War Machines: Women's Computing Work and the Underpinnings of the Data-Driven State, 1930-1946
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To What Extent Did British Advancements in Cryptanalysis During World War II Influence the Development of Computer Technology?
Portland State University PDXScholar Young Historians Conference Young Historians Conference 2016 Apr 28th, 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM To What Extent Did British Advancements in Cryptanalysis During World War II Influence the Development of Computer Technology? Hayley A. LeBlanc Sunset High School Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/younghistorians Part of the European History Commons, and the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y LeBlanc, Hayley A., "To What Extent Did British Advancements in Cryptanalysis During World War II Influence the Development of Computer Technology?" (2016). Young Historians Conference. 1. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/younghistorians/2016/oralpres/1 This Event is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Young Historians Conference by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. To what extent did British advancements in cryptanalysis during World War 2 influence the development of computer technology? Hayley LeBlanc 1936 words 1 Table of Contents Section A: Plan of Investigation…………………………………………………………………..3 Section B: Summary of Evidence………………………………………………………………....4 Section C: Evaluation of Sources…………………………………………………………………6 Section D: Analysis………………………………………………………………………………..7 Section E: Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………10 Section F: List of Sources………………………………………………………………………..11 Appendix A: Explanation of the Enigma Machine……………………………………….……...13 Appendix B: Glossary of Cryptology Terms.…………………………………………………....16 2 Section A: Plan of Investigation This investigation will focus on the advancements made in the field of computing by British codebreakers working on German ciphers during World War 2 (19391945). -
Theeccentric Engineer by Justin Pollard
106 TIME OUT COLUMNIST The name of Tommy Flowers deserves to be as well known as the computing industry giants who profited from his wartime efforts. TheEccentric Engineer by Justin Pollard PEOPLE Competition purpose machine, it was the first electronic computer. THE FORGOTTEN What are these Bletchley The device set to work on Park Wrens thinking as they Tunny intercepts. It also gained ENGINEER OF work on Colossus? The best a new name, thought up by BLETCHLEY PARK caption emailed to the members of the Women’s [email protected] by Royal Naval who operated the 23 March wins a pair of one-tonne, room-sized behemoth books from Haynes. – Colossus. A 2,400-valve version entered service four days before D-Day, providing crucial decrypts of Tunny messages in the lead-up to the invasion. It’s said system offering five trillion that Eisenhower had a Tunny times more combinations decrypt, courtesy of Colossus, than the 157 trillion offered in his hand as he gave the order by Enigma. The possibility to launch Operation Overlord. of getting bombes to crunch By the end of the war there that many permutations fast were ten Colossus machines at enough for the intelligence to Bletchley. After the surrender of have any value seemed remote. Germany, eight of them were The man charged with solving destroyed and the other two this conundrum was Max secretly moved to the peacetime Newman, whose ‘Hut F’ team was government intelligence centre, assigned the task of cracking the GCHQ, where one remained in ‘Tunny’ intercepts known to operation until 1960. -
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bombe: Machine Research and Development and Bletchley Park
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by CURVE/open How I learned to stop worrying and love the Bombe: Machine Research and Development and Bletchley Park Smith, C Author post-print (accepted) deposited by Coventry University’s Repository Original citation & hyperlink: Smith, C 2014, 'How I learned to stop worrying and love the Bombe: Machine Research and Development and Bletchley Park' History of Science, vol 52, no. 2, pp. 200-222 https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0073275314529861 DOI 10.1177/0073275314529861 ISSN 0073-2753 ESSN 1753-8564 Publisher: Sage Publications Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. This document is the author’s post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer-review process. Some differences between the published version and this version may remain and you are advised to consult the published version if you wish to cite from it. Mechanising the Information War – Machine Research and Development and Bletchley Park Christopher Smith Abstract The Bombe machine was a key device in the cryptanalysis of the ciphers created by the machine system widely employed by the Axis powers during the Second World War – Enigma. -
Cryptography in a Quantum World
