Winn argues that the tracking room could identify patterns in events that had already happened, but intelligence alone left the Navy reacting to German moves. WATU would use theory and repeated war games to explore situations that had not yet occurred. Two analogies clarify the aim: the fictional leader Guilliman compiling a codex in Warhammer 40,000 and a sporting playbook. When an opponent does A, escorts should have a tested response B ready. These analogies explain conditional doctrine rather than promising that every battle will unfold identically. This moment shows why operational intelligence and tactical experimentation needed to work as a feedback loop.
Notable Point · 15:10-16:59
From intelligence reports to a tactical playbook
Winn wanted WATU to move beyond reacting to past attacks by gaming plausible future situations and codifying conditional responses.