When the switch by a given letter (for example A) is thrown, current enters the cables along the A wire and the A bulb lights up. As the current enters the first bank of rotors, it will follow a circuit determined by the wiring of the rotors and the reflector, emerging somewhere (but, because it is an Enigma machine mock-up, it must emerge on some wire other than A: no letter can encipher as itself). Then the current is directed to the second set of rotors and the same thing happens. On each pass, current returns to the central switchboard, thereby lighting up the bulb corresponding to the new live wire on which the current emerged from the rotors. It is quite possible that current emerges from the two different sets of rotors on different wires and when these wires are live that provides a new input for the rotors. Eventually, the current completes a circuit and no more wires are live: the circuit represents a pair of cycles and the number of bulbs lit up indicates the cycle-length (multiplied by two).
Cyclometer. 1) First bank of rotors (with cover). 2) Second bank of rotors (cover removed). 3) Rheostat. 4) Lamp. 5) Switch. 6) Letter. (Janina Sylwestrzak)
Having noted which bulbs were lit on the first test – making the A wire live – the A switch is put to the off position and a new letter, which did not light up in the first test, can be tested. In this way the whole alphabet can be quickly gone through and the characteristic of that rotor order and start-position determined.
The third and final component of the machine is the ‘rheostat’ or variable resistor. This is needed because the number of lit bulbs is not predictable in advance. Too many bulbs to light and not enough current will flow to get a good read-out. Too few, and the concentrated voltage applied to two bulbs could blow the bulbs. So the operator started with maximum resistance and gradually increased the current in each test.
IV Finding females with a cyclometer
Females indicate ‘cycles of one’.
Taking the list of indicators reproduced above, two of them (ddb vdv and ikg jkf) have females. The same letter d appears in both the second and fifth positions in the first example; so does the letter k in the second. The cycle-length is one.
Using a cyclometer, if the circuitry in the second set of rotors sends the current round in such a way as to reverse the effect of the first set, only two bulbs will light up on the cyclometer: the one where the current went into the left bank of rotors and the one for where it went into the other. The two lit bulbs identify the pair of ‘cycles of one’ or females. Using the indicators in our example, the cyclometer (when set up with the right selection of rotors positioned in the correct orientation) will shine in only the d and k bulbs.
V Zygalski sheets
Each sheet corresponded to the (probably immobile) left-hand rotor and was ruled into an alphabetical grid, so that all combinations of the middle rotor (on the horizontal axis) and the fast right-hand rotor (on the vertical axis) were also represented by a square on the grid. Sets of sheets were thus needed for all combinations of the five rotors and, within each such set, for all twenty-six positions of the left-hand rotor. For three rotors, 156 sheets were needed (for five rotors, 1,560 sheets), each ruled and punched to show the positions of females.
If the code-breakers, using a cyclometer, had seen that a particular set-up of three rotors could generate a female – say, they had observed that rotor combination IV, II, III produced a female in positions 1 and 4 when the rotor-letters LMQ were showing through the windows of the machine – a hole would be punched in the sheet L from the IV-II-III set, at position MQ.
Zygalski sheet. Henryk Zygalski’s method for finding Enigma settings used stacks of punched cardboard sheets.
The basic idea in using Zygalski’s sheets was to stack them on top of each other on a light-table, in order to find a single place where light penetrated through the entire stack. That would eliminate enough false possibilities to tell you how the German machine had been set up.
The sheets had to be stacked in a consistent way. This could be done using the starting-positions given by the Enigma operator in the preamble. Let us take two (post-1938) preambles such as KGX YPC YRN and SID FET FHS. These can be parsed: the first three letters are the ground setting, showing how the operator wanted the machine set up to decipher the indicator, and the next six are the repeated indicator. We can also see that there are females in positions 1 and 4 in both the indicators. To stack the sheets, it was necessary to align grid-square GX from the first message exactly over grid-square ID from the second. This alignment mimics the change of the middle rotor from G to I and the right-hand rotor from X to D, reflecting the way the two message recipients changed the ground setting to decipher the indicator.
Punching the holes was complicated by the stacking procedure. As the sheets would be offset when piled on top of each other, the alphabets had to be repeated both horizontally and vertically to ensure a good overlap. This necessitated the punching of each hole as many as four times.
The simplified description given above assumes that the ring settings, which allowed the core wiring of the Enigma rotors to be offset relative to the letters printed around the rim of the rotor, are always set to ZZZ. In practice this was not the case and Zygalski sheet procedure had to be adapted to accommodate, and find, the unknown ring settings.
