They could only solve one problem, so were not really true computers. The machines used in the decoding work were called Bombes. The messages sent out each day used a different password, and discovering this password permitted the messages to be read. The Enigma code was eventually cracked by British Intelligence officers working at Bletchley Park near London, initially using methods developed by Polish mathematicians. This naval-type machine is the most advanced Enigma machine used in World War II those used by the other military forces only had three rotors, and two spares. With it comes a rare survival, a smaller case containing five interchangeable spare rotors. It uses four code rotors and is housed in a wooden case.
This particular machine was made in 1944. Similar machines were first made in the early 20th century, and the first ‘Enigma’ was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius in 1918, who sought to sell it for commercial, rather than military, purposes.ĭuring the following years, the Enigma was redesigned and improved several times. The machine is an electro-mechanical device that relies on a series of ‘rotors’ to scramble plaintext messages into incoherent ciphertext.
