The Fascinating Story of Enigma Code Breaking

🔍The British code breakers were in a state of ignorance about the enigma machine until six weeks before the outbreak of World War II.

💰Hans Tilo Schmidt, a German ex-serviceman, sold enigma machine documents to the French, providing valuable information for code breaking.

🌍Collaboration between the British, French, and Polish code breakers was crucial in the successful breaking of the enigma cipher.

🔐The French intelligence services had a process for dealing with spies selling code books, and they vetted individuals like Schmidt.

📚The enigma machine documents acquired by the French were user manuals, but they lacked detailed engineering drawings of the machine's internals.

What was the role of Hans Tilo Schmidt in the enigma code breaking?

—Hans Tilo Schmidt, a German ex-serviceman, sold enigma machine documents to the French, providing valuable information for code breaking.

How did the British code breakers acquire knowledge about the enigma machine?

—The British code breakers were initially ignorant about the enigma machine until documents acquired from the French provided insights. Later, collaboration between the British, French, and Polish code breakers led to successful code breaking.

What kind of documents did the French acquire from the enigma machine?

—The French acquired user manuals of the enigma machine, which provided information on how to operate the machine but lacked detailed engineering drawings of its internals.

What was the role of the Polish code breakers in the enigma code breaking?

—The Polish code breakers collaborated with the British and French in the successful breaking of the enigma cipher. They played a crucial role in developing the bomba machine, which helped find the settings on enigma machines.

What led to the successful breaking of the enigma cipher?

—The successful breaking of the enigma cipher was the result of collaboration between the British, French, and Polish code breakers. Acquiring enigma machine documents, developing specialized machines, and sharing knowledge were key factors.

02:02In 1938, the British code breakers were still trying to understand the German army version of the enigma machine.

03:42Hans Tilo Schmidt, a German ex-serviceman, sold enigma machine documents to the French, providing valuable information for code breaking.

05:30Collaboration between the British, French, and Polish code breakers was crucial in the successful breaking of the enigma cipher.

07:01The enigma machine documents acquired by the French were user manuals, but they lacked detailed engineering drawings of the machine's internals.