NOTES
1. Nulle Part
1. Ciężki records, CAW I.481.C.4366, KN 25.07.1933.
2. Davies, White Eagle Red Star, p. 31.
3. Linda Colley, Lewis Namier, Weidenfeld & Nicolson (1989).
4. Kowalewski file in the David Kahn collection, CCH; original at the Piłsudski Institute of America.
5. Mieczysław Ścieżiński, Radjotelegrafja Jako żródło wiadomoścu o nieprzyjacielu (Polish Radio Interception and Decryptment in the Polish-Soviet War of 1929–20) (1928), trans. Christopher Kasparek, CCH.
6. Jan Kowalewski, Szyfry klucem zwyciestwa w 1920r., Zwiazek Lacznosciowcow ‘Komunikat’ (2001), pp. 13–18.
2. Enter the King
1. CAW I.481.C.4366
2. Jerzy Palluth interview with the author, January 2017; CAW 1769/89/3856
3. Piotr Michałowski, personal communication.
4. CAW Oddz.II S.G. I.303.4.2387.
5. CAW Oddz.II S.G. I.303.4.2387.
6. CAW Oddz.II S.G. I.303.4.2416.
7. CAW 1769/89/4072.
8. CAW AP 9449, AP 1769/89/2897.
9. JPI Kol 709/134/2.
10. Max Ronge, Kriegs- und Industrie-Spionage, Amalthea-Verlag (1930), p. 119.
11. Tomes, pp. 14–15.
12. SHD GR 7N 4235.
13. Tomes, p. 10.
14. Tomes, pp. 22, 151.
15. Énigme, p. 37, Tomes, pp. 21–24; Paillole NE, p. 43; Gilbert Bloch, Enigma avant Ultra (1988), Annexe 2.
16. Éric Maillard, Rudolph Stallmann alias baron von König, Tentative de biographie (undated).
17. Straits Times, 10 May 1913.
18. SHD GR 1K 545/949; Raymond Batkin, The False Baron von König, Christie Books (2015).
19. Énigme, pp. 35–36.
20. SHD GR 7 NN 3287.
21. Sebag-Montefiore, Enigma, p. 15f.
22. Paillole NE, p. 30f; SHD GR 1 K 545/987.
3. Mighty Pens
1. PISM Kol 242/55.
2. Paillole NE, p. 45.
3. Tomes, pp. 147–149.
4. TNA HW 25/6, HW 25/8, HW 25/9, HW 25/10, HW 25/13, HW 25/14.
5. Paillole NE, pp. 48–49.
6. Tomes, p. 151.
7. Énigme, p. 37.
8. Paillole NE, p. 53f.
9. Kozaczuk Enigma Appendix D, pp. 256–258.
10. Paillole NE, p. 103.
11. David Kahn, Hitler’s Spies, Da Capo Press (2000), p. 178.
12. Henri Navarre, Le Service de Renseignements 1871–1944, PLON (1978), p. 55.
13. Paillole NE, pp. 85, 158–159.
14. Kozaczuk Enigma, pp. 26–27; CAW Oddz II S.G. I.303.4.189; Zdzisław J. Kapera, How the reading of Enigma was nearly exposed in the spring of
1940 (2016).
4. The Scarlet Pimpernels
1. Tiltman Oral History, NSA Doc ID 4236153, CCH.
2. Tomes, p. 144.
3. Gilbert Bloch, Enigma avant Ultra (1988), Annexe 2.
4. CAW 1769/89/4265, Oddz. II S.G. I.303.4.558, Oddz II S.G. I.303.4.558.
5. Richard Holmes, introduction to Fitzgerald, The Knox Brothers.
6. Fitzgerald, The Knox Brothers, p. 188.
7. Fitzgerald, The Knox Brothers, p. 194.
8. TNA HW 43/78; HW 25/9.
9. CAW 1769/89/3856; Jerzy Palluth interview with the author, January 2017.
10. Marian Rejewski, EB8 p 43-44; TNA WO 315/28.
11. Before Ultra, EB6 p 21, 67; Sadowski Report, PISM Kol B.I.6; Ciężki deposition, PISM Kol B.I.6l.
12. SHD GR 7 NN 2701.
13. Mayer, p. 210.
14. Jackson & Maiolo, Strategic Intelligence, p. 450.
15. Hetherington, Unvanquished, p. 616.
16. TNA HW 25/12.
17. Bertrand Dossiers 186, 187, 192, 199 (all SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/3), Bertrand Dossier 211 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/4).
18. Tomes, p. 23.
19. TNA HW 65/9, HW 25/10, HW 43/78, HW 25/12.
20. Bertrand Dossier 261 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/5).
21. TNA HW 65/1.
22. Bertrand Dossier 262 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/5).
23. Tomes, p. 152; Énigme, p. 57.
5. How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix
1. TNA HW 14/2; Brian Oakley, The First Break into German Enigma at Bletchley Park, Bletchley Park Trust Report No. 19 (2011), p. 19.
