The lone genius that undercuts conventional wisdom and expert naysayers is an alluring vision but it belongs only in the fictional representations of Hollywood. Founders always pursue the road not travelled. But they do not do this alone. Successful founders build teams of specialists and operate at the intersection of multiple disciplines. The best innovations come from teams of different dedicated specialists united by a common desire to find a solution to a difficult problem.
Innovation at Sea: The Western Approaches Tactical Unit
The Battle of the Atlantic in World War II was critical to the fate of Allied supply lines. By 1941, German U-boat “wolf packs” were devastating Allied convoys. Merchant shipping losses were unacceptable. Convoys were grouped tightly together in predictable formations which U-boats could target in clusters with relative impunity. Accepted methods of convoy defense proved ineffective. The British Admiralty, urged by Churchill, established the Western Approaches Tactical Unit (WATU) with a simple purpose – reduce convoy losses by creating more effective convoy defensive strategies.
Multi-disciplinary skills
WATU seconded a mix of strategic thinkers, intelligence officers, analysts, and naval officers with recent convoy experience. By studying U-boat patterns, understanding how U-boat wolf packs operated, and how convoys communicated and responded to attack, WATU developed a range of innovative tactics which it simulated through sophisticated wargames to outwit and counteract U-boat attack formations. Success was defined by locating U-boats and sinking them or forcing them to surface. WATU recruited experts in the emerging radar and sonar detection technologies and naval communication which were used during wargames to improve submarine detection protocols. The ability to communicate and coordinate action between convoy escort vessels was critical to ensure that convoy defensive tactics were well-organized and synchronized. WATU promoted the deployment of radar and sonar for every convoy.
The role of women
Women were recruited, largely from the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS), to support the demand for cryptanalysts and intelligence officers, helping decode German communications and providing key intelligence on U-boat locations and movements and to develop and test new tactics as active wargame participants. Their work in understanding enemy tactics and responses to interception brought a critical perspective to developing effective and practical defensive tactics that could be quickly taught and deployed. Women also worked in logistical support, ensuring the smooth operation of tactical plans. Their roles in coordinating intelligence, maintaining records, and facilitating communication were critical to WATU’s success.
WATU innovation
The WATU was instrumental in defeating the U-boat threat in 1943 developing the dispersal strategy, which spread convoy ships out across a larger area to reduce the impact of concentrated U-boat attacks, implementation of more flexible convoy formations, developing a playbook of aggressive coordinated tactical responses from escort vessels driven by radar and sonar developments, and deception such as false radio signals and decoy convoys, diverting U-boat attention away from valuable targets.
The WATU’s success in turning the Battle of the Atlantic shows the power of combining and aligning adaptive thinking, technological innovation, and the contributions of a small diverse group of dedicated specialists to a clear goal within a limited timeline. WATU’s success gave the Allies the maritime dominance they needed to invade occupied Europe in 1943-44.