@Shaniana:
Thanks for your answers so far. I have some new questions, this time concerning the rules:
The rulebook states: �If you capture an air base or naval base, you can�t use the added flight or sea movement or receive repairs until your next turn�. Ships are repaired at the beginning of my turn only anyway, right? This is also true for an US ship in a british harbour: repaired at the beginning of the US player�s turn, right?
And a british ship next to a harbour the US guy just conquered is not allowed to move three spaces because it has not been the US player�s �next turn�, right?
The rule is actually very simple. Was the harbour or air base in control of you or your allies on the beginning of the turn? If yes, you can use it. So if USA captures Gibraltar, it IS indeed in allied control at the start of the British turn, so of course the British ships have three movements if they start at Gibraltar.
@Shaniana:
But I can land air units in territories that have been friendly since the beginning of the current turn. So if I capture an island with an air base in my US turn and then my carrier in the sea zone is destroyed in the German player�s turn, I can land my surviving planes on that very island, right?
Yes, and that Island does not even need an Air base for that. Air bases are only needed for Scrambling and enhancing plane movement.
@Shaniana:
But what then if the Japanese player attacks that same sea zone � am I allowed to scramble? The textbook only talks about flight movement, ship movement or repairs that are not allowed because I just captured the country.
On the beginning of the Japanese turn, the allied planes are on that island with an air-base. They can scramble. You did not “just capture” the country, you did it in an earlier turn. Don’t confuse the terms “round” and “turn”. A round consists of exactly one turn by each power.
@Shaniana:
Usually, I think it is mostly better to unload your cargo ships, not leaving any infantry on it in case it gets attacked. Of course, sometimes it is better to remain on the ship because the landing zone is not free. But I have read somewhere here that I am supposed to leave the troops on the ship because I am more flexible then in my next move. Is there any explanation, anything I am not allowed to do if I have to load the ship in the beginning of my turn?
Both options have advantages and disadvantages.
If you leave your troops on the transporters, you need to be 100% sure these transporters are safe. On the other hand, you do not need to unload them into a territory, that is endangered. So if your transporters have another destination, for Example UK transporters to Norway, and both Gibraltar and Morocco can be attacked by Italian fleet+transports, it might be a good idea to save the troops for a successful norway invasion.
Landing your troops give your transporters more flexibility however. For example imagine you established a US transporter rotation from EUS -> Gibraltar -> Normandy. Now Italy saved some IPC to build a big landing fleet or moved some transporters in range for a Gibraltar invasion. If you had landed your troops in Gibraltar, these transporters can just move back to EUS for the next round of troops. But if you have left them on the transporters, they have to unload first and cant move back to EUS.
@Shaniana:
Oh, and one question about strategy: In which situation is it that you�d invade one of the total neutrals, giving your opponent infantry and income for free?
If both sides are about even without anyone having a big edge somewhere, it is almost never a good idea to attack the neutrals.
If you’re in front on the Europe side, however, it might speed up the process to win. While the true neutrals definitely provide some extra IPC, the main reason for attacking them in most cases is either Turkey or Spain/Portugal. Turkey shortens the route Egypt <-> Greece from 10 spaces to 4(!!!), while Spain provides some additional flexibility. The axis can defend Gibraltar way better with 1-2 additional airbases for possible scrambling and providing SZ104 with a harbour to threaten the US coast. The allies gain an additional option for a beach head for a european invasion.