might have seen extensive use if not for the fact that the 37th was virtually banned from operating anything capable of getting above the water.

*NH-68 Commanchero Attack Helicopter----This was simply the AH-68 modified for shipboard use with improved weather-sealing, emergency flotation packs, and the ability to drop depth charges and torpedoes. While the UEDF Navy successfully used the ‘Seamanchero’ for years, the handful the 37th received were hangar-queens well-past their prime, and in any event, as a DEEP WATER unit, the 37th was more likely to be FLEEING from ASW helicopters than being in a position to be actually using them. Once the 37th began lives of crime, the NH-68s, repaired with no amount of duct-tape and prayer, did eventually see action, including infiltrating several pirate bands that also used the type, but overall, the 37th’s aerial operations were limited.

*LH-2000 Snoop Light Helicopter---The naval version of this VTOL features flotation bags on the landing skids and spray filters on the engine intakes. Like almost all of the 37th’s aerial assets, the few LH-2000Ns they possessed saw little action due to the Deep Ones’ mainly underwater operations, and the unofficial moratorium leveled against their above-the-water operations. The 37th occasionally used the Snoops, typically painted in other peoples’ livery, as scouts and fish-spotters.

*DSRP-1 Waterbugs----Aquatic version of the EVRP-1 Spiderbug. The 37th got quite a few of these mini-subs, in varying states of readiness, almost all them virtually useless for combat duty. For everything else under the sea, however, the 37th has found its Waterbugs to be most satisfactory.

*AEAV-15N ‘Sea Phantom’---The AEAV-15N was an experiment by the TCND in creating a multi-environment attack vehicle using the same frame as the AHR-15 Phantom. The AEAV-15 can act as both a sea-skimming WiG(Wing in Ground) aircraft(or hovercraft) using air cushion effect to skim up to 3 meters above the waves, and occasionally dipping down to use hydrofoil vanes to zip across the water. The AEAV-15 can also dive below the water’s surface to act as a mini-sub, hitting speeds of 35 knots .
The sensor and jamming suite has mostly been removed in favor of sonar systems, The two underwing pylons can accept the same MLOP rocket pods as the AHR-15, or can be fitted with medium-range sea-skimming anti-ship missiles or medium torpedoes. The real genius, ordnance-wise, is the replacement of the LRC-7 gunmount with a modular weapons tray. This weapons pack can be fitted with a pod of 30 45mm mini-torpedoes similar to those used by the HADS-10 Kraken, capacitor-powered MIW-20 Ion Pulse Cannon, or a blue-green version of the LLW-20 CIWS laser fitted to the original VF-1s.
And as icing on the cake, the AEAV-15N is sheathed in stealth materials. Flying just above the waves, or prowling just under them, the vehicle stands a good chance of getting within strike range of its targets undetected.
All in all, the AEAV-15N is a very impressive piece of equipment, and would have made a most effective anti-shipping strike fighter. So what’s it doing in the hands of the 37th? Because the AEAV-15N was optimized for aquatic combat and littoral operations against terrestrial foes...just when the ASC had quelled the Malcontents and the UEG had finally managed to get the other nations onboard with the UEG, or at least not shooting at each other. With the domestic situation stabilized, the military was looking to shift attention and funds to near-space/high-atmosphere defense. The AEAV-15N was just too specialized and too expensive to maintain, let alone mass produce, and the commonality of parts with the RP/CDFC Phantoms was too little to make shared logistics economical. So the TCND canceled further work on the AEAV-15N and mothballed the handful already produced. The next anybody heard of the AEAV-15Ns, they appeared with the 37th.
The 37th claims their Sea Phantoms ‘fell off the back of a container ship” or else claims that they got them as a result of a ‘surprise equipment transfer’, but records show that the ASC mothball yard for the AEAV program was near the coast, and suffered a catastrophic fire that did extensive damage, including the records office of the facility. Of COURSE the TCND suspects foul play, but how directly the 37th was involved in it is unknown.

Vessels:
“I know the diesels on the Korean-built jeepers can eat just about anything that flows and burns, but ours reek of RICE WINE all the time, and stale stuff at that...”

*Mini-Subs---A fad during the New Cold War among nations that couldn’t build big SSNs and boomers like the big nations, various conventional propulsion coastal defense submarines were built. Many of them survived the Rain of Death. Generally lacking in endurance for long deep water patrols, these vessels also tended to lack the weapons capacity for protracted conflicts without frequent resupply. The UEDF Navy made use of them simply because they had nothing else available and generally used them as coastal patrol craft, though occasionally they would be used to insert ranger and commando teams along contested shores.
The 37th has acquired a small flotilla of these ‘pint-sized’ submarines, that they use when the Typhus or the Beachmaster are unavailable or too conspicuous. Nicknamed ‘jeepers’ or ‘jeep-subs’, these craft come from a variety of sources, in a variety of conditions. Most are powered by conventional diesel-electric powerplants, though some of them have been refitted to use SLMH. Armament consists of a variety of torpedo tubes/pods, with a limited number of reloads, or mine racks, though some of the 37th’s mini-subs have seen experimental tinkering, like fitting refurbished capacitor-fed LLW-20 lasers or even scavenged Regult Heavy Particle Beam Cannons

