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Please Note: This Timetable is UNDER CONSTRUCTION!
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ENIGMA
TIMETABLE |
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Date
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ENIGMA |
Poland |
World |
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About December 1917
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Dutchman Hugo Alexander
Koch patented a machine: "that steel wires on pulleys, levers, rays of
light, or air, water, or oil flowing through tubes could transmit the
enciphering impulse as well as electricity did". (6) |
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February 18, 1918 |
Arthur Scherbius files for
a patent for Enigma Cipher Machine (Patentschrift Nr. 416291). Before Scherbius
had bought the rights to the Koch's Patent, he was working on his
own version of the cipher machines. After that he incorporated the new
findings from the Koch's Patent into his own machine.
11/01/2001 |
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April 18, 1918
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Arthur Scherbius offers
Enigma Machine to the German Navy. |
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November 11, 1918 |
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Poland was declared an independent republic. |
World War I ends.
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1918 |
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Polish Army had decided to form a section responsible for the intelligence, inteception, and cryptology.
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1918
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27-year old engineer and polyglot pulkownik (7) Jan Kowalewski had became a head of this section.
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1920 |
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In the early twenties, in the cryptology section in the Polish Army... |
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March, 1920
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Pulkownik Jan Kowalewski issued a letter stating that Professor Waclaw Sierpinski is being employed by the Second Department of the General Staff of the Polish Army at Warsaw.
(The letter is in a collection of the Sierpinski's Family.)
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1920 |
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At the same time, Stefan Mazurkiewicz, another Polish Mathematician was working for the Second Department of the General Staff of the Polish Army at Warsaw.
(Professor Sierpinski and Professor Mazurkiewicz are listed among the greatest mathematicians. See for example: http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/history/Mathematicians/Sierpinski.html
And
http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/history/Mathematicians/Mazurkiewicz.html
See also: Mathematicians born in Poland
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February 19, 1921
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France and Poland signed accord for "concerted measures for the defense of their territory".
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February 1926 |
German navy begins using Enigma Machine, lightly modified of the commercial version of Enigma, available on the market.
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Decryption of the radio messages of the Kriegsmarine by the Polish Cipher Bureau stopped, due to the introduction of the Enigma Machine.
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July 15, 1928
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German army begins using Enigma machine, lightly modified of the commercial version of Enigma, still available on the market.
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Decryption of the radio messages of the Reichswehr by the Polish cipher bureau stopped, due to the introduction of the Enigma Machine.
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1927 (?) or 1928 (?)
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The Polish customs officials had intercepted at the railroad station in Warsaw a German diplomatic package containing a commercial version of Enigma machine. This had taken place during a weekend, when Polish customs had time to photograph the machine. There are conflicting dates given by the researchers, but at that time it could be only a commercial version of Enigma. (3)
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xxx |
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After an interception, Polish Cipher Bureau had decided to buy legally (under a cover name and address) commercial version of Enigma Machine, available on the market in Germany. It was a logical to connect the commercial intercepted Enigma with the machine used by the German Army.
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? 1928 |
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The team for the research and work on the decryption of the machine ciphers was formed, consisting of three officers: Captain (later Major) Maksymilian Ciezki, Michalowski, and Czajsner.
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January 1929 |
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Director of the Institute of Mathematics at the University of Poznan, professor Zdzislaw Krygowski, compiled a list of oustanding students of the 3rd and 4th year of Mathematics, from which 20 chosen students started attending a Cryptology Course.
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1929 |
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About 20 students started attending the Cryptology Course, given by the officers in civil guise: Major Franciszek Pokorny, Captain Maksymilian Ciezki, and radio engineer Antoni Palluth.
Among the students, three were the most advanced: Marian Rejewski, Henryk Zygalski, and Jerzy Rązycki.
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1929 |
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At the same time, at the University of Warsaw, the Cryptology Course started with an objective to teach students in cracking the Soviet Code. (7)
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xxx |
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The Polish intelligence service had identified but not precisely described the early version of the Steckers: the Stpstellstelling.
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January 15, 1930 |
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Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Gwido Langer replaced Major Franciszek Pokorny as a head of Second Department of the General Staff of the Army at Warsaw.
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June 1, 1930 |
German armed forces introduced a significantly modified version of the commercial Enigma, Type I model.
See the difference between the Commercial Enigma and Military Model.
