The Secret in Building 26

by Jim DeBrosse

  After a misguided start NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 183, 5750/441, “Bombe Correspondence Reel 141394, Correspondence on IC Machines,” memorandum to John H. Howard by Robert B. Ely, April 25, 1942, ‘Future IC machine and planned U.S. Bombe’; NSA FOIA, RAM File, Ralph Meader, Report to J. N. Wenger, Part 2, “Resume of the Dayton, Ohio, Activity During World War II.”

  The obvious choice Burke, Information and Secrecy, esp. chap. 2.

  Although the official NARA RG 457, Box 43, SRH 142, Commander Jerry C. Russell, USN, “Ultra and the Campaign Against the U-boats in World War II.” The estimates of the role of decryptions are compiled from: NARA RG 38 (Crane-Orange Intercepts), Translations of Intercepted Enemy Radio Traffic and Misc. World War II Documents, 1940–1946. Lists of U-boats sunk came from Roskill, The War at Sea, 1939–1945; NARA RG 457, Box 43, SRH 142, Commander Jerry C. Russell, USN, “Ultra and the Campaign Against the U-boats in World War II”; and Bray, Ultra in the Atlantic, vols. 1 and 2.

  The eight hundred U.S. Navy Peg Fiehtner interview.

  1. Building the Perfect Machine

  “No more excuses! Jack Kern interview; Carl Rench interview, September 1995; Debbie Desch Anderson interviews, January 2000.

  What Desch couldn’t tell NSA FOIA, RAM File, Ralph Meader, Report to J. N. Wenger, Part 2, “Resume of the Dayton, Ohio, Activity During World War II.” On the promised delivery date: NSA FOIA and NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 183, 5750/441, OP20G, “Cryptanalysis of the German Cipher Machine,” September 3, 1942; NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 11, 3200/54, October 23, 1942, ‘Desch to Meader: Maintenance Crew for Bombes.’

  Behind the building Jack Kern interview.

  As late as August NARA RG 38, RIP, Box 171, RIP 607, A. Clifford, “The American Hot Point Method.”

  A big part of NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 183, 5750/441, Joseph Desch, “Memo of Present Plan for an Electromechanical Analytical Machine, September 14, 1942”; NSA FOIA, RAM File, July 7, 1942, ‘For Travis from OP-20-G, re Ely and Eachus visit,’ and July 11, 1942, from GCCS, ‘Ely and Eachus have arrived’; NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 183, 5750/441, Bombe Correspondence, ‘From London, July 27, 1942,’ CXG 550, Following from TRAVIS, ‘Drawings on way’ and ‘Travis from Tiltman,’ etc.; NSA FOIA, RAM File, Ralph Meader, “Report to J. N. Wenger,” Part 2, “Resume of the Dayton, Ohio, Activity During World War II.”

  Though not gravely injured Debbie Desch Anderson interviews, November 2001.

  He could be brash Debbie Desch Anderson interviews, January 2001.

  “a damned, dirty Debbie Desch Anderson interviews, June 2002.

  “He loved taking Ibid.

  The deciding factor Mike Moran interview.

  “was desperately eager Bernstein, Grand Eccentrics, p. 3.

  But Desch lost Desch résumé provided by Debbie Desch Anderson; Debbie Desch Anderson interviews, November 2001.

  “It can now Letter from Bush to Desch, November 26, 1942, provided by Debbie Desch Anderson.

  In the late 1930s Debbie Desch Anderson interviews, January 2002.

  “He and I Jack Kern interview, September 14, 1998.

  2. Guesswork, Moxie, and Just Plain Luck

  In fact, when the Americans NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 183, 5750/441, Bombe Correspondence, ‘From London, July 27, 1942,’ CXG 550, Following from TRAVIS, ‘Drawings on way’ and ‘Travis from Tiltman,’ etc.

  The first Cobra Whitehead, “Cobra and Other Bombes,” pp. 289ff.; PRO HW 3/164 7989, “Squadron Leader Jones’ Section”; Budiansky, Battle of Wits, p. 235; NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 183, 5750/441, Bombe Correspondence, August 6, September 18, and October 29, 1942, ‘GCCS and Eachus report problems with British High Speed Bombe.’