*SLV Beachmaster/cargo/loot hauler---The 37th’s biggest vessel is this broken-down SLV. Though nominally listed as a ‘Beachmaster-class’, it actually is an example of an ‘understudy’ design commissioned by the UEG pre-Rain as a less expensive and more easily produced backup to the more powerful and costly Beachmaster. The vessel is actually 20% smaller than a proper Beachmaster and runs off two(rather than three) more conventional reactor systems. The 37th’s SLV was reportedly one of several that were scavenged from the remains of their naval yard and hastily completed, repaired and pressed into service. It was used briefly, after being fitted with AG-units scavenged from Reentry Pods, as an surface-to-orbit heavy lifter, but its fifth flight had to be aborted when it almost broke its back in atmosphere and had to hastily set back down in the Pacific. Post-crash structural analysis discovered previously undetected micro-fractures throughout the vessel’s main frame. Stripped of its AG-units and other equipment, the SLV was sent to mothballs, and eventual scrapping, but got a new leash on life when it was assigned to the 37th. The Deep Ones have used it as a cargo hauler and depot ship ever since, gradually refitting it with whatever they can scrounge.

*UENS Typhus---The Typhus is the 37th’s primary ‘warship’, a Soviet-era Russian Typhoon-class SSBN, built hastily and late during the Global Civil War, that got sold to the French Navy after the arrival of the Visitor/ASS-1/SDF-1 and the Russian Federation was busy cleaning out its old equipment and settling post-Truce reparations in anticipation of the UEG modernization programs using reverse-engineered alien technology. Though initially pleased with acquiring such a piece of hot-$#!+ Soviet technology, with an eye towards replacing/supplementing their Le Triumphant-class SSBNs, also rendered effectively obsolete overnight by the Visitor, after a some effort to convert and adapt the vessel(including trying to refit the tubes and silos to use the new ‘standardized’ missiles being promoted by the nascent UEDF), the French Navy decided to wait and see what would shake out from the UEG modernization programs in the way of new designs, and the Typhoon was shifted to naval reserve. The vessel survived the Rain of Death by being on a shakedown/orientation cruise to a remote French island possession, and with the effective extinction of France as a nation, turned over to the post-Rain UEG Navy. After a few years of trying to find a purpose for the sub, which showed the accumulated signs of Soviet neglect and halfhearted French tinkering, the UEGN gave the ship one last modernization makeover as part of an effort to give one of the UEG’s members with redeveloped ports work in handling big naval contracts. But with most of the effort and resources going to developing the UEG’s space forces, the wet navy got short shrift in budgeting, and the refit yard quit halfway through the attempted upgrade. Ultimately the old Typhoon was downgraded to reserve-mothball status(especially after the Russian component of the Southern Cross launched its Typhoon-successor, the Leviathan-class SSBN, based on the Beachmaster, and optimized for nuking alien alien warships in near orbit), and ultimately was assigned to the 37th, rather than the scrapyard.
The Typhoon SSBN’s original Russian name forgotten(TK23?), the vessel was known as the ‘Typhon’ in French service, but a clerical mistake at the final refitting yard got the vessel renamed the ‘Typhus’ when it was turned over to the 37th. Unfortunately, the name stuck, especially among outsiders. Despite various attempts by its crew to reinstate the original class-name as its official ship name, make the name into a more mellow ‘Typh’, ‘Typhie’, or ‘’Typher’, or call it something else (like the ‘Rapine Storm’), the 37th winds up, in the end, calling their ship the ‘Typhus’ after all(“Okay, everybody report back to the Typhus! I mean the Rapine Stor---oh hell.”). Worse, many of the regular crewmembers are becoming known as typhoids...

[Arnie100]

Cool weapons and equipment list! Now how would the 37th be organized? 4-6 man teams so they could use the 'buddy' system like the SEALs?

[SRoss]

The big secret is the Deep Ones inherited their mini-subs from the North Korean navy after Kim launched an unprovoked attack on the Fleet of Fog. The Takao is still hunting for them.

[Arnie100]

The big secret is the Deep Ones inherited their mini-subs from the North Korean navy after Kim launched an unprovoked attack on the Fleet of Fog. The Takao is still hunting for them.

"I can't believe we have to use those still..."
"Don't you like a challenge?"
"I'd rather stay alive, thank you."
"Would you rather be in a Hippocampus?"
"What's the difference?"

[glitterboy2098]

The 37th takes delivery of their new (second hand) Submarine

Captain Eric Morgan: "what do you think about our boat, Jones?"

1st LT.Davey “Pitcher” Jones: "I feel I need a tetanus shot just from looking at it. The only thing holding her together, are the bird droppings, sir."

[Arnie100]

The 37th takes delivery of their new (second hand) Submarine

Captain Eric Morgan: "what do you think about our boat, Jones?"

