Hello all,
I have a specific question about submarine engagement, and I will try to construct it as understandable as can be.
The Scenario Set-up is as follows:
1. My opponent (USA) moved a Carrier, Battleship, Sub, and Transport (note: No Destroyer with them) into a Sea Zone. After the other 3 nations had their turn, it was my turn (Japan) who goes before the US.
2. On my turn (Japan), I moved 1 of my Subs 2 Sea Zones into the US occupied one (as noted above) and initiated combat. Because my opponents naval grouping I was attacking did not have a Destroyer present, I was able to make a Surprise Attack.
3. With my initial surprise attack roll, I scored a hit and my opponent chose to sink their Submarine. After that engagement and before normal combat began, I chose to Submerge.
4. Because I had already moved 2 Sea Zones in order to reach my opponents resting (and now remaining) fleet, I could not move out of the Zone after Submerging, therefore, I remained in the same Sea Zone.
5. Being that it was my opponent’s turn following mine (They are USA), they chose to first move one of their nearby Destroyers into the Sea Zone where their other, remaining fleet AND my Sub were located, thus initiating combat with my Sub.
My questions, in a few parts are as follows:
1. Because my opponent (as USA) moved their destroyer into the contested Sea Zone where their other Carrier, Battleship, Transport, and my Submerged Submarine (Japan) were residing, does that auto-initiate combat, and…
2. If the combat is auto-initiated, is my opponent (USA) obligated to bring the remainder of their fleet residing in the same, contested Sea Zone into the initiated combat, brought upon by moving their Destroyer in to uncover my Submerged Submarine, or…
3. Does my opponent (USA) have the choice to only use certain, selected naval units in the contested Sea Zone that they wish to be involved in the combat?
4. Additionally, my opponent (USA) was wondering, if, during this turn AND following the aforementioned engagement (considering that their other naval units were involved in the combat in any way), would they (USA) then also be able to use those previously engaged naval units (note: Barring the moved Destroyer) to initiate a combat move in the same Round?
We were wondering this as it might seem that moving the Destroyer into the contested Sea Zone to uncover the Submerged Submarine would, in effect, initiate combat between it and the attacking Destroyer.
However, if the initiated combat automatically pulls the remaining, resting fleet in, would they also, then, be able to make a combat maneuver somewhere else in the same round, as if they didn’t have a choice to be pulled in and that should not negate their chance to make their combat maneuvers for that round?
I hope this all made sense, and I apologize for being long-winded. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this scenario.
Thank You!
Firstly, you don’t get to submerge your sub after it fires but before your opponent’s ships can fire back. If you decide to submerge it at the beginning of a combat round, it cannot fire that round.
Secondly, the US does not have to initiate combat, because subs don’t make a sea zone hostile, and thus the US can ignore it. If the US wants some of their sea units to not battle, they must move these units out of the sea zone, since all units that are in a sea zone after combat movement must conduct combat. Also, if I’m interpreting the rules correctly, since these sea units are not escaping a hostile sea zone, they must move into combat, either against enemy sea units, or to do an amphibious assault (transports only). If these sea units stay in the sea zone with the sub and thus have participated in combat, they cannot move during noncombat.
Thanks a ton, Calvin!