  These contained a kind of Erskine, “Kriegsmarine Short Signal Systems,” pp. 65ff.; NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 183, 5750/441, Bombe Correspondence, June 3, 1943, ‘GCCS informs OP20G of critical need for four wheel Bombes due short signal problem.’

  OP20G’s request for Kruh, “Why Was Safford Pessimistic About Breaking the German ENIGMA Cipher Machine?” pp. 253ff.; Burke and Erskine, letters to the editor, pp. 154ff.; NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 183, 5750/441, OP20G, “Cryptanalysis of the German Cipher Machine,” September 3, 1942; NARA RG 457, HCC, Box 159, RIP 403, ‘Travis to Tiltman, April 21, 1942’; NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 110, RI Operations 5750/155, L. F. Safford, for OP-20, “Security of Information Obtained from Enemy Communications,” March 18, 1942.

  The Allies got Ratcliff, “Searching for Security,” pp. 146ff.; NSA FOIA, as supplied by Ralph Erskine, “Report of Interrogation of Lt. Frowein of OKM/4 SKL III, on His Work on the Security of German Naval Four Wheel Enigma,” June 21, 1945.

  Before the war, codebreakers Deavours, “The Black Chamber,” pp. 263ff.; Sale, “Enigma and the Bombe”; NARA RG 457, HCC, Box 1009, NR3175 ACC11289 CBNM78, “Cryptanalysis of the Yellow Machine.”

  The breakthrough PRO HW 25/1, Hugh Alexander, “Cryptographic History of Work on the German Naval Enigma”; Sale, “Bigrams, Trigrams and Naval Enigma.”

  One of his methods Kahn, Codebreakers, p. 384.

  As soon as they had PRO HW 25/1, Hugh Alexander, “Cryptographic History of Work on the German Naval Enigma”; NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 66, 5750/772, “German Cipher Problem: II Attempted Solution by Analytical Mathematical Methods”; Bauer, Decrypted Secrets, p. 319.

  Turing had predicted Davies, “ ‘The Bombe,’ ” pp. 108ff.; Sebag-Montefiore, Enigma, appendix 2.

  Keen, BTMC’s Burke, Information and Secrecy, p. 266; PRO HW 3/164 7989, “Squadron Leader Jones’ Section”; PRO HW 3/93, “History of the Bombe as Taken from Mr. Fletcher’s Files.”

  The Keen Bombe Davies, “ ‘The Bombe,’ ” pp. 108ff.

  Those stubborn relays PRO HW 3/93, “Bombe Story”; PRO HW 3/93, December 1941, ‘Re Wynne [sic] Williams.’

  If the Bombe operator NARA RG 38, RIP, Box 171, RIP 607, Clifford, “The American Hot Point Method”; NARA RG 38, RIP, Box 171, RIPs 605–8.

  Keen thus increased Bauer, Decrypted Secrets, section 19.

  For that, Keen needed Davies, “Effectiveness of the Diagonal Board,” pp. 229ff.; NARA RG 457, HCC, Box 705, 35701 CBLH17, Bombe History Folder, ‘OP20G Communications re Bombe,’ and March 24, 1944, ‘Bombes—History of.’

  In early 1942 Hodges, Alan Turing, p. 252.

  Even at that NARA RG 457, SRMN 037; Kahn, Seizing the Enigma, p. 225.

  In light of NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 183, 5750/441, Bombe Correspondence, ‘From London, July 27, 1942,’ CXG 550, Following from TRAVIS, ‘Drawings on way’ and ‘Travis from Tiltman’; NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 113, 5750/177, “Cold Spot Method, Short Row Test, New Bombe”; NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 117, 5720/205, “Easy Research to Date,” July 24, 1942.

  Desch had much NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 183, 5750/441, Joseph Desch, “Memo of Present Plan for an Electromechanical Analytical Machine,” September 14, 1942.

  3. Miss Aggie’s Big Blunder

  From the moment PRO 14/45, August 18, 1941, Denniston, “Interrupted Conference with Commander Safford,” and ‘List of Driscoll questions to GCCS re E and its solution.’

