Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Maximus Bitch wrote:

What about the Imperial equivalent of a modern-day navy, the kind that sails on oceans and seas instead of in outer space?

Adeptus Aquarius.

 Psienesis wrote:

Maximus Bitch wrote:

What about the Imperial equivalent of a modern-day navy, the kind that sails on oceans and seas instead of in outer space?

Adeptus Aquarius.

YYEEEEAAAAAHHHHH

So far, at least in the novels, there are several mentions of naval warfare:
In Henry Zous Novel "Flesh and Iron" There's the 31st Riverine Imperial Guard operating with Speedboats and smaller ones, while other Guard units operate huge Battleships too called Argo Nauticals.
Forgot the name of that unit though and I must admit I am too lazy to look it up right now. Besides this, there is at least one D-Day Sytle Landing on an industrial world of the First Tanith.
Might have been one of the shorter storys and was definetly not the setting for an entire book. I must admit that I am unsure bout that one as its long ago that i read 'em.

Also Adpetus Aquarius sounds awesome

Asking why the Imperium doesn't have a standing wet navy is like asking why modern soldiers aren't issued crossbows.

Then, arguing that the Imperium should have a standing wet navy is like arguing that our soldiers should be issued with crossbows.

"After all, in certain very specific and almost unheard of situations, a crossbow is better than a rifle (predominantly because it is quieter)."

Some special forces soldiers are equipped with crossbows, if video games are to be believed.

 curran12 wrote:
Actual seagoing ships are completely obsolete in the 40k setting, so they don't have one.

In the Henry Zou Bastion Wars series (think I got that right), an Inquisitor is fighting on a deathworld covered by lots of water. The ships used in the novel were controlled by the Imperial Navy.

 Psienesis wrote:

Maximus Bitch wrote:

What about the Imperial equivalent of a modern-day navy, the kind that sails on oceans and seas instead of in outer space?

Adeptus Aquarius.

What about the Low Gothic name?


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Unit1126PLL wrote:
Asking why the Imperium doesn't have a standing wet navy is like asking why modern soldiers aren't issued crossbows.

Then, arguing that the Imperium should have a standing wet navy is like arguing that our soldiers should be issued with crossbows.

"After all, in certain very specific and almost unheard of situations, a crossbow is better than a rifle (predominantly because it is quieter)."

Crossbows aren't the best examples hehe I mean, they have freakin' power swords, power fists, power mauls, chainswords, jump jets, bright lances etc.
Granted, they do have a power field, but their inclusion is largely based on the rule of cool.

Much of 40K is built on the rule of cool. Wet navies aren't featured not because of in-universe practicalities or sensibilities, but simply because they aren't as cool as space navies, and they also lack the personal touch of infantry.

Besides, rifles can be made very silent too, but aircraft can't just take a dip in the ocean. If two sides are fighting for air superiority, this struggle might also be echoed on land and in water. As mentioned previously, a super duper air force can't always replace ground and ocean troops.



Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Macharius. wrote:

 curran12 wrote:
Actual seagoing ships are completely obsolete in the 40k setting, so they don't have one.

In the Henry Zou Bastion Wars series (think I got that right), an Inquisitor is fighting on a deathworld covered by lots of water. The ships used in the novel were controlled by the Imperial Navy.

Interesting, I assumed that surface forces would be under the Guard. So we can say that the Air Force is under the Navy, and the (wet) Navy under the Guard.

I'm quite surprised at the response this thread has garnered. I thought that most would consider this an irrelevant issue, like "if the Imperium has one, that's fine, if they don't, that's fine too".

I think I exposed a hole, which people suddenly realised, and they feel a need to patch it up.

There might be some planets that consist of only water so there might be a requirement of a navy


Automatically Appended Next Post:
There might be some planets that consist of only water so there might be a requirement of a navy

Maximus Bitch wrote:


What about the Low Gothic name?

The Hoity Toity Floaty Boaties.

 Metaljunx wrote:
There might be some planets that consist of only water so there might be a requirement of a navy


Automatically Appended Next Post:
There might be some planets that consist of only water so there might be a requirement of a navy

Yes, but that'd be a local PDF unit, not an aspect of the Imperial Guard.

 curran12 wrote:
Actual seagoing ships are completely obsolete in the 40k setting, so they don't have one.

