The Germans have no destroyer present, therefore the defending air units can not hit the sub, and of course the sub can never hit planes. Think of it in terms of the combined arms rule, air units can only hit subs if they are combined with at least 1 participating destroyer, the difference with this particular combined arms is that it works while attacking and defending. In the scenario that you described, the sub would destroy the remaining transport without rolling and the defending fighters can do nothing.
Rules question…
-
Someone suggested to me over the weekend, played our first game, Axis lost (Horrible dice rolls for all Axis players), that as Japan I should have taken out the US transport in Hawaii with one of my Bombers from mainland Japan.
Makes sense as I was attacking the Phillipines anyways, but wouldn’t the bomber have to fight off all the scrambled Hawaii fighters before it could destroy the transport?
-
Yes. The rule is - Fighters and/or tactical bombers may “scramble” to join the battle in an adjacent sea zone to defend the transport (or others ships). The island must have an airbase for the planes to scramble.
-
Use a sub, scrambled planes can’t hit you without a Destroyer.
-
Yes, one sub can reach it and that one should be moved there. Combine it with a massive move to Carolines and from there you can pick Hawaii, most ANZAC territories, most of DEI, Phillipines, etc.