1st LT.Davey “Pitcher” Jones: "I feel I need a tetanus shot just from looking at it. The only thing holding her together, are the bird droppings, sir."

Jones: "Boat?! Don't you mean deathtrap?!"

[taalismn]

"'Transferring Command' should not be the same as 'scuttling'."

[Arnie100]

"We're gonna sink, aren't we?"
"Drowning is the appropiate term here."
"Not helping!"

[taalismn]

"We're gonna sink, aren't we?"
"Drowning is the appropiate term here."
"Not helping!"

"It's only drowning for some of us."
"Hardee-har-har, Mister Mutant with Gills...."

[SRoss]

Meanwhile Aboard the UENS Typhus...

"Corrosion Torpedoes inbound!!!"

Cut to outside UENS Typhus: Dark implosions appear on her bow and stern...

I400: "Target is sinking..."

I402: "Our mission is complete..."

Back aboard UENS Typhus...

Morgan: (Sprawled on the bridge floor) "Launch Power Armour for a surface attack."

Power Armour Launches

[taalismn]

"Good thing we rehulled this thing in WOOD."
"And slathered the hull in a thick layer of anti-worm paint."
"...who'd have thought Petra's experiments in gumbo would yield such usefulness?"

[taalismn]

"Down periscope! Dive! Dive!"
"They still machine-gunning our life rafts and life pods?"
"Yep. Forget about spending New Years' on the surface this time. No love lost up there."

[SRoss]

"Good thing we rehulled this thing in WOOD."
"And slathered the hull in a thick layer of anti-worm paint."
"...who'd have thought Petra's experiments in gumbo would yield such usefulness?"

"Ok, so we're made of wood instead of MDC materiel, what's that make our crush depth?"

"About 1.5 metres..."

"What's our current depth?"

"With the 15 metre holes in the Forward Torpedo room and the Engine room, about 1,800 metres and sinking."

"Oh..."

"Rum?"

"Yes please."

[taalismn]

"On the bright side, once we hit bottom we won't have far to go to get back to our base...and that should make scavenging this wreck easier."
"Jones, 'scavenge' should NOT apply to your main capital unit..."

[Arnie100]

"That's if we survive..."
"I have gills!"
"I HATE YOU."

[taalismn]

"You know, we do have what has to be the biggest collection of dud torpedoes and sea mines of anybody...if we fired them all at once...."
"We'd scare the #### out of some people only until they figured out they were all duds."
"Still, the thought of the look on their faces for that long moment..."
"Yeah..."

[SRoss]

Edwards and Kyle stared dumbfounded at the torpedo jutting up through the bottom of their rowboat.

Edwards: "Don't worry, I recognize the markings. It's from the Deep Ones. All they've got are due..."

#BOOOM!#

Jones: "Son of a gun, someone must have given us a live one by mistake?"

[Arnie100]

Charon: (Looking at Kyle and Edwards) "WHY are you two covered in seaweed? Never mind, I don't wanna know."

[taalismn]

"On the plus side we can enjoy natural fireworks under the sea ALL THE TIME."
"I can do without the giant mutant hatchetfish trying to blind me with its headlight...."

[SRoss]

"On the plus side we can enjoy natural fireworks under the sea ALL THE TIME."
"I can do without the giant mutant hatchetfish trying to blind me with its headlight...."

"Sir the Anglerfish have a response..."

[taalismn]

"Exploding jellyfish again?"
"Exploding jellyfish again...."

[SRoss]

"Exploding jellyfish again?"
"Exploding jellyfish again...."

"That's just Maya adding to the New Year's festivities."

"Crash dive sir?"

"Yeah, before she sinks us this time if you will."

[Arnie100]

"At least they're not summoning Cthulhu."
"Don't give them any ideas."

[SRoss]

"By the way sir, you noticed the UEEF refitted the UENS Typhusand our SLV Beachmaster with Syncro Cannons?"

"You know that can only mean one thing..."

"Yes sir, we're about to face Amphibious Haydonites."

[Arnie100]

"At least it's not Gojira."
"WILL. YOU. SHUT. UP."

[taalismn]

"And quit using our towed array sonar as a sport-fishing trawl!"
"Damn...you know how much trouble it was to fit that thing as a hook float lure? Attaching the grapple hooks alone..."
"Oh poor baby! NOW! Refit it for sonar now!!!"

[Arnie100]

"Uhhhmmm..."
"WHAT NOW?!"
"There are tentacles around it..."

[SRoss]

:frazz: "Uhhhmmm..."
"WHAT NOW?!"
"There are tentacles around it..."

"How bad?"

"They're reaching into the women's bath."

[taalismn]

"Pity the poor thing then....Remember the last time Chief Link tried to 'spawn'?"
"Yeah, it was only that the girls didn't have immediate access to a cannery that we weren't forced to search the ship's pantry for his packed-in-mustard-sauce remains. Yeah, that thing's good as dead..."

[Arnie100]

Chief Link: "Calamari, anyone?"