Entering the mediterranean

[tsaa]

at the game start, UK controls gibraltar and germany north africa. does this mean the mediterranean is blocked and no ships can enter/ leave?

[Panther]

@tsaa:

at the game start, UK controls gibraltar and germany north africa. does this mean the mediterranean is blocked and no ships can enter/ leave?

No, not in this edition. Restrictions apply only to the Suez Canal and Panama Canal.

[Private-Panic]

And the Black Sea - although memory tells me that is an optional rule?

[Panther]

@Private:

And the Black Sea - although memory tells me that is an optional rule?

Not optional in this edition. SZ 18 is closed for all sea units.

[CWO Marc]

I assume from the phrasing of the rule…

Turkish Straits: In order to maintain its neutrality, Turkey closed the narrow straits linking the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, permitting no naval passage by any belligerent nation on either side.  Sea units cannot move into or out of sea zone 18. However, air units can move over this sea zone freely.

…that SZ 18 is numbered simply for purposes of air unit movement, given that no ships can use this sea zone.  Otherwise it presumably would have been left unnumbered like the Great Lakes, Lake Ladoga, the Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal.

[WraithZer0]

Even though the straits are off-limits, can Russia still deploy a transport there?  Even though that would be a terrible idea.  I’ve always wondered…

[Wolfshanze]

In theory Russia can build ships there… which is funny, if memory serves correctly, its the only naval territory that Russia has a bordering factory on at start and (by default rules) Russia can’t build any more factories, so they can only build a land-locked fleet and could never threaten Japan.  I know, its unlikely Russia would try and threaten Japan directly, but the setup is still funny.