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The Auxiliary Devices of OKW/Chi

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The Auxiliary Devices of OKW/Chi The Auxiliary Devices of OKW/Chi Carola Dahlke Deutsches Museum, Germany [email protected] Abstract different intelligence sections1 during the Second World War, some of which worked completely Between 1942 and 1945, section IVb of independently of each other: OWK/Chi designed mechanical and OKW/Chi: Cipher department of the High electro-mechanical devices to statistically Command of the Armed Forces evaluate intercepted encrypted messages. (“Chiffrierstelle des Oberkommandos der By the help of TICOM protocols and a Wehrmacht”). never published dissertation draft written by Willi Jensen in 1955, an overview of In 7/IV, In 7/VI: Inspectorate 7 group 4 the cryptanalytic devices is given. Most and 6 (“Inspektion 7 Gruppe 4 und 6”), the probably all the equipment was destroyed cipher department of the army; in 1944 at the end of the war. Only dredged-up reorganized and combined as remnants of one type of equipment could OKH/GdNA: Signal intelligence agency be recovered by German divers. of the High Command of the army (“General der Nachrichtenaufklärung des 1 Hindered Research on German Signal Oberkommandos des Heeres”). Intelligence OKM/B-Dienst: Intelligence service of Thanks to the recent declassification and the Naval High Command (Beobachtungs- publication of many TICOM files (Target dienst der deutschen Kriegsmarine). Intelligence Committee interrogation protocols O.b.L/Chi: Signal intelligence agency of and summaries), it has become possible to take a the German Air Force (“Chiffrierstelle, closer look at the German side of cryptanalysis Chi-Stelle“ des Oberbefehlshabers der during the Second World War. As Weierud & Luftwaffe“); in 1944, reorganized and Zabell (2019) already listed in detail, there are renamed in OKL/LN Abt 350: Aerial three main difficulties that complicate research news division 350 of the Airforce High on German signal intelligence: First of all, Command (“Luftnachrichten Abteilung Germany lost the war, and destroyed almost all 350 des Oberkommandos der Luftwaffe“). relevant documents and equipment. Even after the 1970s, when the allied nations finally began RLM/FA: Research office of the State to talk about their signal intelligence Ministry of Aviation (“Forschungsamt des achievements, German cryptanalysts kept their Reichsluftfahrtministeriums”), i.e. the experiences in the Second World War secret cryptological service of the Nazi party. until their death. Only a handful of papers exist AA/Pers Z S & Pers Z Chi: Cipher which, although not published, have nevertheless department of the Foreign Office been written by German cryptanalysts, and were (Chiffrierstelle des Auswärtigen Amts). given to archives, libraries or universities for safekeeping (e.g. Hüttenhain 1970, Jensen 1955). Apart from the lack of sources and remaining 1 For comprehensive descriptions, see e.g. Mowry artefacts, historic research is hampered by the (1989); Weierud & Zabell (2019); EASI Vol 2-7. fact that Germany had not only one but eight Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Historical Cryptology, HistoCrypt 2020 60 Abwehr: Secret service of the military; OKW/Chi was two-fold: One part of the part of the High Command of the Armed organization was mainly concerned with Forces OKW until 1944, then reorganized monitoring the broadcast or news of enemy and neutral states. The other part dealt with signal and integrated into the espionage section intelligence. The cipher telegrams of about 30 of the SS. countries were watched by OKW/Chi, and the RSHA/Amt IV E: Secret service of the task was to decipher only important diplomatic letters, i.e. telegraphic communications of Reich Security Administration, i.e. of the diplomats, military attachés, government and SS (“Abwehr des Reichssicherheits- economic authorities etc. (EASI, Vol 3, p. 15). hauptamts”) until 1944; then reorganized According to the interrogation papers of Wilhelm and combinded with the Abwehr of OKW Fenner, who was in charge of the OKW/Chi’s into RSHA/Amt VI. cryptanalysis sections IV and V, the successful years of OWK/Chi were between autumn 1939 This polycratic appearing coexistence of and autumn 1943. His team deciphered about competing institutions with similar competences 100 messages per day, sometimes several pages was typical for the regime of National Socialism. long (TICOM DF-187A, p. 16), although never Attempts had been made to create a central attaining its full potential due to bombing intelligence office, but were not realized (see e.g. attacks, broken furniture, dirt, cold and chronic 2 TICOM DF-187, p. 14 ; Bauer 1997, p. 31). undernourishment of the staff (TICOM I-206, Instead, the consisting signal intelligence offices p. 9). were partly reorganized, e.g. as a result of the coup attempt on the 20th of July 1944. This In general, it can be said that OKW/Chi did means that the few historical sources that are not achieve