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From: ross@spp2.UUCP (Jonathan Ross)
Newsgroups: net.crypt
Subject: Eastern Front/WWII Cryptography
Message-ID: <869@spp2.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 21-Feb-86 16:38:41 EST
Article-I.D.: spp2.869
Posted: Fri Feb 21 16:38:41 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 24-Feb-86 21:13:16 EST
Reply-To: ross@spp2.UUCP (Jonathan Ross)
Organization: TRW, Redondo Beach  CA
Lines: 52



        [To Matt Weiner and Tom Tedrick: Please keep the debate on
               the Net]


	It seems to me that it is not possible to definitively
 characterize the role of Cryptography in WWII. This is true, I feel, for 
 the following simple reasons. Too much relevant information still remains 
 classified. Too much real information was (is) shrouded in disinformation.
 

	Among the important secrets that still remains classified (at
 least as of the publishing of the book entitled, I believe, "_The
 Radar War_") is the design of the "computer" that Alan Turing used
 to break the German codes. I wish I could go into more detail here
 but I don't have any sources at hand.

	With regards disinformation, until a few postings ago, I was
 under the (apparently) mistaken impression that Churchill did allow
 Coventry to be bombed unopposed, in order to keep the British
 cracking of the German code a secret. (note: I'd love to see sources
 on this if anyone knows of any). Another remarkable piece of possible
 disinformation (I stray from cryptography here, my apologies) was the
 notion that Allied bombing was aided by the Norden bombsight. I
 believe that "_The Radar War_" asserts that Radar Guidance Systems
 were responsible for the success of Allied bombing. (Note: some have
 called into question the idea that Allied bombing was succesful at
 all- [from a lecture at Harvard University by John Kenneth Galbraith]).
 What makes the idea of "Norden as disinformation" so intriguing is
 that I have personally spoken with WWII bomber pilots and bombadiers
 who swear that Norden was the key to Allied bombing success. Now, I consider
 "_The Radar War_" and similar books ("_The Ultra Secret_", "_A Man
 Called Intrepid_", etc.) to be quite reliable sources, but when
 stacked up against eyewitness testimony, the accuracy of these books
 becomes questionable. I believe that many other pieces of
 "conflicting" or "questionable" information have been disseminated,
 with the best of intentions, by mostly reliable references. The fact 
 that such inaccuracies do occur makes the possibilty of arriving at
 solid conclusions quite difficult.

 
						J.R.

                    ----------------------------

 "Ale Man, Ale's the stuff to drink
	For fellows whom it hurts the think...

 ...And Malt can do more than Milton can
	To justify God's ways to Man."