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REF .I~:A522154_ 

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TR NG. DIV. fll;E 

c, IP- d>t.V 

0 

1st ilieroo · !nel •. aln 

~ar Plans & Trninir...g_ Div~, OCSig{), l\!e.rch·so, 1932 ~ ~o 0.1.q., nosearch ·and 

=-evelopr.:t6nt ·Division, OCS~go. 

I co.ncur in l

3

E!-l'ltg.rephs 1 ~ e and 9, btt.sic r..-eflorEtndu.m. 

D. 11.. Crawford, 

t~jor, Sig Ml Corps.· 

@'pproved for Release by NSA on 11-20-2013 pursuant to E.O. 1352§. 

. . t ..... :zj_;: LL APf.-04.k ... .. .. . _: . • IJt ...... .: .. • !@A.I . l . - . - . •--cz: .... X!f.., ..... .-.- .... . __ c;:s:::::;::: ·-··· • 

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REF ID :A522154r\ 

WAR DEPARTMENT 

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF s1t.!i\. OFFICER 

WASHINGTON 

! 

llarch 29. 1932 

Exeout1 ve ·Officer l ~i.IDOUGH 0.1. c.. ~·ar Plan.a &nd 

fra1a.tng Uiviaion and 0 •. 1.c. ~icsearcb and ne-

·velopment Di vision). 

1. ~his report deals with rrq visit to the Signal Corpe La'bors.-

tor1es. ~ch 21 - 24, 1952. 

2. Iinm.ediatel;f att~~ arrival. Aionda.; afternoon, and after reporting e.t headqllB·rters, ·Port r!onmouth, I had a conference liiith Ur. Crcbw.!I. 

in ·regard to the c1phe:r facsimile system of the Germrm. inventor, Dr • 

. ~reds, for the purpose ef diSCU.SS~ng th~ ontlinGs of ~he conference to 

be held with: the in11antor the next day 1 lfuesd&J'. A copy or the report. ~-ri't.ten by llr •. oraham and 1Vself.11 An4 the con~luslons roached in regard 

to the ~rrede system, after tull d.iscu.seions 1iiith Dr. ~:rede on 'fueeday11 

will be submitted .l~ter. · 

3. ;:edneeda.f was -devoted .to diecus·si-ons with tiilr. Ora.h.ti.•l'I 6ild his ·a~stants whll·e tne va.rio~s elsments o·f ·the Sieual ·corps -~ipher machine 

being constru.ctcd. at· the lab·ora.to1·ie·s were being assemble<! tor the first 

'.time. -ln tha- late. art.erc.oon ·the machine -aas oorapletely a.ssemt,led, in 

e·orlc.ing order, and ma.de rea~ tor s: ·:Preliminary taat9 i'hlll"Gclay mmlug:• 

Some mi.nor dif tic'11lt1es were· encountered_, occaaioned b3 the fact that 

one of tbe contr~l relays a•ppareLitl3 did. not. operate 'd""th sufficient 

speed ta accomplish_ its t~nctiO.G.. On X'Au:t'sda.J' mornin~ I propared a 

ple.1n-taxt message ot 5CO letters and proeeedied ·to encipher ~t-by the 

mach1ile. ·'lhis test r.eqtlired t'&ent3 min:.itoa, the machine operating in 

a very satiefactor.v :canner at. the rate of twent1-f'ive letters per .minute. 

4. ~he coaparGtivol7 low r~te ot speed was occasioned by two factors: 

\.1) the slo\1!iness w1th tJbich ~be e3c Md h.tlnd can ·work. in selectins the · 

proper letter ·on t~ koybo&:rd, in ·noUag the cipher letter on tbO bank of 

lights, and in writitl6 d.o.llln. the cipher letter; (2). t-he slo~ness of tbe 

relay referred to above •.. no c!o~·ta are entiertll1ne4 by us, ho"GJever, in 

regard io the ·possibilitJ of increaei:lg thG speed to a more satisfactory 

level 'Withont fin1 mat.arial cbang8 in cea·1cn ot the cr:,iptogrsph itself'. · 

Za the first plaoe 1 speed or operation ~ould certainly increase with 

practice ou 'tho pert of an operator, so that in the case of the h.Gti.d-

·~ordi,ne tne of ma-chin& tiiere is no Qa>Qb·t; lnit that a speed or 50 to 

60 characters per :.tirmte. eq1.1halent to 10 to 12 five-letter cocie groups 

per mirW:tet COU~d ·be obtained. 'l:his im apprO:r.imat;Gl._v five time~ fasteJ" . -~-.. 
--,1· ···- - ··~ " .~ . . .. ""-RE;F ID: A5221:54 

