The Americans have to retreat after the Japanese score 3 more hits. The Americans will retreat 1 bomber and the Japanese still have 1 fighter and the battleship.
Play stops again because the fighter must land. I checked in the rulebook and under “fighters” it says “IMPORTANT: during combat, if a fighter is based on an aircraft carrier and the carrier is attacked and destroyed in battle, the fighter is not immediately destroyed - it is considered defending in the air (it defends at a strong die roll of 4). If it survives the battle, it must try to land on the same sea zone the battle takes place in - either on an island or another carrier…”
It says it has to land on an island, which would be Japan, but I’m guessing it was on oversight that often there is a coastal territory by the sea zone the fighter could land on.
@The_Good_Captain I suspect @leemorrison wants to land on Japan and not Manchuria anyway.
The question is, has this rule ever been officially clarified to correct it from “islands” to “adjacent land territory”? I don’t see it in the rules clarification either.
@leemorrison If you are electing for Japan anyway, then play can continue