Cryptography in a Quantum World ⋆ Gilles Brassard 1,2 1 D´epartement d’informatique et de recherche op´erationnelle Universit´ede Montr´eal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville Montr´eal (QC), H3C 3J7 Canada 2 Canadian Institute for Advanced Research [email protected] http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~brassard/en/ Abstract. Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptog- raphy had to wait until the mid-twentieth century before Claude Shannon gave it a strong mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted is his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. But our world is ruled by the laws of quantum mechanics. When quantum-mechanical phenomena are taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is quantum mechanics a blessing or a curse for the protection of privacy? As we shall see, the jury is still out! Keywords: Cryptography, Quantum mechanics, Quantum computa- tion, Post-quantum cryptography, Quantum communication, Quantum key distribution, Edgar Allan Poe 1 Introduction For thousands of years, cryptography has been an ongoing battle between code- makers and codebreakers [1,2], who are more formally called cryptographers and cryptanalysts. Naturally, good and evil are subjective terms to designate code- makers and codebreakers. As a passionate advocate for the right to privacy, my allegiance is clearly on the side of codemakers. I admit that I laughed hyster- ically when I saw the Zona Vigilada warning that awaits visitors of the Pla¸ca de George Orwell near City Hall in Barcelona [3]. Nevertheless, I recognize that codebreakers at Bletchley Park during the Second World War were definitely on the side of good. -
On How a Kenya Policeman Ended up – Working in the Research and Development Division of a Supercomputer Manufacturer in America
On How a Kenya Policeman Ended Up – Working in the Research and Development Division of a Supercomputer Manufacturer in America Jitze Couperus When the Belgian Congo was granted independence in 1960, the country deteriorated into chaos within the first few days. Secessionist factions and inter-tribal warfare resulted in wide-spread anarchy, looting and bloodshed. It was this event that also triggered my leaving school early and even before I had sat for my final exams (for a “Higher School Certificate” or what were also known as “A Levels”). The Prince of Wales School was a boarding school for about 600 boys, and the dormitories were needed to house the stream of refugees from the Congo. I was a “senior” who had spent some years in the Combined Cadet Force while at school – referred to as the CCF in that context but probably more familiar to American readers as the equivalent of ROTC. While other boys were sent home, I was asked to stay on at school to help liaise with the Belgian refugees (I spoke Dutch) and help organize some of the inevitable chaos arranging for food, clothing and sanitation as the stream of refugees threatened to swamp our resources. However, once the situation at the school was under control, it was decided that my talents could be better used closer to the real action. Accordingly I was “called up” into the Kenya Regiment and then rapidly seconded (i.e. transferred) to the 4th Battalion Kings African Rifles in Uganda to help them deal with the ever growing refugee problem. -
Colossus: the Missing Manual
Colossus: The Missing Manual Mark Priestley Research Fellow, The National Museum of Computing — Bletchley Park, UK Thomas Haigh University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee & Siegen University 1 serialized ciper text English Cipher text of one message plain text 1 0 0 1 1 (5 channel tape) 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 They were already 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 looking at him as approached in the distance, because he just stood out. He had quite an old face, 01101 11101 01011 0010 Knockolt Newmanry Newmanry Testery Testery Hut 3 Outstation Set Chi Wheels Generate Set Psi & Decrypt Translate Intercept, & Verify Counts “dechi” Motor Wheels Message Message Record & Verify Message (Colossus) (Tunny analog (Hand methods) (Tunny analog (Bilingual machine) machine) humans) dechi 1 0 0 1 1 0 27, 12, 30, 43, 8 Chi wheel 0 1 0 1 0 1 Psi & 55, 22 Sie sahen ihn schon 0 1 0 0 0 von weitem auf sich start posns. 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 motor start posns. zukommen, denn er for msg el auf. Er hatte ein 31, 3, 25, 18, 5 ganz altes Gesicht, aber wie er ging, German 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0110001010... plain text 0 1 0 0 0 Newmanry 1 0 1 1 0 0011010100... 1 0 0 1 0 10011001001... 01100010110... 1 0 0 1 1 0 Break Chi 01011001101... 0 1 0 1 0 1 0110001010... 0 1 0 0 0 Wheels 1 0 1 1 0 Chi wheel 0011010100.. -
Code Breaking at Bletchley Park
