Hidden Mechanisms of Victory – Cipher Machines of the Great Patriotic War
ШCipher machines used by the Soviet Union
Red Cipher (Krasnaya Scryptovka)
The Red Cipher, or «Red Cipher», was a manual encryption system used by the Soviet military and intelligence agencies. It was based on a simple substitution cipher, but its strength lay in the huge number of ciphers and keys that were changed frequently. This ensured that intercepted messages remained difficult for the enemy to decipher.
M-125 «Fialka»
The M-125 «Fialka» was a cipher machine used by the Soviet military to encrypt messages. It was an electromechanical device similar in functionality to the Enigma machine, but had a more sophisticated design. The «Fialka» was widely used by the Soviet military and provided a reliable means of secure communications during the war.
Codebreaking Efforts During World War II
British and Polish Contributions to Enigma Breaking The Enigma codebreaking effort was a multinational one, with British and Polish cryptanalysts playing significant roles. Alan Turing, a brilliant British mathematician, led the team at Bletchley Park that eventually broke the Enigma code. The Polish Cipher Bureau also made a significant contribution, providing early insight into the workings of the Enigma machine that helped Turing and his team in their work.
Tunny Decipherment and the Colossus Computer
British cryptanalysts led by Tommy Flowers and Max Newman turned their attention to the more complex Lorenz cipher. They developed Colossus, the world’s first electronic digital computer, to decipher messages encrypted by Lorenz. Colossus was a revolutionary invention that marked the beginning of the computer era and greatly aided the Allies in gathering intelligence.
