Cargo Submarines...

[micromachine]

I have been thinking about this for quite a while and I would think that one "nuke" sub sans weapons would be an excellent cargo hauler, not for tactical items such as tanks and howitzers, but more for industrial diamonds, essential personnel (machinists, draftsmen, brewmeisters, etc), and "payoffs" to other factions.
It is worthy to mention that the sub's own reactor would be an excellent "alongside" powerhouse, so long as you have the proper nuclear engineering officers on hand, and an adequate security force to keep it behind closed doors.
I also think that there is a weapons locker and a machine shop aboard, precious heirlooms that must be husbanded against future needs.


Food for Thought!

[copeab]

Most of the military submarines listed so far weren't built as cargo subs -- most were converted minelayers or were built to carry fuel and ammo to seaplanes and other subs (which I suppose are technically cargo carriers, but not in the sense of carrying cargo from port to port (or port to beach). The WWI German Deuchland class was one exception and the Japanese Ha 101 class being another exception.

While these boats were poor cargo carriers (in terms of total weight devoted to cargo) they were also much stealthier than surface freighters.

And if a sub can carry cargo, it can carry troops -- the USS Argonaut being one example (after her minelaying gear was removed, she was one of two subs involved in th Makin Island raid and carried part of the 120 Marine force).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ha-101_class_submarine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Argonaut_(SM-1)