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In the middle of 1931 |
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Second Department of the General Staff of the Army at Warsaw had undergone changes: Division charged with interception, radio intelligence, and cryptology became Biuro Szyfrąw (Cipher Bureau). This Biuro Szyfrąw was divided into geographic zones, with the BS4 responsible for Germany, and BS3 working on the Soviet Codes. The head of BS4 was Captain (later Major) Maksymilian Ciezki.
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October 1931 |
Hans-Thilo Schmidt (his pseudonyms: Asche or H.E.), an employee of the Chiffrierstelle of the Reichswehrministerium (Cipher Bureau of the German Ministry of Defense) approached the agents of the French Intelligence service (Servic de Renseignement - S.R.F) and proposed to deliver the classified documents.
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November 8, 1931 |
Capitain Bertrand, head of the crypto service of the S.R.F received the first set of the documents from Asche, which included:
1. Instructions for using the Enigma Cryptograph - Gebrauchsanleitung fr die Chiffriermaschine Enigma. Document Dv. g 13 of the Army (later named H. Dv.) and Document Dv g 13 of the Luftwaffe (later named L. Dv.)
2. Instructions for Ciphering on the Enigma Cryptograph - Schlsselanleitung zur Chiffriermachine Engima. Document Dv g 14 of the Army (later named H. Dv.), and Document L.Dv g 14 of the Luftwaffe (later named L.Dv.).
3. Detailed description of the first version of the Enigma Machine (Enigma I - Eins), with photographs. (There were no mention about the internal wirings of the Machine, though.)
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November 7-8, 1931 |
The first meeting with Asche took place in Verviers.
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xxx 1931 |
Bertrand furnished the documents received from Asche to the S.R.F., which "declared that the Enigma was impossible to solve, the documents useless, and removed itself from further discussion of the question." (4)
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xxx 1931 |
The British "received the documents, carefully filed them, and gave no follow up offer of cooperation."(5)
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End of year 1931 |
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Despite having at least one copy of the commercial Enigma Machine at their disposal, and having some information about the military version of Enigma Machine (the Stpstellstellung, the early version of the Steckers was identified), the Biuro Szyfrow had abandon the project to further research the Enigma Machine.
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December 7-11, 1931 |
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Captain Bertrand visited Warsaw, and recontacted Major Gwido Langer. He supplied the documents obtained from Asche. The two sides agreed to share all information. Captain Bertrand was provided with a codename BOLEK, and Major Langer LUC.
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December 19-20 1931 |
For the second time, Bertrand met with Asche at Verviers
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May 7-8, 1932 |
The third meeting between Bertrand and Asche in Verviers
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May 9-11, 1932 |
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Bertrand visits Warsaw
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August 1-2, 1932 |
REX (also known as Lemoine), the intermediary of the S.R.F. met Asche in Berlin.
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August 10, 1932 |
The documents received from Asche in Berlin arrived in Paris in a diplomatic pouch.
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September 17-21, 1932 |
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Bertrand visits Warsaw
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October 29-30, 1932 |
For the forth and last time, Bertrand met Asche in Lige
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December 1932 |
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With the help of the keys betrayed by Asche and given by the French to the Poles, cryptoanalyst Marian Rejewski reconstructs the wiring of the three Enigma rotors, enabling the Poles to begin solving German army Enigma messages
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January 30, 1933 |
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Fuhrer of the Nazi party, Adolf Hitler, named chancellor of Germany
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1934 |
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The first replica of the Enigma Machine was built by the AVA Radio Workshops, a Polish company in Warsaw, headed by an Engineer Antoni Palluth. There were total of 15 Replicas built by mid-1934, and about 70 until the mid August 1939.
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August 1939 |
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Two of the Replicas were given to the French and British Authorities
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September 17-21, 1932 |
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Bertrand visits Warsaw
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October 29-30, 1932 |
For the forth and last time, Bertrand met Asche in Lige
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December 1932 |
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With the help of the keys betrayed by Asche and given by the French to the Poles, cryptoanalyst Marian Rejewski reconstructs the wiring of the three Enigma rotors, enabling the Poles to begin solving German army Enigma messages
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January 30, 1933 |
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Fuhrer of the Nazi party, Adolf Hitler, named chancellor of Germany
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1934 |
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The first replica of the Enigma Machine was built by the AVA Radio Workshops, a Polish company in Warsaw, headed by an Engineer Antoni Palluth. There were total of 15 Replicas built by mid-1934, and about 70 until the mid August 1939.