2. Kozaczuk Enigma Appendix D, p. 267; Tadeusz Lisicki, correspondence and other materials JPI Kol 709/100/53.
3. Langer Report JPI Kol 709/133/4.
4. Kozaczuk Enigma Appendix C, p. 242.
5. Before Ultra, EB6 pp. 19–22.
6. Supplement to Mayer, JPI Kol 709/100/53.
7. TNA HW 25/10.
8. TNA HW 65/3.
9. TNA HW 25/12; Bertrand Dossier 258 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/5).
10. Bertrand Dossier 265 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/5); TNA HW 25/12.
11. Bertrand Dossier 267 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/5).
12. Watt, Bitter Glory, p. 396.
13. Paillole NE, p. 167.
14. Paillole NE, p. 183.
15. Bertrand Dossier 268 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/5).
16. Kozaczuk Enigma Appendix B, p. 236.
17. Kozaczuk Wicher, Anhang D p. 319; Bertrand Dossier 268 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/5); TNA ADM 223/479.
18. Alastair Denniston, How News was brought from Warsaw at the end of July 1939 in Robin Denniston, Thirty Secret Years, Polperro Heritage Press (2007).
19. TNA HW 25/12.
20. Bertrand Dossier 269 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/5).
21. TNA HW 25/12.
22. PISM Kol 398/5.
23. TNA HW 25/16.
24. TNA FO 366/1059, HW 3/82, HW 62/21/7.
25. Énigme, p. 61.
26. TNA HW 65/3.
6. Monstrous Pile
1. Colville, The Fringes of Power, 13 September 1939.
2. Mrs Różycka’s diary kindly made available by Dr Z.J. Kapera.
3. Tomes, p. 151; Bertrand Dossier 260 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/5).
4. Ciężki deposition, PISM Kol B.I.6l.
5. Zygalski.
6. Jerzy Palluth interview with author, January 2017.
7. TNA HW 14/2.
8. Batey, Dilly, p. 90.
9. Zygalski; Langer Report JPI Kol 709/133/3, 133/4.
10. Jean Stengers, ‘Enigma, the French, the Poles and the British 1931–1940’, Revue belge de philologie et d’histoire (2004), vol 82, pp. 449–466, n. 30.
11. Kozaczuk Enigma, pp. 72–73.
12. Hanka Sowińska, Życie szyfrem pisane, Gazeta Pomorska, 7 January 2005.
13. Langer Report JPI Kol 709/133/4.
14. TNA HW 14/2.
15. TNA HW 65/2.
7. The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side
1. Guy Liddell, Diaries, ed Nigel West, Routledge (2005), entry for 10 October 1939.
2. TNA HW 14/3.
3. Bertrand Dossier 277 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/5).
4. Sherborne School Archives.
5. Batey, Dilly, p. 94.
6. TNA HW 14/3.
7. Bertrand Dossier 278 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/5).
8. Kozaczuk Enigma, p. 97.
9. PISM Kol B.I.6; Zdisław J. Kapera, How the reading of Enigma was nearly exposed in the spring of 1940 (2016) Siły Zbrojne Działania wywiadu w XX i XXI w, pp. 109–140.
10. Langer Report JPI Kol 709/133/4.
11. Énigme, p. 72.
12. HBI vol. 1, p. 108; Langer Report JPI Kol 709/133/4.
13. Rivet, 12 March 1940; TNA HW 5/1.
14. Wspomnienia p. 115f.
15. TNA HW 14/5; Kozaczuk Wicher, Anhang D p. 320.
16. Langer 1945T, p. 29.
17. Wspomnienia, pp. 115–116.
18. SHD GR 14 YD 755 (Dossier de Personnel); TNA HW 315/8.
19. Langer Report JPI Kol 709/133/4.
20. JPI Kol 709/133/1.
21. Tomes, p. 155; Bertrand Dossiers 272, 273 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/5).
22. Paillole NE, 195f.
23. Forcade, Le renseignement, p. 144.
24. Colville, The Fringes of Power, 9 November 1939, 7 January 1940.
25. HBI vol 1, p. 127.
26. HBI vol 1, p. 137.
27. Volume of material (Bletchley) February, March, April, May 1940: TNA HW 5/1; volume of material (Bruno): Énigme, p. 79.
28. First message JPI Kol 709/134/2; fourth message Bertrand Dossier 286 (SDH DE 2016 ZB 25/7); others from Langer papers JPI Kol 709/133/3.
29. Nigel West, MI6, Grafton Books (1985), p. 186.
30. Bertrand interview with David Kahn, David Kahn collection, CCH.
31. TNA HW 14/5.
32. Tiltman Oral History, NSA Doc ID 4236153, CCH.
33. Tomes, pp. 35–36.
34. Langer 1946M, p. 4.
35. TNA ADM 337/128/432; Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; TNA ADM 137/2296; Keith Jeffery, MI6, Bloomsbury (2011), p. 199; Jackson & Maiolo, Strategic Intelligence, p. 436.
