Cipher Tools and Machines
Dublin Core
Title
Cipher Tools and Machines
Subject
Cipher tools and machines
Description
Cipher Tools and Machines contains examples of cipher tools and machines seen through out history, particularly within the context of military history. From Ancient Greece to the Cold War, cryptology has played a significant part in the communication and intelligence efforts between opposing forces.
They, along with cryptanalysts, have even been credited with shortening the duration of wars. Without the British intelligence project ULTRA, WWII may have lasted for another two years. However, while many great cryptanalysts hail from Britain, the UK is not exclusive in their cryptographic abilities. The Enigma was invented in Germany, and its stronger rendition, Fialka- in Russia. In comparison to these cryptomachines, the US SIGABA remains unbroken. Those are only a few cipher machines flound in this collection.
They, along with cryptanalysts, have even been credited with shortening the duration of wars. Without the British intelligence project ULTRA, WWII may have lasted for another two years. However, while many great cryptanalysts hail from Britain, the UK is not exclusive in their cryptographic abilities. The Enigma was invented in Germany, and its stronger rendition, Fialka- in Russia. In comparison to these cryptomachines, the US SIGABA remains unbroken. Those are only a few cipher machines flound in this collection.
Collection Items
The Culper Code Book
The Culper Code Book was used during The American Revolutionary War in 1778 by George Washington's Culper Spy Ring. Developed by Ben Tallmadge, it consisted of 763 numerical codes to represent various words, names, and locations. This code book was…
Confederate Cipher Disk
The Confederate Cipher Disk was used in The American Civil War by the Confederate Army. Created by Francis LaBarre and based on the Vigenère Cipher, it consisted of two brass discs with the alphabet on each. As a mechanical cipher tool, it allowed…
Giddings Field Message Book
The Giddings Field Message Book was used in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. Designed by Major Howard A. Giddings of the Brigadier Signal Officer Office of the Connecticut National Guard, it composed of a pocket pad with a built in US Army…
Enigma
The Enigma was an electromechanical cipher machine used by Germany in WWII. It came in the form of a typewriter and was adopted by the German Army, Air Force, and Navy to secure communications.
In 1939, Alan Turing broke the cipher and developed…
In 1939, Alan Turing broke the cipher and developed…
PURPLE
PURPLE was a Japanese cipher machine used during WWII and based off the Enigma's rotor technology. While it was developed in 1937 with four rotors (compared to the Enigma's three), it was broken only a few years later in 1940 without being seen by…
Fialka
Fialka was known as a more complex version of the Enigma, created by Russian military for communicating within the Soviet Union and Warsaw pact in the 1960s- early 1970s. Compared to the Enigma's three rotors, Fialka had ten rotors- giving way to…
Lorenz "TUNNY"
![Lorenz "TUNNY"](https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/50341/archive/square_thumbnails/2d3a31de7181223e15e41b5f90982404.jpg?Expires=1715212800&Signature=ZCaZpmki0%7EypOmO0vnZQynhLG0vUaI2Zgh3vNNR9ie8yfOkUYeLAOXscHhOgNulMarIDJ0Pp9z19JO2UfgMek1z5cgjRlkumI458yj8pLqAn6nEWdWMujmVCLiWuj17cAAffbkkqeXjXxZjreb2OEOpzxOUT-x%7E5fX%7EfmshTzCe4Z%7E89KByTRN6tMxkiT1jWbQEa2MGAQGE-5y7LXXD%7EHCR07VyO6vZxi9TBJw97PaANM2C9MYGrB1g0f5e02glEqTxZonCo9Fxka7uGLILac-skQfVbkvjrsy4PQw2q6xwIePWe%7E%7Eta3yL5zKZTEyBAwFqWLy2eYdwMPMsZO%7ElK%7EA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM "Lorenz "TUNNY"")
The Lorenz cipher machine was developed by Lorenz and used in WWII by the German Army High Command. Hilter used it to communicate with his generals. This cipher machine was dubbed "TUNNY" by British codebreakers at Bletchly Park. In August 1941, Bill…
Scytale
The scytale is known as the first cryptographic device, used in 400 B.C. by the Spartans. It consisted of a baton and a papyrus strips with letters. These papyrus strips would only reveal the message sent between Spartan generals if the baton they…
TypeX
The TypeX was an electromechanical cipher machine used by the British during WWII. It was devloped by Wing Commander O.G.W. Lywood, with the first production batch delivered to the RAF in 1937. As a British variant of the Enigma, versions of it came…
G-Schreiber "STURGEON"
![G-Schreiber "STURGEON"](https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/50341/archive/square_thumbnails/2f7963a474910e7624182e046e6f102b.jpg?Expires=1715212800&Signature=hkR3DDgOXDJeSsYl5ustBHhknwhlQ4ckPwfYAIy6mNT88opyUBbhfssMzqEc5oLxU9M5oOFaZOSECCvf50en%7EvLrg5oM4jeMp2dObOJSDJMnS0MbWPiFEE2MbdlyK-Imym4K9cWkMl%7EZFz7cB6wCZ-XT744mMkIZcBFMdA2N8ol8vXfFkSo4qj8YI1yTd0Dvjgx81YID8001ClR9LfM6bdv6tTThO6m7IHFs11diwUGvdVkItevpISqC3GTLIOkz4xDsIY5V4w1FVrWQgPG%7E3JwIHB3sMkEtMilX8aCBSg9QyB9Ui2AF5SpSiZMUHhcBlJfn2BmnDSWRBp9i%7EMvN4g__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM "G-Schreiber "STURGEON"")
The T-52 G-Schreiber was developed around 1930 by Siemens & Halske. It was used by the Germans in WWII in conjunction with the Enigma and Lorenz. Intercepting messages that were in-depth enough to decipher was difficult for Allied codebreakers…