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December 18, 1938
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Two new rotors (making a total of five) go into service on army Enigma; Rejewski recovers wiring, but tenfold increase in number of keys overwhelms Poles, requiring them to ask aid from their allies
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July 25, 1939 |
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A secret meeting took place in the Kabackie Woods (Lasy Kabackie) near the town of Pyry, (South of Warsaw), where the Poles handed over to the French and British representatives of the Intelligence Service, their complete solution to the German codes, along with two replicas of the Enigma Machine, built by the Warsaw company AVA. Both machines were taken by Gen. Bertrande to France in a diplomatic lagguage.
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March 30, 1939
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Britain and France guarantee to help Poland if she is invaded by Germany as Czechoslovakia was
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July 24, 1939 |
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Poles reveal success to British and French
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September 1, 1939
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Germany invades Poland
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September 3, 1939 |
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Britain and France declare war on Germany
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January 6, 1940
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British break into Luftwaffe Enigma using had methods
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February 12, 1940 |
British seize two of the three unknown rotors used in the naval Enigma from a crew member of the U-33 captured after the submarine was sunk by Minesweeper HMS Gleaner in Scotland's Firth of Clyde
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April 9, 1940
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Germany invades Denmark and Norway
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April 26, 1940 |
A British sailor saved a canvas bag thrown overboard of the German attack vessel disguised as the Dutch ship Polares, when approached by the British warships. The bad contained a cryptographic documents essential in solving German naval Enigma traffic
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May 1940
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First bombe installed at GC&CS
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May 1940 |
First break into naval Enigma, using documents salvaged 26 April from the trawler Polares
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May 1940
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GC&CS solves April messages
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May 10, 1940
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Germany opens massive offensive against France
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1940 |
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Winston Churchill. A long-time supporter of communications intelligence, named Prime Minister
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May 22, 1940 |
GC&CS begins solution of Luftwaffe general purpose key (RED) continuing virtually uninterupted to the end of the war
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June 10, 1940 |
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Last Norwegian troops surrender
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June 22, 1940 |
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France surrenders
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August 1940 |
The last unknown naval rotor obtained from a naval capture
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August 12, 1940 |
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Adlertag (Eagle Day): Germany attempts to win air superiority over England as invasion preparation
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September 15, 1940 |
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Battles of Britain D Day: it becomes clear that Germany's attempt has failed
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October 12, 1940 |
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Hitler postpones invasion of Britain until spring
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December 10, 1940 |
SS (Schutzstaffel) general-purpose key (ORANGE I) first broken by GC&CS
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January 28, 1941 |
Luftwaffe operational key for Africa first solved by GC&CS
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February-March, 1941 |
Two US Army and two US Navy cryptoanalysts visit GC&CS and learn Enigma cryptoanalysis
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February 15, 1941 |
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General Erwin Rommel named commander of German forces in North Africa
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March 12, 1941 |
Documents seized from patrol ship Krebs permit reading of some March and all April and May naval messages in the Home Waters key net, also used for U-boat messages
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June 1, 1941 |
GC&CS reads Home Waters (and U-boat) messages for a month with keys seized from weather ship Munchen and U-110
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xxx |
Lieutenant Fritz-Julius Lemp, a skipper of the U-110 was lost in the action of seizing and Enigma machine and keying documents. Submarine seized by the British was sunk.
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June 22, 1941 |
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Germany invades the Soviet Union
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June 27, 1941 |
GC&CS breaks German army Russian front key (VULTURE I); solution last until spring 1944
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July 2, 1941 |
GC&CS reads Home Waters (and U-boat) messages with keys seized from weather ship Lauenburg. A capture of the Lauenburg's skipper Hinrich Gewald led the British to the seizure of Enigma keying documents, and enabled to read U-boat messages for July 1941
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Mid August, 1941 |
Home Waters key (DOLPHIN), then also used by U-boats, begins to be solved daily in 36 hours without seized keys on bases of knowledge gained in two preceding months
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Mid August, 1941 |
Solution continue to May 7, 1945
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September 6, 1941 |
Churchill visits GC&CS at Bletchley Park
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October 5, 1941 |
TRITON key net for U-boats separates U-boat keys from Home Waters key
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1941 |
Solution continue on both nets in times ranging from 12 to 120 hours (in a month of January)
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December 1941 |
GC&CS first solves Enigma of the Abwehr, the armored forces espionage service; solutions, called ISK (from: Intelligence Service [Dillwyn] Knox), continue to the end of 1944
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December 12, 1941 |
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Germany declares war on the United States
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January 1, 1942 |
Keys for Luftwaffe's Fliegerkorps IX (WASP) and Fliegerkorps X (GADFLY) broken on day of first appearance and continuing to the end of the war.
