@Lynxes:
IL/
I think you have misread the rules. It says that it is the combined number of fighters and bombers. So in 1) Italy would face 2 fighters, and in 2) it would face 1 fighter. The historical case is the UK SBR campaign prior to the entry of American escorted missions by Mustang long-range fighters, and I don’t think it would feel very good if Germany could just stack up 3-4 fighters and then UK would never be able to SBR with anything like OK odds. Hence the interceptor limit.
1. Well, you can make bombing more attractive - the bombing dice role is the number of damage tokens, and IPC cost - so in effect, because you have to spend IPC to conduct repairs - bombing is twice as effective.
Risk/reward.
2. The British bombing campaign was not that effective anyway - and you could say that playes have an option for daylight bombing - escort/interceptor rules apply, or nightbombing - damage is halved and escorts cannot be used, but neither can interceptors.
Hence, the US can afford daylight bombing which is more effective - and the British, who cannot, do the more ineffective area bombing. A heavy bomber at night just rolls one dice rather than two - which gives the US the option to do the Tokyo night raids if they want to avoid Japanese fighters.
I’d leave interceptors and escorts hitting on a ‘1’ or less…
But I also have a house rule where the US can build TAC air - attack 4 defend 3 (which can’t be used in strategic escort/intercept) - and the Germans have the same, they can build the stukas from the revised edition which attack at 4 and defend at 3 and can’t be used in strategic combat.
That way, the Germans and Americans have to balance the need for strategic fighters - and the more attractive tactical fighters.
Since the new edition has Me109’s, I’m loathe not to use my stukas from the earlier editions - seems such a waste!!!