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Care to enlighten us on the rules dealing with the number of shots that will be fired during a battle? It can happens for example that a big naval battle will only see a couple of light surface firing... why? There must be a logic behind that...

Read section 8.6 (the part up to 8.6.1) in the manual. It details how the number of ships allowed in a combat is calculated. Just because naval units are sent to an area, doesn't mean that they will all actually find each other and engage in a massive battle.

THere is a "match up" process with naval units where based on a number of factors Joel would have to detail, the "forces that meet for naval action" are decided. The manula talks about it a bit, basically saying it tries to pair up like units,a dn avoid having Heavy fleets matched with Lights. In my experience larger numbers of light fleets ttend to result in "cruiser actions" where the few heavies part in the intial action is rare. Equal numbers tend to involve more heavy fleets, but if you want to screen CVs or heavy's 4 or 5 lights with 2 or 3 of them help (but not against subs they have a mind of their own...) 3 or 4 heavies with 1 or 2 lights tends to get your heavies in teh fray.

What this results in is "running sea battles" I've mentioned elsewhere where, if you attack early in your move, your task forces that have not shot can "chase down" retreating quarry - at least until they seek refuge in port. Or you run out of units that have not shot. You have to be careful because enemy islands can add "interdiction" (+ to his die rools and - to yours) that accumulates and you can get a bloody nose if you follow too far into enemy island infested areas.

This can be a very effective tactic for the Japanese, who can pursue in areas they hold islands, and the US is very limited in the ability to pursue back.

ah yes, wrong example, naval rules are explained indeed. But it can happen too for lands units, and its not explained in the rule?

Land units should participate, although I think if they are matched against a unit that is already been destroyed during the combat, it won't bother to shoot.

ah that's that... it explains why units wont shoot even if enemies are still there. I was wondering what was the rule.

sorry, I must be dumb but I have an example I dont understand. 8 tacticals against Moscow. There is here 5 arties and a bunch of other units. None of the tacticals are hit by the flak. They attack the arties, 5 of them, and each one hit one. Then the combat end, and 3 tac have not fired (and none of the arties are destroyed, they are just damaged).

So how to understand the rule here?