. .= .... ~·· .· 

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, tham a oo·de boot con p·Qss1bq be banale4. 1ia t!'l.a eeco-::ad ple.ce, wtth the 

construeiion or llll tlt'.tlp.t"or to be place4 in .Po8·1~1on over the ktJ,board ()f 

~ t8'pewr1ter or of a t'elotyper, 1a whic·h case th& operator. h&e DO wr1tiag 

to c1o but. merelJ' operetea the ke7boar4 of the c:cyp·toir&ph1 thG ~peed ot: 

e-nc1pherment ·could be:. nised no Cou.b~ t,o 20 - 35 ti-as-letter. ~'O~ctS 'per 

1nirmte~ Possibly 1;oi"e. · Add1Uoncil dota.ils in connectlo-r. ~1th this· ad&~ter 

wU.1 ·follow.- . . . . . · 

. s; From the· c,-r,rptQpapb1c .»O·iJ:!.i ·of .. v~~ the ·pro~nt · hane&..:.recor41ng 

model ·is bighly 'oatista.cto17. I _knoTI of no fi'Dre eec\U"e method. If used 

be\We.on the bJ.€Mst pe1•maneot or s.01:11pe.rma~ent_ho8dquertere, 1t-1s believed 

.that abeolute ineleclpbera1>ility· can ·be accomj;IUets,etl io. pr:actical operation;. 

U'· ua:Gd botWQOll· mobile·, ~ll .'beadqu.e.rte:s~. the. desr~e· of secu.rit7. iu _prrictlcal tipsge 'C!1ll be s. -~Wiction o.f the ·ptJ.!ns to which 1t.1e ·thoucht praet1~ble · to 60 1n.resard t.o l'eDgth.·a.n~ Vfri-ir1tion. of teying ·to.pEHla··,·. :The.ae. deta1ls'·~M 

· rea4ily be worked 01_1~. later~ . : ·, : · · · . . ·. · _: .. 

· s .. · !Mle ~atiStions which -~i~e ·1n. the. ·1Einea1ate preoe::n:t. ·are ·tl;le~: ·.. . . . . . . . . . . . . •·. ·. ·. . .. .. . 

a. HOW ~ a4ditloii.ai 'models. ·~r· the pre.sent d.eoien should -· be con:;t:rWlt&d? · . · · · 

b. :-.... 

c. 

-· 

it.here· ahou.ld "they.be: constructed?·: . . . .shil.i1 deYelcP:Aent:· proceed '·e.t .. ouee "tt-n· regard· to the · a.d~pter' reretred ·to 1ii paragraph 4? ·. oo.n. !14noa s\if'i'lclent for these pvi>osee b& tllfl.de availt:sble•1 . . . . . . . . . . d •. 

· ·· .·l_. .. ia ~es~a. to q,ue.st.ion ·a •.. it: ts reco~~cied·the.t e.t i~a.st t..U ·more 

ba.iid ... re~ording ·ecidt>le ·'be .. CQcat-riisted witho'1t de-l~ '· ·. ~ ing. three mnoilinee .GV&ilab~e .for test purpose&.. ?rJO ·ot·.the:se. shoul"d be'"eent :to this .o!".fiO&· . 

for eryptograp~ic. ,exper1gaeAtat1on &nc· e~w.~; ·the. th.lrd .. mo~~ st~uld .re~in · 

at the: lebor~toriiJS for- fu.rthe.r e~ineeri·ag etud.,y. ·. · · · . · ... •· 

. ·a~ · 1n· regfl.l'.d to_.q~etion b, it 1·e re~~dea· tb.at the .. ~vro additional 

u:cdel.s· bci c·anstruC.te-d &t th~ l.aboratoris&, -~ather tb,M. by au ou.ts!de .'ong1 ... 

