.. • Ui~liJM:P 98.2 • 

HEADQUARTERS 

ARMY SECURITY AGENCY 

WA•HINCITON 88 D C 

... ' ' •If I 

j.DGSS-85 6 December 1945 

SUBJECT: Preparation of Ci'Dher Kaohinea for k.temled Storage 

TO: Chief, 6eourit7 Division 

1. In order to presern oiph&r maohine• while in extended storage, 

it ie recmmaend.ad that the following method "88 uaed1 

a. Cover all unplatea metal parts with a light ooat ot rust 

p:reveirti ve • 

b. Ineert within each •chiD.e a auttioiezrt am.ount of Bilioa 

Gel to absorb 8.Dif moisture that might be prnale.nt during tba storage 

period• 

c. Seal ea.oh -.chine within a ·1iater Vapor Barrier envelope to 

ezolude moisture, dust, or vapor from tba outside. 

d. After completion ot the steps outliDed in subparagraph• 

a, b, arid o above, place •oh piece at equipment, except SIGB'Ill, i?I. ita 

origillal pa.eking oaae and at:ra.p with metal band.a. It will be neoeeaa17 

to place 8IGHI! in a wooden paakiniJ; case a f'ter pre pa.ration to protect 

the envelope. 

2. It has been determined that this method would be the moat 

eaOlLD11lioal and aim.pleat to aoccmpliah. It waa not voaaible at thia time 

to arrive at 8.11¥' definite or guaranteed method of certain pra11erva.tion. 

Beaearch along thia line indicated tbat the proposed method ot packing 

waa developed during the war 7eara. Bquipment pa.eked in this man".l.er has 

not been stored for a period long enough to state definite~ whether or not 

the method ia antireq •tiafaotozy over an. extended period of time. 

3. In arrivi~ at this proposed method, disouaaiona 11ere held with 

the Quartermaster Corps, the Signal Corpe, the Ord:nanoa Department, am 

the Ba'VJ' Department. The auggeationa of the Quartermaster Corps, the 

Signal Corps, and the O:rdnanoe DepLrtment were all noted an.cl disouHad 

with representatives of the lfavy Depa.rt:aant. !he Quarter.maat•r auggeat1ona 

were not applicableJ the OrdD&DCe apecif'icationa for '.Baking called for 

h•"J' amearing ot metal parts with rust preventive compound• 'Ih1a 

Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 06-03-2014 pursuantto E.O. 1352a 

EOHFIDEHTIAQ 
• • 

WDGSS-85 (4 Deaember 1946) 

method was discarded owiDg to the uaeasit;y tor oma.plete cUaaaeembl7 am ale~ ot the equipmmt whenever it would be taken out of storage and. 

plaaed in operation again. !he Signal Corps auggeatio1111 were a:lmilar to 

the JD&thoc.\ outlin&d in paragraph l with the additional operation of 

plaaing the prepared equipment in a :metal aontainar and sealing it. The 

sealed metal aonta.inar proTed highly suaoeaatul in preserving equipment 

whiah •s shipped throughout the wadd during the •r; however,, the uae 

of a sealed metal oontainez: waa not conaidered eHential. It would be 

an u:pensive prooedure both trom the atmulpoillt ot -terial required. 

and man hours neceaary to aocanplilh the packing and aeaU:ag 1D auoh a 

container. In addition. the apace oont•plated for extended storage 

uae i• dry &mi tRi,P!Jrature oontrolledJ thus, the neoeaait7 f'or a sealed 

metal oontainar ta keep out external moisture ia eliminated. It •• 

tbaref'ore decided that the method autlilled. in pa.ragra.Ih l 11 the moat 

feasible to be adopted 'b)' the Anq and the •'9'1• 

4:. It 1a proposed to prepare SIGl.Bl.1 SIGClll, SIGIIl!f, BIGPO!', 

SIGIVI, am. uaooiated. equipment au.oh aa rotors and spa.re pa. rta kit• in 

this :ma.nn.er. For Uie moat part, the only expenditure of' film• required.. 

will be for the Water Vapor Barrier eD9'elopea and •oprene Gallket1 f'or 

pa.eking. It ia propoaed. to uae petrolat'lmL aa a ru.1t preventive, and it 

ia eatS...ted tbat a auttioient quantity ia DOW on hand to aamplete this 

paaking projeot. Silica Gel IUld metal strapping are available in IUtficient qmmtitiea at Signal Corp• depots and can be delivered :immediateq 

upon requisition. !he neae11a.ry equipment tor air ezhaustion and ••ling 

of the •ter Vapor Barrier envelopes 1• presently aw.ilable in ll&inte11B1Loe 

Branobe 

&. Listed below are the quoted prices ot Water Vapor Barrier 

ennlope1 for each it•• 

BIGJIIll •1.eo (additional oo•t ot t2.oo estimtecl tor this 

1 tea tor wooden oaae) 

sm.ABl 11.71 

SIGCml 11.73 

BIGPO! •• 30 

SIGIVI i•SO 

Spare Parts Kita •• 30 

Beoprena Gaalceta. tour ot which will be required f'or each SIGABA., SIGCUJI, 

am BIGBIB. are eatim.ted to ooat te.oo a thousand. Or:lginall.J' it 1111.s 

intended that Corle Gaaketa would be used. but they did not auooeastulq 

aeal under teat. 

2 

'CONFIDENTIAQ 
.... " • 

lmGSS-86 (4 December 1946) 

e. It 1• not considered neoeBB&J"1 to prepare blant Ullliired rotor• 

tor mctendeti storage, ainoe it 1• highly improbable that corro•ion will 

set 1D during their umrired state. However, attar wiring, a obem.iaal 

reaotion oauMd bJ' the f'luz uHd in aoldering a.nd. the acetate coa. ting of 

the wire say aet 1D a.mi oau• oorroaioD. !o prevent th1•, it 1• 

reo0Jllll8Dded that eaoh wired rotor be enoa.aed in a Pliof'ilm envelope and 

•ealed prior to ita being placed 1D ita oontainer. !heae Pliof'ilm. 

8JD'elope• oan be puroha•ed at a quoted price of' t1t.oe a thoua.Dd. !he 

equipmmt nece••al'J f'or •ealing i• preaeutq available 1D Maintemmoe 

Branoh. 

7. It i• eat:lmated that two •n hours tor •oh UD.it ot equipimt 

will be required to prepare thi• equipun.t f'or storage. It i• pointed 

out that thia will further inorea.ae the work load. of' llaintemnoe Bnaoh 

which -.1 aa.bmitted a1 of' 27 lcmuaber 1945. 

8. In Tin of' the foregoing, it i• requested that 1 

. a. .l.pproyal be granted to prepare equipmnt for extend.ad 

storage aa outlined 1ZL paragraph le 

b. Jlailltenan.oe Bran.oh be 1Df'onned of the quantitiea of mah 

type of equipumt it ia desired to prepare :Lu thi• 11181U18r• 

o. .l.uthor:l.aation. be gran.ted. f'o~ the n::pe:aditure of' fa.Dd.• tor 

the proour8l11811t of' neoe••ary na.terial. 

I 

cortjFIDDtjTIAQ