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29 September 1953 

Cryptograph.ic Device of Dr Oskar Vierling 

(W-002) 

Chief 

Army Security Agency 

Department of the Army Washington 25, D. c. 

1. A visit to Dr Vie~ling disclosed that the Vierling 

Schluesselscheibe which had been reported previously as 

being manufactured by Dr Rudolph Hell, in partnership with 

Boris Hagelin, is not yet in production. As Vierling indicated last year, Huettenhain and IJiebknecht had applied 

for the Swiss patent rights to the Schluesselscheibe 

which Vierling had permitted to lapse. Vierling contends 

that they then sold the rights for German manufacture to . . Dr Hell for a sum in the neighborhood of 80,000 D.:r!i. 

2. Hell had previously planned ~o manufacture a.new 

modified Hagelin, presumably .the CX52. According to 

Vierling, Hell was approached by Huettenhain who allegedly 

stated that this Hagelin deviqe was not sufficiently se- . cure for German: government use and that he and Liebknecht 

could improve this security by incorporating in some way, 

elements of the Vierling Schluesselscheibe. Although 

Hell did not actually use the improvements suggested by 

Huettenhain, according to Vierling, Huettenhain and _ .Liebknecht are allegedly collecting a royalty from Hell 

on every machine manufactured for German government use. 

Vierling, who stated that his information was derived 

from frequent discussions with E:agelin,, attribt_ltes the 

payment of this royalty to Huettenhains great influence 

with the Bonn government, without which Hell could not 

sell his machines. Vierling definitely implied a corrupt 

arrangement, although possibly concealed as payment for 

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29 Sep 53 

Crypto~raphic Device of Dr Oskar Vierling 

(W-002) 

cryptographic security studies, etc. by Huettenhain and 

his assistants. It must be stressed that this information is not confirmed. 

3. Before Vierling's patent· protection expired he 

made an agreement with Heinrich Gertsch A •. G. of Zurich, 

Switzerland whereby the latter was to manufacture. the 

Schluesselscheibe. Gertsche actually did make a few 

sample machines, one of which was seen by the assistant 

TICOM Representative in Vierling's possession. An. 

effort will be made to procure a sample from Gertsch for 

forwarding to.your headquarters. 

4. Vierling contends that Gertsch's manufacturing 

rights are unimpaired despite the fact that· ·Heuttenhain 

and Liebknecht picked up the expired Vierling patent in 

Switzerland because Gertsch was assigned these rights by 

Vierling prior to expiration. Vierling stated that 

Hagelin is interested in acquiring these Swiss manufacturing rights from Gertsch for 20,000 Swiss Francs but, 

that he will delay doj_ng so until a market for the device 

exists. 

5. Among other devices of interest which Vierling 

has developed for G-2, USAREUR are a 15 watt transmitter 

receiver designed for agent use and disguis~d as an 

ordinary portable broadcast receiver and a high speed 

morse transmitter for agerrt use using telephone dial to 

impress magnetic impulses on a wire which is then played 

back at 65 WPM. The device which is approximately 

10x5x2 inches is plugged into a transmitter in exactly 

the. same way as an ordinary radio telegraph key., and 

enables an agent knowing no morse to transmit messages 

at high speed. If your headquarters has further interest 

in these devices, additional information can be secured. 

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Ii. C. JOHNSON 

Colonel, Infantry 

Chief 

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