Dlil\lring tabo:raitor.y. In thu' f iJ'St. yla~; ·.th.& ·desire. for· oaereey in regerd . 

to this aw.chine, et least. for· t,he p-rceO:it; uiet.ntes t!:lo ·polict tha~ no de-

·tsils· .ahou.ld be made e.VO.ileble to oa.taid.e: part.ia·a. ·1n thn 6eCon~ place,. 

the· time and co.at or construction within·: ·-the l111borato:-1cs· •oud ba .-much 

loH than wauld obtain outa~d.e_. s:i.nce ver3 little e.daitiocal .6.cgineeri:1g_ 

etl.ldy. Sllld e.xpe~~ntation i& ·D~ceneta.r;r, &ll· this _havi·ng:·tl!?~ been eo~lete4. 

:9. Ia regard to qU.CSstiaa. .a, 1t io. r~comme~aea: th.at the· lo.boratdr·tes · · : · 

be directed to . ini tieate· a·. otu.<f1 With r6St\Z'd· ·to tho .. t,)Os$1ble doVelOprDer.tt· Of··. 

a StlitablG .adtApter to be po.sitiOn&d over "the. tr.eyboerd Of <Bither · atl ordinary. t~riter·; . ot: .. of' a teletyP.fi!. maeh1ne. .It fea~1ble ,. the typ1tl& of enc.iphared 

entt deciphered ·cry;tO£ruma ccrq.ld be itOCO:nplished autof'Jllt."i<:ally; OZ°> .. the .. 

cr1~t.ogrtlph ~OU.ld ·be UGe<l 1ri. COnJWlC'tiOll -•1th U. telet)--pe ke!?'bOBl'd SO ·that 

ult"iroC.tel3 .it mi{Jbt be ims~ibl;a t without u.n.1·· intermadia'te. steps, to e~cipher~. 

\ranmni~~ rcce1vo, ·. deciph&r<mia: print ceyptogrsme ~t o... high :rZlte of a:peed. · 

'I'hie ·pheee of _the developa11.&n,t represent~ onlJ(a·_a.onti~tion ot the o~ig~.nal 

proJec't &D re~~S CJ"ypt~r~phic app&l'&t\le.,.. . . . . 

.. 2 -

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~~~----------------- REF. ID :A522154 .... .. · ~ 

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10. Ill regard .fio ~s. it 1~· eo•tma'fo$d tlin~ t'ne entire· ·c~st or· prodU.Ci.D6 the two a441t1ona~ ·m.odol~ · reco.-lldeii in l»-~Z'&la,Taph 7 al';ov-o, .!ll.clu.ding 

ial>o:r·, eho~d not exe.a~d $~000· or $1200, oince it ie· merol:r e. fiU.est!ou of dll.p~icatlng elemen•a nlreaq p·rodu.oe4. and ~- or· additional onaiaeeri.q~f or 

de:velopme-atal st~~= Ao regards the iad&pter., · howaTer, cor..sj.tlerable. de9ieloP-

·me.nt.al work. uould be JIGCE.H:IO~r,y. and it 1e<. tbo\aght b3· ·the. labo~ator-1 persomiei 

t.hat. abou.t :~5000 '1111~ be r«luir&d ·for :thl& phase -9,r t·ba :pro:ject. ~he· question aa· to .. ~hether &tlob c. l!lum can be ma&;J a.vs-1~~-· .. either .. t!:. ;Part "or- in" 

~hole, beto~o the. begtmiDg ot. the tlse-.l .. 70!.U'; 193.3.~ .ia :lett· tor th• cansideration-·of those eontJ'ol-11ft6 iiio ·dia:poeition .or· dewlo~nt 1'~_6s. · 

ll. ·ifo eu:~nse, i"t is dee1red to 1A~icate that the ·proc'J'O&l!i mede· by 

·the. labo1"u.torfas . to- date· ie· voq satisfactory_ and give.a. p:i:-omf.oe ot ctllc-.t.nati..ag 

." 1.n the· produ.Ction. .Or a machine ·that wiil sati_sfy e·very reguirm:wnt· of ·p:ractic11bili ty ~ &weed; aco11rsc1, t:i.nd aecu.rity. · 

. ~illiam.F~ .trriediaan. . ~ . : . . . 

. = . 

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