ENIGMA Machines

[warren brown]

I'm sticking my neck out here, but I remember reading somewhere there was a commercial version of the enigma machine made in (I think) Czechoslovakia during the 'thirties - even advertised in magazines. It was one of those things that wasn't picked up at the time - but the enigma machine was a derivation of this machine - yet the wartime enigma more spools which increased its 'uncrackability' exponentially... (don't hold this as fact anyone...)

[Mike K]

Not directly related to this thread . But I am reminded of a great TV series SBS ran years ago called " THE RED ORCHESTRA" It was a drama series all about the Russian/Soviet spy network within NAZI Germany.

The Reds were amazing spies. And during WW2, they had a famous woman spy in the UK who sent morse code mesages back to the USSR via a home made transmitter . She did it for many years , into the cold war era .

Mike

[warren brown]

Aha! Found this on a website - the commercial version was apparently German - "The commercial enigma was exhibited at a couple of trade shows during 1923 but soon attracted the interest of the German military. The result was the withdrawal from the market of the enigma machine which then continued to be produced and refined for military use."
Like Monica Lewinski - close but no cigar....

Post Script - Robin Craig : amazing!

[malcolm erik bogaert]

yes GPO did indeed build the bombe which I believe was the first computer..ALAN TURING was a gifted mathimitician not an engineer...also one of my late neighbours Capt Joe Baker-Cresswell was the chap who's destroyer captured the first U-boat enigma machine although he did loose two of his sailors when the sub sank....his son was not best pleased with the USA film of there version of capture of U-Boat Enigma!hope this helps regards malcolm PS a close friend of mine from the R/Sigs has a good collection of Enigma items..he's located in the Western Isles

[David Dunlop]

Thinking about it a bit, I seem to recall sometime in the late 1970's or early 1980's a limited quantity of surplus commercial Enigma machines showing up for sale out of Europe They were ex-Swiss or Swedish and may have had something to do with the banking sector. There were ads in a couple of military history type magazines for a while and then they disappeared. Interesting bit of kit, but very limited Canadian connection. Now a surplus Bombe on the other hand...

David

[Bruce MacMillan]

You may be thinking about the Swiss NEMA unit. This was based on the enigma but redesigned in the early 1940s as the Swiss felt someone was able to read their mail. I can't think of who???

These machines were released for sale to the public in 1994. They still come up occasionally on ebay and usually fairly cheap (by Enigma standards). Most I have seen are in really good shape.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Poland lies between two really despicable neighbours and two variable friends (Germany and Russia [give or take a few republics], and Austro-Hungary and Scandinavia). It is their lot in life - so much that LOT is the national airline. The know more about their region than most of us know about our pockets. They have naturally decided who their true friends are; and they have chosen to share some of what they know with the British. These relationships go back many decades, predating WWII. Apparently very early in the war, they captured an ENIGMA and knew that it could not be used to its fullest advantage in Poland. Hence their sharing it with the British.

[Dennis Gelean (RIP)]

What was in the CMP Computor trucks (correct ww2 spelling)
I have seen references to women as computors, but would you need a big CMP to carry them. They worked on artillery and air force calculations.
So much to learn.