bananasling, if memory serves me correctly, the way you interpreted the rules was the way older versions of the game were played.
Not only can you do this with navy but with land. You can attack and capture a territory then with your non-combat phase move tanks (that of course did not participate in any combat) through that newly captured territory and beyond it to a friendly territory on the other side to say reinforce an ally’s position. Krieghund will correct me if I am wrong but when it was done to me for the first time….its hard to forget.