@Malekith:
Islands: are they considered part of a sea zone or seperate - say the us attacks Wake and I have a Japanese fleet there, can the fleet defend the island?
They are separate spaces. If the US is attacking by air, the Japanese fleet will not participate. However, if the US is doing an amphibious assault, it must fight and defeat the Japanese fleet before it can land troops.
@Malekith:
Plane movement: is taking off from land to see a movement?
Yes. The same applies to returning to land.
@Malekith:
Subs: say I have 3 subs parked off the shore of england, can england send a bomber and attack me on the first turn with no retaliation? Am I considered above water for the first round?
Air units can’t hit subs unless there is a destroyer friendly to them in the battle. Without a destroyer, sending the bomber is useless. With a destroyer, the bomber could hit the subs until the subs hit the destroyer.