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U. S. NAVAL CODE & SIGNAL LABORATORY 

3801 Nebraska Avenue N.W. 

Washington 25, D. c. 

Chief of Bureau of Ships, 

Navy Department. 

Aug 12 1950 

U.S. Naval Code and Signal Laboratory - History of 

(a) VCNO conf. ltr. Op-20-Sl(SC)A3-l/ND17-l 

Ser 0329626 of 26 June 1943 to Comdt.~RNC 

(b) AFSA conf .ltr. AFSA 42/A.4-2 Ser 040 of 

9 Nov 1949 to BuShips. 

(c) Sec Nav ltr. Jp-2413/CJ Ser. 446424 of 6 Dec. 

1949 to All Ships and Stations. 

1. Reference (a) established the U.S. Naval Code and Signal 

Laboratory at the Naval Communications Annex, 3801 Nebraska 

Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C., on 26 June 1943· Reference (b) 

requested the disestablishment of the Naval Code and Signal 

Laboratory. Reference (c) effected the disestablishment of NCSL on 10 

December 1949. 

2. Prior to the establishment of the NCSL at the Naval Communications 

Annex, the work was performed by the Code & Signal Section of the Radio 

Laboratory located within the U.S. Naval Gun Factory, Washington, D.C. 

In the latter part of 1929, Lt. L. F. Safford, USN (now Captain L. F. 

Safford) then head of the Code and Signal Section, Navy Department, 

requested the assistance of the Washington Navy Yard to perform work 

unaer his airection. In the latter part of 1931, Lt. (jg) J. N. Wenger, 

USN (now Captain J. N. Wenger) reported to the Bureau of Engineering and he in collaboration with Lt. Safford concentrated on the 

mechanization of naval cryptographic communications. Lt. Wenger 

was assigned to the newly established "Signal Devices desk" in 

the Bureau of Engineering (now the Bureau of Ships). Engineering 

'ivork required by Naval Operations 11Code and Signal Section" was 

then processed through the Bureau of Engineering's "Signal Devices 

desk". An initial sum of t50,000 was set up by the Bureau of 

Engineering for code and signal engineering work as requested by 

the Chief of Naval Operations. Lt. Wenger then initiated action 

to establish a new section of the Radio Laboratory in the Washington Navy Yard for the purpose of handling code and signal engineering work. For purposes of security this section was set up in a 

building adJacent to the nadio Laboratory. This section then became 

known as the Code and Signal Section of the fadio Laboratory. The 

establishment or this-~ the foundation for the 

Signal J..aboratocy. eclassified and approved for release by NSA on 

9-25-2013 ursuant to E. 0. 13526 
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3. In 1942, plans to place nearly all phases of cryptographic work 

performed in the Navy Department on a secure reservation were in 

process. Captain E.E. stone, USN (now Rear Admiral F.E. Stone) included the Code and Signal Section of the Naval Gun Factory in these 

plans and maae space reservations. On 26 June 1943, the Naval Code 

and Signal Laboratory was established and set up under the military 

command of the Commandant, Potomac River Naval Command. Personnel 

comprising the Code and Signal Section of Naval Gun Factory formed 

the basic complement of the newly established NCSL. On 30 June 1943 

this group moved from the Naval Gun Factory to the Navy Communications 

Annex (now Navy Communications Station) and began functioning as the 

Naval Code and Signal Laboratory. The mission of NCSL established by 

the Bureau of Ships was. 

Conduct research, development, and design; 

produce, overhaul, test and maintain cryptographic instruments and their component parts 

employing the use of electronic theories, 

electro-mechanical mechanisms, the physical 

properties of materials, and the reduction of 

these units into practical application as 

required for special classified communication 

devices. 

4. The peak complement of 414 which consisted of 22 officers, 350 

enlisted personnel and 40 civilians was reached in August 1944. At 

the time or its disestablishment the complement consisted of 176 civilians, 

1 officer and 1 enlisted. 

5. The highlights of accomplishment centers on the following items& 

(1) Adapted the first commercial cipher machine to military 

use - CSP 903. 

(2) Develooed the first practical keyboard operated code 

machine - CSP 691 and CSP 692. 

(3) Developed the reliable rotor maze contacts, now 

universally used. 

(4) Developed ll1 October 1935 the first analogue 

machine Known as M-1 device and X-199. 

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Developed adapters to convert CSP 691 and 

GSP 903 to Jap analytical machines. 

Manufactured and developed several Jap 

analogue equipments known as M-2, M-3, 

M-4 and M-5. 

Designed and developed first mechanical 

universally controlled cipher maze. 