Middle School Scholars’ CONTENTS Newsletter A Short History of Bletchley Park by Alex Lent Term 2020 Mapplebeck… p2-3 Alan Turing: A Profile by Sam Ramsey… Code Breaking at p4-6 Bletchley Park’s Role in World War II by Bletchley Park Harry Martin… p6-8 Review: Bletchley Park Museum by Joseph Conway… p9-10 The Women of Bletchley Park by Sammy Jarvis… p10-12 Bill Tutte: The Unsung Codebreaker by Archie Leishman… p12-14 A Very Short Introduction to Bletchley Park by Sam Corbett… p15-16 The Impact of Bletchley Park on Today’s World by Toby Pinnington… p17-18 Introduction A Beginner’s Guide to the Bombe by Luca “A gifted and distinguished boy, whose future Zurek… p19-21 career we shall watch with much interest.” This was the parting remark of Alan Turing’s Headmaster in his last school report. Little The German Equivalent of Bletchley could he have known what Turing would go on Park by Rupert Matthews… 21-22 to achieve alongside the other talented codebreakers of World War II at Bletchley Park. Covering Up Bletchley Park: Operation Our trip with the third year academic scholars Boniface by Philip Kimber… p23-25 this term explored the central role this site near Milton Keynes played in winning a war. 1 intercept stations. During the war, Bletchley A Short History of Bletchley Park Park had many cover names, which included by Alex Mapplebeck “B.P.”, “Station X” and the “Government Communications Headquarters”. The first mention of Bletchley Park in records is in the Domesday Book, where it is part of the Manor of Eaton. -
Alan Turing, Computing, Bletchley, and Mathematics, Wellington Public
Alan Turing, Computing, Bletchley, and Mathematics Rod Downey Victoria University Wellington New Zealand Downey's research is supported by the Marsden Fund, and this material also by the Newton Institute. Wellington, February 2015 Turing I Turing has become a larger than life figure following the movie \The Imitation Game". I which followed Andrew Hodges book \Alan Turing : The Enigma", I which followed the release of classified documents about WWII. I I will try to comment on aspects of Turing's work mentioned in the movie. I I will give extensive references if you want to follow this up, including the excellent Horizon documentary. I Posted to my web site. Type \rod downey" into google. Turing Award I The equivalent of the \Nobel Prize" in computer science is the ACM Turing Award. I It is for life work in computer science and worth about $1M. I Why? This award was made up (1966) was well before Bletchley became public knowledge. I (Aside) Prof. D. Ritchie (Codebreaker)-from \Station X, Pt 3" Alan Turing was one of the figures of the century. || There were great men at Bletchley Park, but in the long hall of history Turing's name will be remembered as Number One in terms of consequences for mankind. Logic I Aristotle and other early Greeks then \modern" re-invention: Leibnitz (early 18th C), Boole, Frege, etc. I We want a way to represent arguments, language, processes etc by formal symbols and manipulate them like we do numbers to determine, e.g. validity of argument. I Simplest modern formal system propositional logic. -
Notes and References Documents Held at the Public Record Office, London, Are Crown Copyright and Are Reproduced by Permission of the Controller Ofhm Stationery Office
Notes and References Documents held at the Public Record Office, London, are crown copyright and are reproduced by permission of the Controller ofHM Stationery Office. I NTRODUCTION Christopher Andrew and David Dilks I. David Dilks (ed.), The Diaries rifSir Alexander Cadogan O.M. 1938-1945 (Lon don , (971) , p. 21. 2. Interview with Professor Hinsley in Part 3 of the BBC Radio 4 documentary series 'T he Profession of Intelligence', written and presented by Christopher Andrew (producer Peter Everett); first broadcast 16 Aug 1981. 3. F. H. Hinsleyet al., British Intelligencein the Second World War (London, 1979-). The first two chapters of volume I contain a useful retrospect on the pre-war development of the intelligence community. Curiously, despite the publication of Professor Hinsley's volumes, the government has decided not to release the official histories commissioned by it on wartime counter-espionage and deception. The forthcoming (non-official) collection of essays edited by Ernest R. May, Knowing One's Enemies: IntelligenceAssessment before the Two World Wars (Princeton) promises to add significantly to our knowledge of the role of intelligence on the eve of the world wars. 4. House of Commons Education, Science and Arts Committee (Session 1982-83) , Public Records: Minutes ofEvidence, pp . 76-7. 5. Chapman Pincher, Their Trade is Treachery (London, 1981). Nigel West, A Matter of Trust: MI51945-72 (London, 1982). Both volumes contain ample evidence of extensive 'inside information'. 6. Nigel West , MI5: British Security Operations /90/-/945 (London, 1981), pp . 41, 49, 58. One of the most interesting studies of British peacetime intelligence which depends on a substantial amount of inside information is Antony Verrier's history of post-war British foreign policy , Through the Looking Glass (London, 1983) . -
Colossus and the Origins of Programmability
