Defending Aircraft Carriers but Attacking Aircraft from another power

@leobarron2000:

Let’s say the German have placed 2 aircraft carriers in the sea zone opposite Gibraltar, sharing the sea zone with a small US fleet (The Germans built the carriers there because they had captured Spain and built a minor there.) Later that turn, the Italians will attack the US fleet there with 2 x Fighters and 2 x TACs, landing on the German carriers. When the Italian aircraft attack, can the German carriers take damage even though Germany is not attacking? I would argue that since Germany is not attacking, the carriers cannot take hits, which is similar to the destroyer rule where an attacking nation cannot use an Allied nation destroyer in sea zone when it is attacking subs aka US subs cannot use a UK Destroyer to attack German subs even if they are in the same sea zone. I know you can use all units in a sea zone if you are defending but that’s different. Is that the right interpretation?

I’m not 100% sure if the Carriers can take hits or not, so I’m not going to venture a guess, however, I don’t believe your scenario is legal to begin with, therefore making your question irrelevant. If the Germans build units in a sea zone that is already occupied by the American units, than upon the US turn, the American units must attack the German units in that sea zone, or move out of that sea zone during that combat movement phase. Seeing as America’s turn is after Germany’s, but before Italy’s, the scenario of a shared sea zone containing both American and German units during Italy’s turn is impossible (unless the units in question are submarines).

Young Grasshopper is right. Due to the turn sequence (Germany, then USA, then Italy) the US fleet would most likely destroy those German carriers so they would not be there for the Italian planes to use.

Now, here is a scenario where this might work. Since Germany and Japan go before USA, UK and ANZAC, any of those Allies would work here.
Say that Germany has punched though the Middle-East and captured Calcutta (India) and controls the now Minor IC. Next, USA, UK, ANZAC or even all three of them move warships in SZ 39. On Germany’s next turn, they put down 2 carriers in amongst the Allied fleet. Then on Japan’s turn, they fly out planes (fighters and/or tacs) based on Borneo (4 spaces away) to attack the Allied fleet in SZ 39 and land on the German carriers.

In this scenario, you are correct. The German carriers WOULD NOT be able to take any hits in this battle because they are not involved in the actual combat. Since the Japanese planes are attacking, only the Japanese planes are involved in the combat. The German carriers are effectively “neutral” since only 1 power’s units can be involved in an attack at one time.
Once the battle is over, assuming the Japanese are victorious, the planes sink the Allied ships and land on the German carriers. Then, if say the US had further warships in the area and attacked SZ 39, BOTH the Japanese planes and the German carriers would defend.