Proposed first the use of rotor maze to 

control rotor stepping maze 21 June 1932, 

now used in ECM Mk.II. 

Developed automatic word spacing. 

Converted all CSP 691 equipment for its use. 

Developed index maze. 

Basic design and development of ECM Mk.I. 

Made original model, wired all rotors used 

by system. 

Basic design and development of ECM Mk.II 

now in use by the services. 

Development of reverse stepping of rotors. 

Manufactured all parts and made necessary 

modifications to accommodate. 

Design and development of combined cipher 

machine. 

Design and development of changeable contour 

ring. 

Design of CSP 688 and 845 strip cipher devices. 

Manufactured J6,000 CSP S45. 

Design of CSP 1116 aircraft contact pad. 

Manufactured 11,000. 

Design and development of ball contacts for 

cipher maze. 

Basic design of Mk.I and Mk.II rotors. 

Designed and developed rotor bobbin to enaba• 

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(21) Designed and developed CSP 1127 ad.apter 

units for State Department traffic. 

Manufactured 150 CSP 1127. 

(22) Basic design of 26-To-5 translator for 

Off-Line ECM operation. 

(23) Set up first training course for cipher 

machine maintenance. 

(24) Developed RIP 60, RIP 61 and RIP 62 

analogue machines. Manufactured equipments used. 

(25) Designed ana developed CSP 1800 British 

type 1 adapter for CCM use. 

(26) Designed and developed One-Time-i)ad 

Machine CSP 2100 - Manufactured 4. 

(27) Designed and developed universal rotor 

contacts for contour control. 

(28) Synchronized stepping of forwara and 

reverse rotor movement. 

(29) Designed and developed CSP 2200. 

Manu:factured 110. 

(30) Designed and developed adapter unit to 

make the Mk.I ECM the cryptographic 

equivalent to the Mk.II ECM. 

(31) Designea ana developed cast metal maze 

unit. Constructed 100 for CSP 2300. 

(32) Designed an~ developed first removable 

maze unit. 

(33) Designed and developed the first motor 

driven cipher machine. Made one model 

installed on the USS TEXAS in 1931. 

(34) Designed electro-mechanical rotor drive 

mechanisms used on present machines. 

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(35) Developed and manufactured Navy One-Time-Tape 

manufacturing equipment. 

(36) Designed and developed automatic mechanical 

interlock. Manufactured 2,500 for use on 

CSP 889, 2900, 3300 and 2300. 

(37) Design and development of CSP 1700, CSP 1600, 

CCM Equipment. ManufactUfled 2,000 CSP 1700 

and 6500 CSP 1600. 

(38) Designed and developed CSP 2900 and CSP 2900A 

cipher machine. Manufactured 1,196 CSP 2900 

and 10 CSP 2900A. 

(39) Developed CSP 2300. Manufactured 65. 

(40) Developed CSP 3.300. Manufact\ll'ed 85. 

(41) Designed and developed 7-rotor devices for 

proposed, combined use. Manufactured 2 models. 

In addition to the above, many more designs and developments of lesser 

importance were produced, practically all were used, or are now in use. 

6. The actual production of many of the items listed was accomplished by 

the Naval Code and Signal Laboratory. Over l,000,000 rotors were wired and 

over 80,000 pieces of cryptographic equipment of various types were produced 

by NCSL. The activity handled over J00,000 pieces of highly classified 

registered publications and gear without loss or failure to account for 

a single item. Throughout its existence the activity was fortWlB.te in its 

selection of good, well qualified personnel. Morale was excellent and the 

worK output was maintained at a high level at all times. The lasting use 

of its accomplishments made the establishment of the Naval Code and 

Signal Laboratory and its tenure of existence a credit to the Navy. 

7. The writer of this statement of history of the U.S. Naval Code and 

Signal Laboratory was continuously associated with NCSL since its beginning 

at the rte.die Laboratory in the Washington Navy Yard. From 1929 to 1942 

he was engineer in charge, from 1942 to 1946 he was of'ficer in charge and 

from 1946 until 10 vecember 1949 he served as the Director of the Naval 

Code and Signal Laboratory. 

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8. The items and statements made herein have been verified with the 

files before storage and also with Captain L. F. Safford, USN, and Captain 

J. N. Wenger, USN, who have been continuously interested ln the work of 

Naval Code and Signal Laboratory since its establishment. 

cc. 

DI RAF SA 

CNO 

COMDT.PRNC 

D. Vi. SEILER 

Commander, USN 

DIRECTOR, NAVAL CODE .~ SIGNAL 

LABORATORY 

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