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

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.

How does chinese recruitment work? I thought I read somewhere that they can purchase infantry without
owning an industrial complex.

I got the game yesterday and even after reading the rule book I am unsure how airplanes work.
Which units can they attack and can the attacked units defend (without an AA gun).
1. Can fighters, tactical & strategic bombers attack land units?

For example:
If britain have 1 tank in one terrirory can Japan send a fighter and a tactical bomber to attack it?