  After months of Budiansky, “Difficult Beginnings of U.S.-British Codebreaking Cooperation,” pp. 49ff.; Gladwin, “Cautious Collaborators,” pp. 119ff.

  As a result, the leg George M. Robb and John R. Hamilton interviews.

  Despite their differences Hanyok, “Still Desperately Seeking ‘Miss Agnes’ ”; Lujan, “Agnes Meyer Driscoll”; Kahn, Seizing the Enigma, pp. 188ff.; Dr. Diana M. Henderson, University of Edinburgh, e-mail correspondence with author, and “Scots and the British Secret Service,” www-saw.arts.ed.ac.uk/secret/secretservice.html.

  Both he and Driscoll Burke, Information and Secrecy, chap. 3.

  She was born Lujan, “Agnes Meyer Driscoll”; Hanyok, “Still Desperately Seeking ‘Miss Agnes’”; Jo
hn R. Hamilton interview.

  Even the Navy Lujan, “Agnes Meyer Driscoll,” pp. 48ff.

  But given her skills Kahn, Codebreakers, p. 370.

  Meyer so impressed Fabyan Hanyok, “Still Desperately Seeking ‘Miss Agnes.’ ”

  Driscoll began her NARA RG 457, Box 108/9, SRH 355, “Naval Security Group History to World War II,” p. 82 and passim. Also in U.S. Naval Historical Center Operational Archives.

  A good example Budiansky, Battle of Wits, pp. 5, 77.

  The results shocked Lujan, “Agnes Meyer Driscoll,” p. 52.

  “Miss Aggie,” as she NARA RG 457, Box 108/9, SRH 355, “Naval Security Group History to World War II,” part 1, p. 79; Burke, Information and Secrecy, chap. 3.

  “paid for our peacetime Layton, And I Was There, p. 58.

  In the mid-1930s NARA RG 457, Box 108/9, SRH 355, “Naval Security Group History to World War II,” part 1, p. 161.

  “was sensitive to Layton, And I Was There, p. 58.

  Driscoll may have been Lujan, “Agnes Meyer Driscoll,” pp. 56ff.

  When she finally returned NARA RG 457, Box 108/9, SRH 355, “Naval Security Group History to World War II,” part 1, p. 160; Pioneers in U.S. Cryptology, Part II, “The NSA Family 35 Year Celebration.”

  As the team labored Budiansky, Battle of Wits, p. 8.

  OP20G had begun intercepting Bray, Ultra in the Atlantic, vol. 4, p. 62.

  Driscoll decided to attack NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 66, 5750/772, “German Cipher Problem: Attempted Solution by Analytical Mathematical Methods.”

  Safford, who may have Tucker, “Rhapsody in Purple,” pp. 221ff.; NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 110, 5750/147, “April 15, 1947, Administrative History of World War II: Cryptolographic Research Section.”

  Certainly, as bombs rained PRO HW 14/8, ‘letter to England November 4, 1940’; HW 14/45, memorandum of November 22, 1940; NARA RG 457, HCC, NR2738, Box 940, “Chronology of Correspondence Between SSA and the London Office of GCCS”; NARA RG 457, HCC, NR4565, Box 1413, “Sinkov Papers”; NARA RG 457, HCC, Box 1127, Robert L. Benson, “The Origins of U.S.-British Communications Intelligence Cooperation.”

  Roosevelt and his advisers NSA FOIA, George Howe, U.S. Cryptologic History: American Signals Intelligence in Northwest Africa and Western Europe, Ft. Meade, NSA, n.d.; Bradley Smith, The Ultra-Magic Deals: And the Most Secret Special Relationship, 1940–1946, Novato, Calif. Presidio Press, 1995, pp. 50–51; Stephen Budiansky, “The Difficult Beginnings of U.S.-British Codebreaking Cooperation,” Intelligence and National Security 14 (summer 2000), pp. 49ff.

  “Sometimes I think Budiansky, Battle of Wits, p. 296.

  “Don’t you Yanks Joseph Eachus interview, August 2002.

  Friedman’s Army group NARA RG 457, HCC, NR2738, Box 940, “Chronology of Correspondence”; PRO HW 14/8, “To Hopkinson,” November 4, 1940.

