Can aircraft make noncombat move thru friendly neutral if land units move into it on the same turn?

[Tank Buster]

I understand that land units (as explicitly stated in the rules) cannot move through a friendly neutral territory during a noncombat move, but does this include aircraft? If, for example, a UK tank makes a noncombat move from Persia (taken in previous turn) into Northwest Persia, could a UK fighter (based in Egypt) that just attacked Iraq in the combat phase make its noncombat move through N. Persia to land in Caucasus? Thanks.

[Midnight_Reaper]

@tank-buster Since aircraft can move over hostile territory on both their combat and non-combat moves, I would say yes, you can do this.

Mind you, if the only reason you are taking this territory is to gain overflight rights, you need not bother - planes travelling on non-combat movement can move through hostile territory to get to a landing site. You just need to land somewhere that was friendly territory at the start of the turn.

-Midnight_Reaper

[AndrewAAGamer]

@tank-buster said in Can aircraft make noncombat move thru friendly neutral if land units move into it on the same turn?:

I understand that land units (as explicitly stated in the rules) cannot move through a friendly neutral territory during a noncombat move, but does this include aircraft? If, for example, a UK tank makes a noncombat move from Persia (taken in previous turn) into Northwest Persia, could a UK fighter (based in Egypt) that just attacked Iraq in the combat phase make its noncombat move through N. Persia to land in Caucasus? Thanks.

This move would be illegal.

From the Axis & Allies Europe 1940 FAQ - September 3, 2014
Q. Can I move air units into or through a friendly neutral territory during the same turn in which I move land units into it to claim it for my power?
A. No. It doesn’t become your territory until the end of the Noncombat Move phase in which you move land units into it.

[AndrewAAGamer]

For future reference a good standard to follow is whatever you want to use has to be in your possession before you opt to make use of it. If you want to build infrastructure in a territory, or land aircraft there, it has to be yours at the start of your Turn. If you want to use a canal it has to be in your possession at the start of the Turn. If you want to build at a factory it has to be already built and sitting in your territory at the start of your Turn.

Good gaming!

[Midnight_Reaper]

@andrewaagamer said in Can aircraft make noncombat move thru friendly neutral if land units move into it on the same turn?:

@tank-buster said in Can aircraft make noncombat move thru friendly neutral if land units move into it on the same turn?:

I understand that land units (as explicitly stated in the rules) cannot move through a friendly neutral territory during a noncombat move, but does this include aircraft? If, for example, a UK tank makes a noncombat move from Persia (taken in previous turn) into Northwest Persia, could a UK fighter (based in Egypt) that just attacked Iraq in the combat phase make its noncombat move through N. Persia to land in Caucasus? Thanks.

This move would be illegal.

From the Axis & Allies Europe 1940 FAQ - September 3, 2014
Q. Can I move air units into or through a friendly neutral territory during the same turn in which I move land units into it to claim it for my power?
A. No. It doesn’t become your territory until the end of the Noncombat Move phase in which you move land units into it.

We have differing interpretations. We will need a ruling on the field. @Krieghund, yellow courtesy phone. Krieghund, yellow courtesy phone…

-Midnight_Reaper

[barnee]

@midnight_reaper this from the Europe 40 rulebook

Air Units: An air unit must end its move in an eligible
landing space. Air units can land in any territory that
was friendly (but not friendly neutral) at the start of the
current turn.

[Krieghund]

@midnight_reaper @AndrewAAGamer is correct. While air units may move through hostile territories, this does not include neutral ones.

[Tank Buster]

Thank you for all the replies. I thought that might be the case but since aircraft could fly over an unfriendly neutral if they attacked it, I wondered if they might also be able to fly over a friendly neutral if captured during noncombat but I suppose that violates the principle of simultaneous movement of all units in a phase.

[AndrewAAGamer]

@tank-buster said in Can aircraft make noncombat move thru friendly neutral if land units move into it on the same turn?:

I thought that might be the case but since aircraft could fly over an unfriendly neutral if they attacked it

Depending on what you mean this is or is not correct. When you say “fly over” if you mean they can fly into the unfriendly territory during the Combat Movement phase and attack it in the Combat phase and then in the Non-combat phase fly out then that is correct. If you mean some units attack an unfriendly neutral and other air units fly into and out of the unfriendly neutral during the Combat Movement phase to attack elsewhere that is not allowed if this is the first time the unfriendly neutral has been attacked.