great successes, but at least available can often only be assigned to one of the constantly managed many minor decipherments different departments, or to a person who may (EASI Vol 3, p. 55). The OKW/Chi’s have changed affiliation or departments several cryptanalytic successes are e.g. mentioned in times during the war. TICOM I-31, pp. 5ff, and are summarized in EASI Vol 3, chapter IV. This study will focus on the cipher department of the Oberkommando der In 1944, the OKW/Chi (apart from its Wehrmacht (OKW/Chi), and on the deciphering archive3) was transferred from Berlin to Halle/ devices that have been designed and used there. Saale, where it continued its work until April 1945. Dr. Buggisch stated (TICOM I-176, p. 12) 2 OKW/Chi that all OKW/Chi machinery was taken to Halle, too. The OKW/Chi had originally been the cipher office of the Reich War Ministry. It was renamed On the 13th of April 1945, the remaining staff4 the cipher office of the OKW in 1938 with about of OKW/Chi took a train from Halle to Werfen/ 30 staff members initially, but grew up to 250 in 1942, and sank to only 120 persons by the end of war (TICOM I-206, p. 9). A description of the 3 The archive of the OKW/Chi went to the intercept organization of OKW/Chi can be found e.g. in station at Lauf, and remained there until spring 1945. On the EASI Vol 3, in TICOM I-39, in Rezabek (2013), 10th of April 1945, the Lauf station moved south to the lake and very detailed information on the Schliersee, where the staff dumped about nine-tenth of its mathematical staff is summarized by Weierud & equipment and the complete OKW/Chi archive into the lake Zabell (2019). (EASI Vol 3, p. 34). The boxes with the archives were recovered shortly after by the TICOM Team 5 (TICOM Team 5, Rezabek 2013), kept classified until 2013 and is 2 According to TICOM interrogation protocols, now available at the Politisches Archiv in Berlin. attempts were made by Willhelm Fenner, Franz Thiele (who was hanged after the coup attempt on Adolf Hilter on the 4 In the end of the war, parts of the OKW/Chi 20th of July 1944) and brigade commander Schlieberg, to leadership, namely Mettig, Kettler, Dr. Hüttenhain and set up a joint cryptanalysis agency. The plan was to take the Fricke, travelled to the north of Germany (EASI Vol 3, p. best analysts from all the agencies that had existed so far 34+35). Please note: neither the dates of the disintegration and put them under Fenner's care. of OKW/Chi nor the accounts about the changes in the organization of OKW/Chi were consistent in the Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Historical Cryptology, HistoCrypt 2020 61 Salzach in Austria, to join with the “General der University of Munich with the title "Hilfsgeräte Nachrichtenaufklärung Süd”, i.e. the Southern der Kryptografie" (auxiliary devices of cipher department of the Oberkommando of the cryptography, Jensen 1955). According to Bauer Heer (OKH/GdNA) – one of the other pendants (2009, p. 388), the professor in question did not of competing intelligence offices mentioned feel responsible, and the work remained before. OKW/Chi was disbanded that day. unevaluated. We cannot be sure, but presumably, Fenner stated that since the American invasion the professor in question was the mathematician was expected, all material was set on fire or Professor Robert Sauer, in whose estate at the thrown into the river Salzach (TICOM DF-187, Technical University of Munich a copy of the p. 14). work was found (see the TUM university library, section mathematics and computer science, in 2.1 Sub-section IVb Garching, signature 0109/I 305+306). Under the head of Dr. Hüttenhain a special Apparently, Jensen did not submit this work OKW/Chi subsection IVb was installed in 1942 anywhere else either 5 . He apparently never to develop cryptanalytic machinery. IVb received the doctorate. So far, the author of this consisted of 28 staff members, i.e. two graduate article knows nothing about Jensen’s life after engineers, three working engineers and 25 1955. Since he submitted the draft of his mechanics. The main idea of the mechanical dissertation with the German title “Postrat” (i.e. a devices was ”to replace the speed of fingers in councillor of a post office), he was most statistical operations“ (Fenner, TICOM DF- probably spending some time of his life in the 187A, p. 20). postal service as a telecommunication engineer. In general, Hollerith machines were used In his dissertation manuscript Jensen describes whenever possible, but so-called “Hilfsgeräte” fourteen auxiliary devices that OKW/Chi (auxiliary devices; in the TICOM protocols they apparently developed and constructed under his are entitled as rapid analytical machinery) were supervision. It is of course not surprising and due developed for special cryptanalytic purposes. to the post-war period that he does not mention Fenner stated that these devices were mainly any other people who worked with him on the experimental models, and the technical equipment.
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