Going back to this question
I have a question.
On page 16 of the Europe 1940, 2ed edition rulebook, the section on Scramble starts with this sentence:
"Scrambling is a special movement that the defender can make at the end of this phase."Â (emphasis added)
Now here is the situation. The neutrals are still neutral. Italy and Germany have airbases with fighters in Gibraltar and Morocco, but there are no axis ships in z91.  ANZAC declares war on the neutrals and attacks Portugal and Rio de Oro. Since they are not attacking any axis power, only neutral territories, would I be correct in my interpretation of the above sentence from the rulebook, which is that the axis planes cannot scramble because the axis are not the defenders in this situation? The neutrals are the defenders; not the axis and so they cannot scramble.Â
This is an excellent question…Â And I am inclined to agree with both of you, however:
Europe page 16 leaves some challenging statements
“…can be scramble to defend against attacks in the sea zones adjacent to those territories”
- doesn’t specify who is being attacked.
“…they can also be scramble to resist amphibious assaults from adjacent sea zones”
- with no reference to who is being amphibiously assaulted.
I would see the argument that because the “sea zone” is essentially being attacked in the combat phase by the allies, (because the allies have combat moved into it), that the defender can scramble.
And I would use this statement to allow my scramble
“They may defend against ships even if friendly ships are not present”
“Air units belong to powers friendly to the attacked power may be scrambled by their owner if the owning power is at war with the attacking power”
and last, Europe page 12
“War must be declared on your turn at the beginning of the combat move phase, before any combat movements are made.”
Invading Portugal is an act of war, and you must declare, and as soon as you declare war, Portugal is axis friendly.
Krieg can you confirm?