What was the Enigma Machine Used for?
Overall, the Enigma Machine was used to hide sensitive information from the Allies. Though successful for a time, this gave Germany a lengthy advantage in planning and executing extensive military operations.
The machine wasn’t unbreakable for long, as the Allies – led by mathematicians and professional codebreakers in Britain- managed to break it. The process involved capturing machines and codebooks from German U-boats, including the U-110.
Through the work of Computer Scientist Alan Turing, the break gave an incredible advantage to the Allies, allowing them to read encrypted German messages and anticipate German attacks.
Why it matters
The cracking of the Enigma is labeled as the most crucial achievement in military intelligence. Because the Allies had access to German codes, this allowed them to shorten the war by an indescribable amount of time.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1) What was "Ultra"?
Ultra was the codename given to the intelligence harvested from successfully decrypted Enigma traffic, which helped guide Allied tactical decisions.
Source: drenigma.org/enigma-faq
2) How many possible combinations did the Enigma Code have?
The Enigma Code had over 150 quintillion possible paths, making brute force decryption impossible by hand.
Source: drenigma.org/enigma-faq
3) Who invented the Enigma Code?
The Enigma Code was invented by German Engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I.