Encoded Communications of World War II

http://www.shoretelsky.com/resources/encoded-communications-of-world-warii/

A Mystery Wrapped in an Enigma

During warfare, one of the key aspects of communications is the ability to transmit
messages within the military and allies in utter secrecy and security. Today this is fairly
easy with the plethora of high-tech digital encryption systems that are available.
However, during World War II, the need for secrecy forced allies and enemies alike to
develop their own various forms of encrypted communication. The methods used were
numerous. They included traditional practices such as placing spies and sending trained
carrier pigeons, as well as newer electronic encryption systems. When the Germans
developed a new machine, they thought it was completely undecipherable.

The German machine was known as Enigma. It resembled a typewriter that could
produce highly encrypted text messages. To use the Enigma, the operator first typed the
text. Then, by turning a few wheels, they could scramble the message through the
machine. On the receiving end, the other operator would need to set their machine with
the same wheel or rotor order to unscramble the message. Codebooks were distributed
to message operators so that they could enter in the correct decryption key when
receiving a transmission. Originally the Enigma had been invented for commercial
purposes, before the German military saw its obvious potential.

In theory, if the Germans had stuck to strong standardized operating procedures, their
codes would indeed have proven almost impossible to decipher. However, they became
careless when it came to this aspect, which ultimately became the main weakness that
helped the Allies to decrypt the codes. As the German troops were attacking fast and
relentlessly, it became vital for the Allies to intercept and decrypt their intelligence. At
the end of 1932, the Cipher Bureau in Poland obtained an Enigma machine. They
SHARED their information with the British and French to develop code-breaking
techniques. To create a dedicated effort towards this end, the British government set up
the Code and Cipher School, located in Buckinghamshires Bletchley Park. There, they
brought in experts in mathematics, logic, and problem solving. These new recruits
worked together to create prototypes of electronic machines (comparable to computers)
to produce decryption on a larger and faster scale. They kept these efforts highly
secretive so that word would not leak to the German forces. Still believing their codes to
be fully secure, the Germans had by this time adopted the Enigma ciphers within their
army, navy, air force, and secret services. In the early days, a few ciphers were cracked
but revealed little helpful information. In 1941, new decryptions revealed information
about Germanys plans for invading Greece. Soon after, the experts at Bletchley
decrypted secret intelligence regarding the Italian navy, resulting in an Allied victory
during the Battle of Cape Matapan.

Subsequently, further messages that were intercepted and decoded helped the Allied
troops gain a significant advantage. Even after the war, these encoded communication
machines and techniques greatly influenced a number of other areas, especially in the
field of computer science and electronic communications.

Explore these resources to discover more about encrypted communications methods &
devices during World War II.

Cracking the Enigma Code Read how large number of code breakers worked together
to crack Germanys seemingly impossible codes.

WWII Coded Communications A few key errors on the part of the German troops
allowed the Allies to crack the Enigma codes.

German Code Breaking This is a look at examples of German codes and how they were
deciphered.

Bletchley Park Learn about the significance of Bletchley Park and its role in
codebreaking efforts during WWII.

Native Indian Codes Since Navajo is a complex and unwritten Native American
language, it proved an excellent solution for transmitting coded messages among the
Allies.

Colossus This article explores the development of the top-secret machine that Allies
developed to electronically crack German codes.

SIGSALY See how the highly encrypted speech system used by the Allies was
developed.

U.S. Codebreakers U.S. experts worked hard during the war to break the enemys codes
while developing some of their own.

Encryption Technology A Polish man working in Germany was the first breakthrough for
the British in terms of decoding enemy ciphers.

Military Intelligence Compare the different types of military coded communication from
traditional to state of the art technology of the time.

The Enigma Machine Look at a real Enigma machine and read about how it worked.

Japanese Transmissions Japanese troops were inspired by the Germans when it came to
developing their own form of encryption.

Code Breakers During WWII, even college students were secretly trained and recruited
in encrypted messaging.

Purple This introduction and timeline examines the Japanese encryption system, known
as Purple.

WWII Code Breaking (PPT) View a presentation on how code breakers worked during the
war.

Code Talkers The Native Americans who acted as communications specialists during
WWII are hailed as unsung heroes who played a large role in helping to win the war.

German Cipher Machines View a video on the complex cipher machines developed in
Germany.

Breaking the Code (PDF) Read a first-hand account of U.S. recruit who worked with
code breakers in the 1940s.

WWII Encryption Learn about some of the devices and technologies used for encryption
in WWII.

Russian Fialkas Fialkas were Russias answer to a sophisticated encryption system.