  “We are entitled PRO HW 14/8, November 15, 1940, ‘The Director (Personal)’; Yardley, American Black Chamber.

  Thus, the British PRO HW 14/45, November 22, 1940, ‘from Major-General F. G. Beaumont-Nesbit.’

  “steps will be taken” Ibid.

  By mid-December Currier, “My ‘Purple’ Trip to England in 1941,” pp. 193ff.; U.S. Navy Historical Center Operational Archives, “Naval Security Group History to World War II,” part 1; PRO HW 14/9, December 20 and 22, 1940, ‘F.O.C. 3 B.’

  Lieutenant Weeks, from NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 66, 5750/772, “German Cipher Problem: II Attempted Solution by Analytical Mathematical Methods.”

  Originally, Robert B. Ely Currier, “My ‘Purple’ Trip to England in 1941,” pp. 193ff.

  Likewise, William Friedman PRO HW 14/45, January 1, 1941, ‘to Denniston’; Kahn, Codebreakers, p. 23.

  “So at twelve o’clock Smith, Station X, p. 165.

  Two large cars PRO HW 14/49, ‘Arrangements were made for you to be billeted’; Currier, “My ‘Purple’ Trip to England in 1941,” pp. 193ff.

  Their working quarters Enever, Britain’s Best Kept Secret, p. 60.

  The four American codebreakers PRO HW 1/2, ‘To Director’; NARA RG 457, HCC, NR2738, Box 940, “Chronology”; NARA RG 457, HCC, Box 1127, Robert L. Benson, “The Origins of U.S.-British Cooperation”; NARA RG 457, HCC, NR3813, Box 1296, ‘Sinkov Report.’

  The double copies were Irwin G. Newman, “Did the British Renege?” U.S. Naval Cryptological Veterans Association official history, Turner Publishing Company, Paducah, Ky., p. 35.

  Permission to show PRO HW 14/9, February 24, 1941; PRO HW 14/12, February 24, 1941; PRO HW 3/93, February 26–27, 1941, ‘ “C” to Churchill and return’; PRO HW 14/45, March 3, 1941, ‘Weeks to Commander Denniston.’

  Although critics later complained Ralph Erskine; PRO HW 14/45, March 19, 1941, ‘Partial list of items given to Weeks by GCCS, including items from Turing.’

  The first electromechanical Bombe PRO HW 3/164 7989, “Squadron Leader Jones’ Section”; NARA RG 457, HCC, NR 3175, Box 1009, “Cryptanalysis of the Yellow Machine.”

  But such captures Kahn, Seizing the Enigma, p. 137; NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 117, 5750/205, “American Cryptanalysis of the German Naval Enigma,” July 7, 1944.

  The Navy’s team did not PRO HW 14/45 March 19, 1941, ‘Partial list of items given to Weeks by GCCS, including items from Turing’; PRO HW 14/45 69629, December 18, 1940, ‘For Mr Hopkinson, arrange Friedman Rosen visit to England,’ and March 3, 1941, ‘our American colleagues informed of “E,” and other related memos.’

  Soon after, the British Davies, “Effectiveness of the Diagonal Board,” pp. 229ff.

  The new Standard Bombe PRO HW 3/164, ‘BP Bombes.’

  they had learned of Britain’s NARA RG 457, HCC Box 1413, ‘General Marshall’s Letter to Field Marshal of 23/12/42.’

  Currier concluded Currier, “My ‘Purple’ Trip to England in 1941,” 193ff; NARA RG 38, ‘Wenger Memorandum for OP20G,’ May 13, 1944, as supplied by Erskine; PRO HW 14/45 (69629) March 3, 1941, ‘our American colleagues informed of E.’

  The knowledge was never PRO HW 14/45, March 3, 1941, ‘Weeks to Commander Denniston.’

  Rosen, the technological PRO HW 14/46, Denniston Memorandum, ‘U.S. Agencies, 1942.’

  “complete cooperation” PRO HW 1/2, March 3, 1941, ‘To Director.’

  But trouble came PRO 14/13, March 10, 1941, ‘The officer who talked.’

  GCCS received a letter PRO 14/45, August 5, 1941, ‘re British-U.S. cryptologic relations.’