I am not sure that seagoing ships are obsolete, but warships would be basically limited to planetary defense batteries that happen to float.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Grey Templar wrote:

Maximus Bitch wrote:

Well, if the beach is heavily fortified then the orbital drop ships will get shot at before they can land.

And somehow in your mind boats will not?

Even if orbital bombardment is insanely powerful, the Wet Navy is to the sea what the Guard is to the land. If you need the job done on land, get the Guard. If you need to get it done on the high seas, get the Wet Navy.

As long as there are War Worlds with big oceans a Wet Navy will be required.
It's strange to think that military forces in the 41st millennium would have abandoned wet navies entirely. Just because GW doesn't cover it doesn't mean it it's non-existent.

You know how control of the oceans today is determined by carriers and their aircraft?

Well there is an even better version of an Aircraft Carrier. In space. its also got obscenely powerful direct fire weapons it can use to bombard a target in addition to the aircraft it will deploy. And unlike an ocean going vessel its not nearly as fragile, nor is it bound to one planet. cause its a freaking space ship.

Control of the oceans today is dominated by submarines. Aircraft carriers are used to project power onto land.

The fact of the matter is the Imperium does have/need an aquatic navy, but the development of such is left to PDF's. That being said I wouldn't be surprised if aquatic-specializing Imperial Guard Regiments appear in fluff at one point. There's already a bit where the Space Wolves fight the Tau underwater.

Johnson & The Juice Crew wrote:

 dekinrie wrote:
Thinking about wet navy it could be completely subsurface units armed with cruise missile equivalents dive deep enough and orbital ship can't target them and random bombing of the ocean would result in friendly casulties from tsunami's. Even using subs as c&c platforms

This is my field of thought. The only real use for any sort of surface ships would be the transport of goods for local planetary purposes.

Subsurface craft (submarines and the like) could be usefull for the deployment of long range munitions, mobile command and communications relay. But actual surface fighting ships? I cant see the need for the imperial navy to carry them around and deploy them, they are more or less superseded by aircraft. I expect the powers that be will force the navy to carry certain small wet landing craft and transports (for the super rare occasion the planet doesnt have a wet navy) but its going to be an extremely rare situation that warrants surface ships over air transport

This is correct. Surface fighting ships are obsolete at this point. The only warships that matters at sea are submarines. Any planet that moves goods from one part of the planet to another might use ships for transport, given how efficient they are at doing that.

Now if you are to believe 40k, that there are giant guns on planets pointing to the sky to defend an entire planet from bombardment you would probably believe that there would be giant guns on ships(that could possibly submerge completely) to defend an entire planet from bombardment.

Being seaborne reduces the amount of recoil the gun has to deal with, allows the gun emplacement to be moved, and can protect it from certain forms of attack. If it could be submerged it could be protected almost completely when not firing.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Harriticus wrote:
The fact of the matter is the Imperium does have/need an aquatic navy, but the development of such is left to PDF's. That being said I wouldn't be surprised if aquatic-specializing Imperial Guard Regiments appear in fluff at one point. There's already a bit where the Space Wolves fight the Tau underwater.

there might well be entire space marine chapters that specialize in aquatic warfare. I'm sure GW would mary sue the fluff and point out they are just as deadly on land. Perhaps the Iron Dolphins Chapter!

One of my custom IG/AM regiments was actually specialiszed in sea-to-land assaults, the would posses both landing crafts as well as submarines. I'm currently actually looking for a good WW1 style submarine that can be used converted into my army centerpiece.

The Iron Snakes have a bit of a thing for amphibious assaults and water combat, if I remember correctly.

KamiKatze wrote:
So far, at least in the novels, there are several mentions of naval warfare:
In Henry Zous Novel "Flesh and Iron" There's the 31st Riverine Imperial Guard operating with Speedboats and smaller ones, while other Guard units operate huge Battleships too called Argo Nauticals.
Forgot the name of that unit though and I must admit I am too lazy to look it up right now. Besides this, there is at least one D-Day Sytle Landing on an industrial world of the First Tanith.
Might have been one of the shorter storys and was definetly not the setting for an entire book. I must admit that I am unsure bout that one as its long ago that i read 'em.

Also Adpetus Aquarius sounds awesome

The Gaunts Ghost D-dau style invasion was still performed by aerial insertion. It was not made with ocean going transports.