@oztea:
The planes launch to defend against a target they can not hit, and can not land on a now damaged carrier.
A torpedo killed 20 IPCs of fighters by damaging a carrier, does it hit the cargo hold? and the deck? and some of the planes on deck? after that, there isnt even much ship left to repair!
So you’re far from friendly land and a sub comes along against your lone carrier:
AA50 rules: sub hits the carrier and sinks it in one hit. Planes can’t land, planes die. Sub “killed” 34 IPCs.
Pacific Rules: sub hits carrier, carrier develops a list (which is really the damage we’re discussing, causing the planes to be unable to land on a tilted deck), planes can’t land, planes die, but carrier manages to depth charge a 2 hit on the sub. Sub “killed” 20 IPCs and if you get lucky, you can limp the carrier back home.
Much better deal. The “protection from this kind of insanity” is that your carrier MIGHT make it back, saving you 16 IPCs. It could be worse. It would make sense to me that planes would NOT in fact launch if a sub sneak attacked and hit (but they could launch if the first torp missed). Because you’d think the whole point of the sub is to catch them unawares. But that would make subs very broken.