36. TNA HW 14/5; the last sentence of the original for 28 June reads ‘Vous pouvez compter sur moi pour securite votre travail’.
37. Batkin, The False Baron.
38. Paillole NE, p. 212.
8. Into Three Parts
1. TNA HW 14/5.
2. Brian Oakley, ed, The Bletchley Park War Diaries, Wynne Press (2006).
3. Bertrand Dossier 278 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/5).
4. JPI Kol 709/133/8.
5. Tomes, p. 40.
6. JPI Kol 709/133/1.
7. Wspomnienia, p. 117.
8. Zygalski.
9. Rivet, 17 August 1940.
10. NARA RG 242 microfilm T-501 Roll 122.
11. Rivet, 23 September 1940.
12. Énigme, p. 108, Tomes, p. 44.
13. Langer 1946M, p. 8.
14. JPI Kol 709/133/1.
15. Énigme, p. 120; Tomes, p. 45. Énigme has 7 French ‘service’ personnel, but presumably this figure excludes other residents such as David, Maurice and their families.
16. JPI Kol 709/133/3; 709/133/7.
17. PISM Kol 242/63.
18. JPI Kol 709/133/1.
19. PISM Kol 79/50, copy of declaration by Gustave Bertrand.
20. Langer 1946M, p. 26.
21. Rivet 9, 11 October 1940.
22. JPI Kol 709/133/8.
23. TNA HW 14/8.
24. TNA HW 14/12; Tomes, pp. 110–111.
25. TNA HW 14/9, Tomes, p. 40.
26. TNA HW 14/12.
27. JPI Kol 709/133/3.
28. Słowikowski, In the Secret Service, pp. 60–61.
29. Smith, The Secrets, p. 149.
30. TNA HW 25/1.
31. Wspomnienia, p. 118f.
32. Wspomnienia, p. 73f.
33. JPI Kol 709/133/3, telegrams 591f; Tomes, p. 49 (Lange
r’s contemporary statistics preferred where there is a discrepancy).
34. Zygalski, Anna Zygalska-Cannon photographic archive.
35. Kozaczuk Wicher, Anhang D p 322.
36. PISM Kol 79/50, telegram of 19 January 1942; Tomes, p. 49.
37. Énigme, pp. 111–112.
38. Paillole NE, pp. 39, 277.
39. HBI vol 2, p. 18.
40. APHC vol 2, pp. 78, 299.
41. TNA HW 14/15.
42. TNA HW 14/16.
43. SHD GR 14 YD 755, Dossier d’archives.
44. Nigel West & Oleg Tsarev, The Crown Jewels, HarperCollins (1998), p. 307.
9. A Mystery Inside an Enigma
1. TNA HW 47/1; WO 208/5097; HW 14/7; HW 14/8.
2. TNA HW 14/15.
3. APHC vol 2, p. 387.
4. HBI vol 1, p. 452.
5. Colville, The Fringes of Power, 21 June 1941.
6. HBI vol 1, p. 199.
7. PISM Kol 242/55.
8. TNA HW 65/7 [sic].
9. Michałowski Report, PISM Kol 242/69.
10. PISM Kol 79/50 telegram 599.
11. TNA HW 65/7; SHD GR 7 NN 2502.
12. Bertrand Dossier 180 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/3).
13. Tomes, p. 95, Bertrand Dossier 179 (SHD DE 2016 ZB 25/3).
14. Langer 1945T, p. 28.
15. Langer 1946M, p. 22.
16. Winston S. Churchill, The Second World War, Cassell & Co (1950), 3.537.
17. JPI Kol 709/133/3 telegrams 373, 606.
18. Langer 1945T, p. 28.
19. Michałowski Report, PISM Kol 242/69.
20. www.wrecksite.eu, accessed 20 April 2018.
21. PISM Kol 79/50, statement of ‘Materon’.
22. Słowikowski, In the Secret Service, pp. 109, 140.
23. Zygalski; PISM Kol 79/50; APHC vol 2, p. 267.
24. Kozaczuk Enigma, p. 127.
25. JPI Kol 709/134/1 reverse side of Safe-conduct.
26. TNA HW 65/7; JPI Kol 709/100/2, item 18.
27. TNA HW 14/24; HW 65/7; TNA HW 25/27.
28. TNA HW 65/7; Rivet, 22 July 1942; Kozaczuk Wicher Anhang D, p. 322.
29. Énigme, p. 123; In the Shadow of the Pont du Gard, EB7, p. 48.
30. Langer 1945T, p. 28.
31. Tomes p 49, p. 207.
32. Michałowski Report, PISM Kol 242/69.
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