Counting zones for aircraft movement

[redcloud]

I am a bit confused on how to count the number of spaces an aircraft moves though.

The rulebook says: “count each space your air unit enters ‘after takeoff’. When moving
over water from a coastal territory or an island group, count the first space entered as one space.
When flying to an island group, count the surrounding sea zone and the island group itself as one space each”.

So if i have a US bomber on Guam and want to perform a strategic bombing raid on an industrial complex in Japan
how do I count the spaces? (assuming I want to return to guam)

The bomber takes of from Guam and enters sea zone 21 (have now moved through 1 space)
then enters sea zone 18 (second space),
then enters sea zone 6 (third space)
it then enters the territory of japan (fourth space)
flies back to sea zone 6 (fifth space)
flies back to sea zone 18 (sixth space)
flies back to sea zone 21 (seventh)

So even with and air base there is not enough movement points to return to base? Since it would take another
movent point to enter guam.

This “one space each” seems to make it very difficult to use bombers.

[Bigtiti]

i’m still fan of my house rule: airport makes seazone and landzone same
so technically, bomber has 8 move then if he flies back to guam
but this does make bombers very strong

[Krieghund]

You’re counting it correctly, redcloud.  The range of air units is pretty limited on this map, and that’s what makes capturing forward islands for basing them so important.

[Gharen]

Like Krieghund said, capturing forward islands for future landing sights of aircraft is important to the Pac40 game.  Just like in the real WW2, we couldn’t bomb the coast of Japan from west coast US.

[redcloud]

It just seems odd since the US did use the Marianas for launching bomb raids on Japan historically.

[Krieghund]

That’s true, but only after the long-range B-29 was developed.  B-17s did not have the range.  Perhaps the optional tech rules that will be introduced in AAE40/AA40 will solve this?  :wink:

[katfishkris]

cool.  tech to upgrade to new units.  any date on aae40 yet?  still ‘summer’ ?

[Mino1124]

@katfishkris:

cool.  tech to upgrade to new units.  any date on aae40 yet?  still ‘summer’ ?

I read somewhere (on this forum I think) that a guessed date is VE day (victory Europe) which is May 8th. Like I said that was just a guess, but would make perfect sense.