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From: kulkisar@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Aaron Kulkis)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Ultra -vs- Magic
Message-ID: <1990Oct5.034331.1036@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 5 Oct 90 03:43:31 GMT
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From: kulkisar@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Aaron Kulkis)
In article <1990Oct2.234803.22706@cbnews.att.com> zimerman@phoenix.princeton.edu (Jacob Ben-david Zimmerman) writes:
>
>
> From: zimerman@phoenix.princeton.edu (Jacob Ben-david Zimmerman)
>
> The difference between 'magic' and 'ultra' information in WWI is as
> follows: 'Magic' was the information resulting from the cracking of the
> Japanese Purple code and various other codes, the most important during
> the war being JN-25.  In essence, the decoded messages themselves were
> 'magic' information, and were tightly guarded.  'Ultra' messages were
> instructions to units that were based on Magic information.  The first
> example I can think of is that messages to U.S. Submarines on patrol
> ordering them to an interception arrived at by 'magic' were called
> 'ultra messages.'
	
	Unfortunately, I think that the above post only confuses the
issue.  My memory is a bit fuzzy (it's been years)...but here goes:
	

Magic:  Interception of the Japanese 'purple' code.
	Purple was broken in the late 30's by US Crypto teams.
	We had the Japanese Declaration of War on the US 
	typed up and ready to go before the Japanese embassy staff
	did.  Only problem was that we had no idea what they 
	were going to do exactly.  Hence Pearl Harbor was
still somewhat
	
Ultra:  Interceptions of German codes using the Enigma machine.
	I remember 2 somewhat conflicting stories about how
	British were able to duplicate the machine...
	1:  Crucial parts smuggled out through Poland by a
	    diplomat of some nationality which I have forgotten.
	2:  Someone was able to get a close look at an Enigma
	    machine and rebuilt from memory in Britain.

The confusion on Zimmaerman's part above seems to stem from the US
military's security classification scheme which is, as best I know:
(Anybody correct me if I have some detail wrong here)
	Official Use Only
	Confidential
	Secret
	Top Secret
	Eyes Only

but during WW2, they wanted a new classification for all of the info
that the crypto guys were giving them...between Top Secret and Eyes Only
and the new name was Ultra Secret....hence, all of the messages going
out to units as MI or instructions would be called an 'ultra' message,
but that was it's security classification, rather than the name of
the program.  I am not aware of the continuation of the Ultra Secret
classification after WW2 within the US Military.

	So, Ultra, as a name in itself, generally refers to the intercepted
German messages, while the messages to units with instructions or
intelligence are more properly referred to as Ultra Secret messages.
	
See the MUST-READ book for anyone interested in cryptography

	The_Code_Breakers  by David Kahn.
		(Sorry, don't have the Dewey # memorized on this one..
		yer just gonna have to look it up for yourself!)
		
		
There used to be a psycho kitty here,			Ackphffzzzt! It's Bill,
Oh where, oh where did my psycho kitty go...		Aaron R. Kulkis
							Ancient Engineer