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January 1942 |
Key for Fliegerkorps IV (HORNET) broken to December 1943
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January 1942 |
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Jerzy Rązycki and Capt. Gralinski and Piotr Smolenski (both from the Department BS3 working on the Soviet Codes) tragically died in a catastrophe of the French ship Lamonciere in the Mediterranean Sea. (7)
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Early 1942 |
New Short Weather Key goes into service, ending GC&CS's ability to use meteorological messages as cribs to read naval Enigma
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February 1, 1942 |
4-rotor Enigma goes into service on TRITON
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Beginning of 1942 |
U-boat solutions blackout begins
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April 3, 1942 |
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Rommel begins offensive against British...
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April 22, 1942 |
GC&CS breaks Luftwaffe key for ground-air cooperation in Afrika (Fliegerfuhrer Afrika or SCORPION). The solution ends in February 1943
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June 30, 1942 |
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Rommel halts offensive at El Alamein
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Fall 1942 |
US Navy liaison officer starts at GC&CS
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October 23, 1942 |
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British attack at El Alamein begins German rout
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October 30, 1942 |
New Short Weather Key captured from U-boat U-559
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November 8, 1942 |
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Americans and British invade North Africa
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December 13, 1942 |
GC&CS, using new Short Weather Key to get cribs, breaks 4-rotor Enigma keys (SHARK). First solutions were very slow (8-days delay) and irregular. By the end of December the solutions shortened to about 12 hours.
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December 31, 1942 |
Introduction of the separate Fliegerkorps keys in Luftwafe operation in Africa.
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Decmeber 31, 1942 |
GC&CS stopped reading traffic
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January and February 1943 |
SHARK solutions stutter, but when working some are fast enough to be operational value
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March 10-June 30, 1943 |
90 SHARK keys solved in 112 days
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March 14-March 20, 1943 |
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Greatest convoy battle of the war, in which 21 ships are sunk, leading Allies to fear that the Atlantic lifeline to Britain could be cut.
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Commander of U-boats Admiral Karl Dnitz withdraws his submarines from the North Atlantic. Signifying a major Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic
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August 1943 |
SHARK being read almost solid and fast
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June 6, 1944 |
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Allies invades Normandy
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November 1944 |
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Individual U-boat keys end SHARK solutions, but so great is Allies's strength in ships and air power that this no longer matters much
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May 8, 1945 |
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Germany surrenders
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1967 |
Colonel Wladyslaw Kozaczuk publishes in Warsaw his book Bitwa o tajemnice (Battle for Secret)
This book was the first one published after the war, telling about Enigma story. Unfortunately, the book went virtually unnoticed.
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1973 |
Plon Ed. in France publishes a book written by the General Gustave Bertrand Enigma, ou la plus grande nigme de la guerre 1939-45. This book started the unveiling process of the Enigma mystery.
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1974 |
Group Capitan F. W. Wintherbotham publishes in London a book The Ultra Secret.
This book introduced so many errors, especially in the second Chapter The Birth of Ultra, covering a period 1930-1939, that shouldn't be taken into consideration by anyone interested in the subject. Unfortunately, even today this book is being cited as a source of information.
"[What] Winterbotham [.] wrote in his second chapter [.] for the period 1930-39 was nonsensical."(1)
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xxx |
Gilbert Bloch publishes a book Enigma Avant Ultra (Enigma before Ultra), very precise and historically accurate book.
"[.] the most comprehensive documentation on the subject on Enigma which has yet to appear." (1)
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1980 |
English translation of Marian Rejewski's An Application of the Theory of Permutations in Breaking the Enigma Cipher appears in a Polish mathematical magazine Zastosowania Matematyki (Applications Mathematicae) - 16, Nr. 4, Warsaw.
The same translation is to be found in the appendix of the book
Enigma : How the German Cipher Was Broken, and How it Was Read by the Allies in WWII
by Wladyslaw Kozaczuk
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February 13, 1980 |
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Marian Rejewski dies in Warsaw
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July 1981 |
Annals of the History of Computing (Arlington, Vol. 3, No. 3) publishes Marian Rejewski's article How Polish Mathematicians Deciphered the Enigma.
This article was commented by Jack Good and C. Deavours
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