'Wargame Women' in the Battle of the Atlantic
Historical Association talk by Dr Sarah-Louise Miller
Dr Sarah-Louise Miller
November 2, 2023
The next lecture to be hosted by the Ealing Branch of the Historical Association will be given by Dr Sarah-Louise Miller, Visiting Scholar, Faculty of History, University of Oxford and Lecturer in the Defence Studies Department of King’s College London.
The subject of her talk, will be ‘Wargame Women: The Women’s Royal Naval Service and the Western Approaches Tactical Unit During the Battle of the Atlantic’
During the Second World War, around 800 women worked at Western Approaches under conditions of absolute secrecy, a hidden but vital component in Allied naval operations. Members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and the Women’s Royal Naval Service were at the nerve centre of the Battle of the Atlantic, monitoring Allied convoy routes and shipping, protecting precious supplies and lives.
This talk will focus on the Women’s Royal Naval Service at Western Approaches. Known as ‘Wrens’, these women worked to protect Allied shipping and made crucial contributions to the offensive against the enemy at sea. As is often expected of wartime military women, some worked in administrative and communications roles, and their work was critical to getting intelligence to commanders at sea who could make decisions and act on it.
A hidden group of Wrens, however, were also involved in highly secret anti-submarine warfare operations, as analysts and wargamers. These young women constituted the main bulk of the staff in the Western Approaches Tactical Unit (WATU) and were highly trained in anti-submarine and naval warfare strategy and tactics. Studying U-Boat attacks and battle reports closely, they recreated the conflict at sea in wargaming simulations, helping to develop countermeasures that would be used successfully to tackle the grave threat posed to Allied shipping.
The Wrens hosted seagoing naval officers for short training courses, and against all expectations, often defeated them in the battle simulations. Heavily involved in both the devising of anti-U-Boat tactics and the training of around 5,000 naval officers who would adopt them, these women made a significant contribution to the Allied effort in the Battle of the Atlantic. This talk will examine the work of the WRNS at Western Approaches, focusing on those in the WATU and placing their vital contribution in the wider context of the Battle of the Atlantic
The talk takes place on Tuesday 14 November at 7.30 pm at Ealing Green Church, The Green W5 5QT.
You can register for free for the talk using this link and those registering online will be eligible for a post-talk recording:
You can become a member of either the national organisation of the Historical Association (which includes local membership) for £65 per year (£43 concessions) or a local member for just £15 a year. You will then receive regular emails or newsletters about the association’s activities.
For more details of the association’s programme of talks for the coming season visit its web site.
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