Fighter Squadrons Information

The Essentials of Fighter Squadrons

Note on Ally Fighter units on Friendly Aircraft Carriers:
Ally FTRs aboard your own AC CAN be taken into your defence of that sea zone. However, if the AC is hit, the ally FTRs sink with the ship (just as would INF onboard a TRN). Ally FTRs have NO function whatsoever while onboard your attacking AC. The ally FTRs cannot be used as casualties to take hits nor takeoff from the AC during the attack; they are cargo only.

Frequently Asked Questions about Fighter Squadrons

1. Q: Can a Fighter or Bomber retreat from an amphibious assualt?
   A: No. Amphibious assaults are always "to the death" -- even for air units. The only way for air units to survive is to win the attack, and then the air can fly home.

2. Q: Can enemy AA Guns always fire at my air units when they fly over enemy territory?
   A: Yes and No. Enemy AA Guns may only fire at enemy air units which are flying in combat movement over their territory. For example, a classic German strategy is to base their bomber(s) in S. Eur and SBR Russia, landing in E. Eur. Flight path S. Eur - C. Med SZ (1) - Black Sea SZ (2) - Caucasus (3) - Russia (4) - Karelia (5) - E. Eur (6). Movement steps 1 through 4 are combat movement and subject to AA Gun fire. However, once the target of the combat has been reached, any remaining movement is non-combat and as such no AA Guns may fire (in this case, the AA Guns in Russia and/or Caucasus would get a shot at the Bomber but an AA Gun in Karelia would not.

3. Q: If you build fighters in a turn, and have an aircraft carrier in a sea zone adjacent to a territory with an Industrial Complex, can you place the fighters on the aircraft carrier at the end of your turn?
   A: No, fighters must be placed in the territory where the Industrial Complex is located.

4. Q: If I purchase both a carrier and a fighter can I place the fighter on the carrier during the placement of new units phase?
   A: No. The fighter must be placed in the territory containing an IC.

5. Q: If a sea zone is attacked, and you have allied fighters on a ship of a different nation (e.g. a British aircraft carrier with American fighters on it), can all the units defend together?
   A: Yes, all units in a sea zone (or land zone, for that matter) defend together.

6. Q: Can I make a Kamikaze attack?
   A: No. Kamikaze attacks are not allowed.

7. Q: In order for my fighter to participate in a battle must I have a guaranteed a place for my fighter to land in order for it not to be considered a Kamikaze attack?
   A: No. To legally send a fighter into battle the only requirement is that there be a "potential" place for it to land. An example would be a naval assault in which the fighter is able to land on an aircraft carrier. However, the carrier may be sunk during the battle and as such the fighter may be lost. This would not be a Kamikaze attack.

8. Q: There is a defending fighter located on an defending aircraft carrier. During battle the carrier is sunk in combat but the fighter survives. What happens to the fighter?
   A: The fighter now has the option to land on a different aircraft carrier that is located within the same sea zone or it may elect to land on an island, if one is present. To qualify as an island the body of land must be located entirely within that sea zone. If there is no additional carrier or island then the fighter is lost.

9. Q: What qualifies a territory as an island?
   A: For the purposes of landing the fighter as per the question above, the island must be completely surrounded by the same sea zone. For example, if the carrier and fighter were located in the New Zealand sea zone the fighter could land in New Zealand. If the carrier and fighter were located in the Mozambique sea zone, the fighter could NOT land in French Madagascar.
   
10. Q. Can an air unit provide a potential retreat territory simply by flying over it on its way to the battle?
    A: Yes. A territory qualifies as a legal retreat location provided that at least one attacking unit came (not necessarily originated) from it, and provided that this territory is friendly after all combat has been executed.
    
11. Q. Can an air unit provide a potential retreat territory by overflying a battle site and returning from the other side?
    eg. Russians have forces in Karelia, and wants to attack E.Europe, and retreat to British occupied S.Europe sometime after the mandatory 1 round of fighting. So 20 INF enter E.Europe from Karelia, 2 FTRs take off from Karelia and fly over E.Europe, to S.Europe, and then return to E.Europe, can the attacking ground units retreat to S.Europe?
    A. Yes. However, if E.Europe has an AA-gun, it gets to fire at the plane(s) once when they fly over, and another time at the surviving plane(s) when they come back to E.Europe for the battle itself. If no plane(s) made it to S.Europe (due to being shot down by the AA-gun in E.Europe during the initial flyover), then no unit entered the battle from S.Europe, and thus S.Europe no longer qualifies as a potential retreat location for the ground forces in battle in E.Europe.