Gaming the Interwar: How Naval War College Wargames Tilted the Playing Field for the U.S. Navy During World War II

Abstract : Wargaming at the U.S. Naval War College began with a lecture in 1886, but did not reach its full potential until the interwar period. The wargames ostensibly served to train naval officers in strategic, operational, and tactical thinking. Wargames also gave guidance for shipbuilding, the creation and refinement of war plans, and the conduct of fleet exercises. Naval officers throughout the fleet were better prepared for World War II against Japan.