@Cmdr:
Actually, I’ve oft pondered the question of fighters retreating to a zone you are attacking in the game as written. If Japan attacks SZ 55 and kills the navy but retreats before killing the fighters, and Japan’s also attacking W. USA from SZ 54, can the fighters land in W. USA and defend; or do they hover over SZ 55 until Non-Combat and then land in a safe zone?
In LHTR, “stranded” defending fighters are moved after all of the attacker’s combats have been resolved and before the attacker’s non-combat movement phase begins. Thus, they may land in any space that is still available after all combat is resolved.
In the OOB rules, “stranded” defending fighters are moved immediately after at the end of the combat that involved them, before the attacker’s next combat begins. The movement may not end in a contested territory or sea zone (one that has had or will have a combat resolved in it this turn). Thus, it’s possible to cut off their retreat by attacking every possible landing spot, resulting in their destruction.
In neither ruleset would they be able to participate in more than one battle.