Air Combat Rules Explained

@PrivateerPuffin

In case the attacking transport survives, it can retreat. Every sea unit participates in the preceeding sea-battle.

@PrivateerPuffin said in Rules question about Fighters in Sea battles:

1st question: Does the word may in excerpt #2 allow for fighters to be presumed as casualties?

No, but it allows for carriers to be.

2nd question: Does excerpt #3 mean that there can never be more fighters in a battle than you have spots on carriers (if there are no other islands or territories to land in).

Yes.

An example if my question is nonsensical.
Japan took Midway, Alaska, and Western Canada last turn. On the US turn. 4 US fighters from two carriers in SZ 56 used 2 movement to attack a fleet in SZ 64. 1 fighter from Western US then uses 3 of its movement to also attack the fleet. The Japan player says that isn’t allowed because the 4 fighters will need the carriers to land. The US player disagrees and says that they could take a fighter as a casualty, allowing for there to be an open spot on the carrier which the fighter from Western US can land on.

The Japan player is correct.

During combat movement, you must be able to demonstrate possible safe landing zones for all attacking fighters. Once the combat starts, you may take carriers as casualties so that these safe landing zones are not maintained, usually in order to maximize the effectiveness of the attacking force. Once combat is over, all fighters that can still be landed must be (attacker’s choice of exactly which fighters, if there is a choice), and any that cannot are lost.

@cree454 As @Witt says: There is no additional combat movemement once the Conduct Combat Phase has started.

@Panther Thanks old chap. Much appreciated.

The point of the Russians in A&A is to get the German player to say “any more victories like this and we’ll lose the war!”

Thanks guys.  That is kind of what I thought or remember from AA50.

Also, you don’t have to move your carriers into the attack. You simply have to tell your opponent that you plan to move your carriers in the NCM to provide a landing place for your planes. Then, once the battle is over, if your planes survive you will have to move your carrier(s) to provide a safe landing spot.

HOWEVER, if all the planes are lost, you can leave your carrier(s) where they are or move them somewhere else.

@WILD:

Would have liked to see a 3rd optional rule for no ICs on islands (Oz has brought this up on another tread). We really liked that in G40, and I kinda expected it to be brought over to 1942 2nd edition. Maybe it will be added as an option in the official faq

Smo63 will that be the case in the tourney’s, will you outlaw island ICs? Didn’t see anything about it in your pdf file about 1942 2nd ed tourney rules.

Didn’t plan on it.  Why would we?