  It sent a list NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 183, 5750/441, Bombe Correspondence, “Washington and E Traffic”; PRO HW 14/45, ‘list of items requested.’

  The American visitors PRO HW 14/45, May 9, 1941, ‘Denniston Report’; PRO HW 3/93, November 30, 1941, ‘Memorandum on U.S.’

  “stopped by a roadblock Smith, Station X, p. 166.

  “C” wrote to Churchill PRO HW 1/6, June 24, 1941, ‘ “C” to Churchill.’

  In mid-1941, Agnes Driscoll PRO 14/45, August 18, 1941, ‘List of Driscoll questions to GCCS re E and its solution’; PRO 14/45, Denniston, “Interrupted Conference with Commander Safford,” August 18, 1941.

  Catalog attacks were PRO HW 25/3, ‘Turing History of the Attack on Enigma.’

  Driscoll’s anti-Enigma PRO HW 14/129, ‘Catalog Room,’ June 2, 1945; NSA FOIA, RIP 425, OP-20-G, “American Attack on German Naval Ciphers”; Sale, “Enigma and the Bombe”; NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 104, ca. October 1941, ‘Turing Critique of Driscoll Methods’; NARA RG 38, RIP, Box 170, RIP 603, “Recovery of the Grundstellen.”

  Driscoll launched NARA RG 457, HCC, NR 1737, Box 705, ‘Enigma Conferences—Swiss Enigma.’

  And there are few NARA RG 38, Crane, RIP, Box 168, RIP 401, “The Catalog and Its Uses.”

  In a last-gasp tactic PRO HW 14/45, August 5, 1941, ‘Denniston re future American visit.’

  But he was surprised PRO HW 14/45, September 5, 1941, ‘Denniston Report.’

  Denniston concluded PRO HW 14/45, memor
andum of August 5, 1941; HW 14/45, October 9, 1941, ‘Dear Eddie.’

  “Believe me, no one loses Parrish, Ultra Americans, p. 95.

  Denniston agreed PRO HW 14/45, ‘Notes on Conference Held August 14/15, 1941.’

  But a few days later PRO HW 14/15, “Interrupted Conference with Commander Safford,” August 18, 1941.

  Driscoll declared Ibid.

  She believed that PRO HW 14/45, December 12, 1941, ‘Hastings / Denniston.’

  But when he invited PRO HW 14/45–46, August 18, 1941, ‘Denniston Report.’

  At the very least PRO HW 25/3, ‘Turing History of the Attack on Enigma’; NARA RG 457, HCC, Box 705, NR173, ‘Bombe History’ folder.

  Yet she did not suggest Ibid.

  The list was very specific PRO HW 14/45, ‘List of Questions’ following ‘Denniston Report of August 18, 1941’ meeting.

  In late 1941, he approved NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 2, “List of Personnel Assignments, OP20GY, 1941.”

  In mid-December 1941, Driscoll PRO HW 14/45, “CXG 129,” December 13, 1941.

  And as Turing pointed out NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 104, ‘Turing Critique of Driscoll Methods.’

  Given Driscoll’s obstinacy NARA RG 38, “Washington and ‘E’ Traffic,” supplied by Stephen Budiansky; PRO HW 14/45, “CXG 130, Copy to Commander Denniston,” December 12, 1941.

  Denniston’s early October PRO HW 14/45, October 9, 1941, ‘Dear Eddie.’

  Noyes didn’t mince PRO HW 14/45, Hastings to GCCS, December 2, 1941; HW 14/45, “CXG 115-117,” December 2, 1941.

  “I still cannot understand PRO 14/45, ‘From Denniston,’ December 5, 1941.

  Denniston and his colleagues PRO HW 14/45, November 27, 1941, ‘Washington to GCCS.’

  Then, belying later NARA RG 38, Crane, CNSG Library, Box 183, 5750/441, Bombe Correspondence, “Washington and E Traffic.”

  “Luke Chapter 15, v 9” PRO HW 14/45, December 13, 1941, ‘Navy Department to unknown.’

  Denniston left Washington PRO HW 14/45, September 4, 1941, ‘Denniston Report.’

  4. Toward an American Bletchley Park