I can highly recommend this talk from Peter Pellegrino (of NWC fame) with respect to teh evolution of the US naval strategy against the IJN aka, War Plan Orange (see below, Peter never disappoints):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXal8JUqAfQ
00:30 - Introduction 03:25 - Wargaming Misconceptions 07:04 - War Plan Orange Explained 12:05 - Schools of Thought 13:55 - WW2 Naval Strategy 30:36 - Recap of Myths 32:08 - Interwar Wargaming 34:23 - 1932 USNWC Curriculum 36:08 - USNWC Influence40:45 - Conclusion
War Plan Orange (Japan):
But at the heart of it all was the concept and practice of adversarial "gaming" .. 318 games [scenarios] .. and by god they did it every day when they were at the NWC .. learning how to play (a month of the school year) ,, both at a tactical, operational and strategic levels (see below, including multi-aggressor [even RN "Red"], multi-discipline [Sailors, Marines and Aviators] multi-spectrum [even testing out hypothetical ships] - respect and well done, that shaped the senior officer cadre for WWII):
Especially valid in putting into the correct perspective the "Nimitz Quote" (see below, not using wargaming as the oracle's tool - but rather as a tool that could sharpen a commander's mind):
War Plan Orange (Japan):
- Phase 1: Protect Western Coast of USA!
- Phase 2: How do you get to Japan ["The Hard Bit"]?
- Phase 3: Defeat and Invasion of Japan?
Fantastic though, the NWC finally goes Rainbow (see below, why have one plan when you can have four+, one of them has got to work, right?):
But at the heart of it all was the concept and practice of adversarial "gaming" .. 318 games [scenarios] .. and by god they did it every day when they were at the NWC .. learning how to play (a month of the school year) ,, both at a tactical, operational and strategic levels (see below, including multi-aggressor [even RN "Red"], multi-discipline [Sailors, Marines and Aviators] multi-spectrum [even testing out hypothetical ships] - respect and well done, that shaped the senior officer cadre for WWII):
"And" they always finished with "The Battle of Jutland" (RN v HSF), turned on its head and into "The Battle of Sable Island" (RN v USN). Something I can perhaps aspire to use as a background campaign or scenario development for my 1/3000 Navwar fleets ;)
Note: I did take "War Plan Red" as an "Atlantic Chase" influenced mini campaign to CoW in 2021:)