Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!qantel!lll-lcc!lll-crg!seismo!mcvax!ukc!cheviot!brian From: brian@cheviot.uucp (Brian Randell) Newsgroups: net.crypt Subject: Re: Eastern Front/WWII Cryptography Message-ID: <634@cheviot.uucp> Date: Wed, 12-Mar-86 09:03:20 EST Article-I.D.: cheviot.634 Posted: Wed Mar 12 09:03:20 1986 Date-Received: Sun, 16-Mar-86 00:32:27 EST References: <869@spp2.UUCP> <12068@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <686@frog.UUCP> Reply-To: brian@cheviot.newcastle.ac.uk (Brian Randell) Organization: U. of Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K. Lines: 24 Following on from the very useful comments by W.J. Richard: The "computer" designed by Turing though very important cryptographically, I understand, does not deserve the term "computer". It seems to have been known as the "bombe", and to have been totally different to the bombe (or bomba) designed before the war by the Polish cryptanalysts. To the best of my knowledge, the most detailed account of the work that Turing was involved in was given in Welchman's "The Hut Six Story". The reference to computers at Bletchley Park normally refers to the "Colossus", with which Turing semms to have had only indirect contact. This was not used for Enigma, but for Fish ciphers. The most detailed account of this machine (or rather set of machines, since a number were built) is the paper by T.H. Flowers entitled "The Design of Colossus", i Annals of the History of Computing, 5,3 (July 1983). The latest volume by Hinsley et al gives an official account of what was learnt by deciphering Fish (or Geheimschreiber) messages. -- Brian Randell - Computing Laboratory, University of Newcastle upon Tyne ARPA : brian%cheviot.newcastle@ucl-cs.arpa UUCP : !ukc!cheviot!brian JANET : brian@uk.ac.newcastle.cheviot