SWWAS: Sea of Iron La Baltique 1939.Campaign Study

Overview

Sea of Iron: La Baltique 1939 is a Campaign Study for Second World War at Sea: Sea of Iron, exploring an alternative naval war in the Baltic Sea in 1939.

During the late 1930s, both Polish and Soviet military planners considered a war between their two countries to be one of the most likely conflicts of the near future. French and Polish naval staffs also studied ways of protecting the flow of weapons and ammunition from France to Poland should the Soviet Union attack Poland.

History took a different course. In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, and the French-Polish naval plans were never activated.

La Baltique 1939 allows players to explore this unrealized conflict, with the French fleet joining Poland in an attempt to defend Polish maritime supply lines against Soviet attacks.

The Game

This Campaign Study adds 15 new scenarios to Second World War at Sea: Sea of Iron. The scenarios focus on French and Polish naval forces attempting to protect maritime supply routes to Poland against Soviet operations. dracotienda.com

The supplement uses the Second World War at Sea system, a naval wargaming system covering fleet movements, reconnaissance, surface combat, submarines and air operations.

The main Sea of Iron game covers naval warfare in the Baltic from 1939 through 1945, including German, Soviet, Polish, Finnish, Swedish and Baltic State forces. avalanchepress.com

An Alternative History

The particular appeal of La Baltique 1939 is that its scenario is based on genuine pre-war planning.

Instead of the historical German invasion of Poland, players can explore a completely different strategic situation:

• Poland must maintain its maritime communications;
• France intervenes directly in the Baltic;
• the Soviet Union faces a Franco-Polish coalition;
• French naval forces operate in the Baltic far from their normal bases;
• players can test naval plans that were considered before the outbreak of the Second World War.

Scenarios

The Campaign Study contains 15 new scenarios.

The first nine scenarios require playing pieces from Bismarck.

To play all 15 scenarios, players will also need playing pieces from The Cruel Sea. dracotienda.com

The supplement is therefore aimed at players who already own components from the Second World War at Sea series, particularly Sea of Iron.

Editorial Content

La Baltique 1939 is primarily a scenario and alternative-history supplement built around:

• the French-Polish naval plans;
• the possibility of a Soviet-Polish war;
• the hypothetical intervention of the French fleet;
• 15 new scenarios for Sea of Iron;
• French, Polish and Soviet naval forces for the campaign.

Contents

Campaign Study / Scenario Supplement

• 15 new scenarios;
• scenario information and material required to play them;
• use of playing pieces from previously published games in the series.

Required games:

• Second World War at Sea: Sea of Iron;
• Bismarck for the first nine scenarios;
• The Cruel Sea is also required for the remaining six scenarios.

⚠️ This is not a standalone game and does not contain all the components required to play its scenarios.