Colossus and the Origins of Programmability Draft for discussion at the 2016 SIGCIS Workshop. Do not quote or cite without permission of the authors. Thomas Haigh ([email protected]) and Mark Priestley ([email protected]) This is an initial draft of some material from our ongoing project to explore the history of Tommy Flowers, the ways in which Colossus was used and configured, and its place in the history of information technology. This work is sponsored by Mrs. L.D. Rope’s Second Charitable Trust. The current draft is very preliminary, so please do not quote, cite, or distribute without our permission. If names and references are confusing to you our apologies! Fortunately the basics of Colossus and Bletchley Park are well covered in Wikipedia. Colossus was a codebreaking device built by the British General Post Office at the end of 1943, under the direction of career telecommunications engineer Tommy Flowers. It entered use at Bletchley Park in 1944 to speed the work of codebreakers targeting what was then codenamed “fish,” a family of Lorenz teleprinter codes used for high level German military communication. Colossus was not a one‐off machine, like most early electronic computers, but the prototype for a family of ten “colossi,” in which later models incorporated some significant improvements. The machines were used by the Newmanry, a group under mathematician Max Newman, where ingenious codebreaking users discovered new applications for them which, in turn, shaped the provision of additional controls and capabilities in the later models. Unlike ENIAC, which began in modest secrecy but soon graced the front page of the New York Times, Colossus was highly classified and remained unknown to the public until the 1970s. -
Parallel Computing Prehistory
Parallel Computing Prehistory John Burkardt Information Technology Department Virginia Tech .......... FDI Summer Track V: Using Virginia Tech High Performance Computing http://people.sc.fsu.edu/∼jburkardt/presentations/... history 2009 vt.pdf 26-28 May 2009 1 / 43 How Did We Get Here? [date uncertain] I don't know where I am, but I'm making record time! Last transmission from a Navy pilot, somewhere in the Pacific... 2 / 43 What Happens if You Don't Know Where You Are In 1707, Admiral Sir Cloudesly Shovell sank his fleet by sailing directly into the Scilly Islands, which weren't where he thought they were...because he didn't know where he was. 3 / 43 Fine Clockwork Can Tell You Where You Are The British Admiralty put out an RFP, seeking a reliable means of determining longitude. John Harrison's "superclock" solved the problem...though of course he had much trouble getting reimbursed! 4 / 43 Babbage Shows Calculation is Like Clockwork The Navy still had plenty of navigational problems in the 19th century, and (partially) funded Charles Babbage's Difference Engine and his Analytical Engine. 5 / 43 Hollerith Automates Data Processing Hermann Hollerith, inspired by an automatic weaving device, developed a machine to tabulate the 1890 census - later a big seller for the International Business Machine Corporation, aka IBM. 6 / 43 Numerical Calculations Were Done by "Computers" Computing was done by computers, that is, people. This is the computer lab for the Harvard Astronomical Observatory in 1890. 7 / 43 Richardson Forecasts the Weather Lewis Richardson attempted the first weather forecast in 1917. -
Gendering Decryption - Decrypting Gender
1 Gendering decryption - decrypting gender The gender discourse of labour at Bletchley Park 1939-1945 Photograph taken from Smith 2011. Spring 2013 MA thesis (30 hp) Author: Annie Burman Supervisor: Mikael Byström Seminar leader: Torkel Jansson Date of seminar: 4 June 2013 2 Abstract Ever since the British efforts to break Axis codes and ciphers during the Second World War were declassified in the 1970s, the subject of Government Code and Cipher School, the organisation responsible, Bletchley Park, its wartime headquarters, and the impact of the intelligence on the war has fascinated both historians and the general public. However, little attention has been paid to Bletchley Park as a war station where three-quarters of the personnel was female. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the gender discourse of labour at Bletchley Park and how it relates to the wider context of wartime Britain. This is done through the theoretical concepts of gendering (the assignation of a gender to a job, task or object), horizontal gender segregation (the custom of assigning men and women different jobs) and vertical gender segregation (the state where men hold more prestigious positions in the hierarchy than women). The primary sources are interviews, letters and memoirs by female veterans of Bletchley Park, kept in Bletchley Park Trust Archive and the Imperial War Museum’s collections, and printed accounts, in total two monographs and five articles. Surviving official documents from Bletchley Park, now kept in the National Archives, are also utilised. Using accounts created by female veterans themselves as the main source material allows for women’s perspectives to be acknowledged and examined.