REF ID:A66394 

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Conwibution of Signal Intelligmce 

Tow&l"d Vic tor;y μi World War II 

am Ita RalatiYelz Small Cost 

1. a. 'l'he Bearings held ~J and the Reports ot the Joint Congressional 

Committee an the lnTeatigation ot t.ba Pearl Bar:bor Attack are replete 111.th 

references to tJ:e nature and value of the large amount ot signal intell.1-

181C• procbicli:l by the 01'7Ptanal)'tic semcea o! the Army am the Navy bef'ore 

the attack. ·The tesUJaony ot all the important am h1gh-nmk1ng witnesses 

~·~ the MaJ.9,:~~1::!!9 ~bal'act•ri!9. ~. their ...,rt (p. 2S3) the signal 1nte111- · gence aa •some tit ~:tJ.nest. 1nt8llttence· &Yailable in our history.n An 

excellent summary statement appears ~ p. 232 ot the saae reportr 

b. Perhaps the most valuable testimony as to the value of the signal 

intelligence produced bJ' t.he Arrq am the Navy betore and during t'1orld War II 

is found in the lsttar tilich General Marshall, Chief o! Sta.rt, wrote to Mr. 

Devey on 27 September l9b4. 

c. The present Director ot In'tel.ligence, woos, who serYed throughout the war in the Pacitic as G-3 on General MacArthur's starr., has recaitly 

stated: 

"The information 0-2 gave G-3 in the Pacific Theater alone saved 

us many thousands of l1 ves and shortened the war by no less than tvo 

7ears." 

2. ASsum:i.llg the last statement. Yalid1 aDi with the knowledge that the 

information to which refe.rmce was made consisted al.most exclusively of 

signal int~e, it tollovs that tbe operat.ions and results produced 'r¥:f 

our Sign&! iience ageacies shortened the var °'i¥3' no lssa tban two ;years. 

A rough calcul.ation may therefore be nade as to the monetary value or signal 

intelligence by comparing the cost of p:rod.ucing that intelligence vi.th the 

cost ot maintaining a fighting &1"m7 tor two years. It will be warranted to 

select the la st tvo l'e&r9 or the war as a basis tor calcula Uon. 

3. a. C&sh spent tor operations ot Signal Security Aganc7, Washington: 

n 191'S---------------· 114,•o,2.34 

FI 1946-···· ·-····· ........... ·--. 9,107,124 

Total for bot.h years ----- ••• -82J,9k713S8 

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\ Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 11-22-2013 pursuant to E .0. 1352fJ 
REF ID:A66394 

TC?' ::::> ·i:~a I;-~ 0 .a:. 

b. Eltimatal cost of pay and allowances tar milltar,y personnel a.t 

Signal Seouri t)" Agency. :.Vashington I 

FI 1945--------------------·····----f S,S24,626 

FI 1946----------------------------- 31 337,494 

Total tor both years --···--··-·-···• 818621120 

c. Oest ot plant, Arlington Hall Stationtt 

Original real estate ----------t 6.$0,0CO 

Furnishings with purchase --- 401 000 

New construction ------------------- 560,~ 

Total cost -------·-··--------3 6,250,000 

*Bo deduction is JrBde f'or normal depreciation. 

d. Cost o~ supr-lies and services (estimate): 

Requisitions through supply --------$ 21 .5'001 000 

Branch 

C~unications serv-1...ce for ------ 21000,000 

t.wo years 

Total cost -------------------------$ 4,500,000 

e~ Est.ima.t.ed cost of overseas operations 

b ... or two years a.t •2,soo,000 per year _. ..;S,000,000 

Recanitulation 

a-------· . -------123,947,JSS 

b ~-~-----...---.... ~--------.... -- 8,862,120 

c ---------·· --------~- •• ---- 6,2SO,ooo d ______ .___.....~----... --...- -- -- 4,,S00,000 

• ---..-----.... ···-- -----~---~---- S,tX>O,ooo 

Total cost tor two yaars -------- •-146,5$9,478 

4. Sinee it is difficult to state how much of tha COMDT provided 

oYerseas comman:l s was produced b7 the Anq and how much b7 the NaV)", it will 

be assumed. tba t. both Senices contributed equal.17 in tbis regard. ilso1 it. 

is aasuaed that t.he Oos\ ot operating the Rav;r CO}t.INT service vu approxillateq the same as tbat of the A"t117, that is, apprmd.matel.7 $481 $91478. 

Calling it $5010001000 tor each Senice; the total: cost was $10010001000. 

S. '1'be total appropr.l.ations tar the tvo Serrioes to.,- the FY 194S and 

1946 were as tollovaa 

. 

2 
REF ID:A66394 

Ar&T 194S· ·-------· • ·------ ·41S,43S,ooo ,ooo Na'"17 JSbS------- ·------- .... 29149.3,0001 000 

Ant7 1946---------- -------·-···-- 21,497,000,000 NaTy' 1946--·····---.-·-·--------------- 23,477,000,000 

To\al --------------------------------as9,902,ooo,ooo 

Approxima\el1' ••••• • ····--··-··-- 90100010001000 

Add tor other quas1-milita17 

tunet1ona carried on for 

activities directl.7 connected 

vi.th the war----------- ··-:$lo,ooo,ooo,ooo 

Total -----·-· ----------··· ... 100100010001000 

6. Ratio of total cost of COMINT Services to total cost ot war for 

two years1 

$100,000,000 = 1 ;noo,000,000,000 ram 

That is, one dollar spent COMINT-vise is worth One thousand spent otbervlse. 

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~n his recently published memoirs, WL~ston Churchill tersely appraises 

the contribution of communication intelligence in these guarded comments 

on the battle of Eidway, which I quote: 

11 It is difficult to exaggerate the iIJ¥>ortance of this memorable American 

victory, not only to the United States, but to the whole allied cause. 

,/?ne American intelligence system was successful in penetrating.the 

enemy's most closely guarded secrets well in advance of events.~ ./ 

·~-A~al Nimit~,- -a:i_beit--tlie weaker, was tWice able to concentrate all 

the forces he had in sufficient strength at the right time and place. 

/When the hour str11_2,k_ this .proved decisive. 5'(, / .. _---..... _________ ----- - - - ----------/ 

hie importance~ secrec:z ~~~consequences£! leakage~ information 

in war are here proclaimed. 11 

~--- . 1C. --:--.... Unquote. ~, 

' 

'------· 
The ottici&l narratift o! the Joint Combat Int.elllgence Center, Paaitic 

Ocean Areas, in COIDmlting on this eng&g91nBJ!tf _ coata1ns aome interesting 

rmarkB on the ro1e or radio 1ntelligenc1J in the Paoi.fio ~. 

mi.. taotan that Yi\all.J at!'ected the bat tJ.a of ?'11.dMay' ,..... many and 

~i., but, it 1• undoubtedly ~ that without radio 1nte111.genc• it 

.,uld have been Uzpoajbl e to have achined the ooncentra Uon of taroea 

md the t.a.ot1c&l. ~ that •de the victory pouible. 

•In the datenai.Te stages of the var, radio intelligence was not onl1" 

tha a>at ~ .:>urce o! intelligence in the Centnl Paciric - • 

it w.s practically the only sotroe. 

"'nle:re WC"e TIIr7 rw e11ptlred ~a or pnsoners of ~. 

"'l'ben wm-e no pho\ogt"'aphs of enam;y held poeiUona. 

•rn the c..tral. Paci.f'1c mludinc \be Sol-. and ?lev !H.v..t.. apiee 

and oout vatohtlrs' report.a MTW ~u.d mt iJlportant. in\eliigenoe." 

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