Technology and Operations
This forum is for discussing technological & operational matters pertaining to U-boats.
Re: Radio Communication
Posted by:
SnakeDoc
()
Date: September 17, 2015 07:59AM
Hi,
markos88 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I. In 1942, Allied intelligence intercepted
> German spies in Mexico using ham radio
> transmitters. the spies sent information about
> shipping and Allied weapons & tactics. I presume
> these Mexican spies did not have Enigma machines -
> Did they use another secret code? Did they
> transmit directly to the Abwehr headquarters in
> Hamburg, the Kriegsmarine in Lorient France or
> directly to U-boats in the Gulf and Caribbean?
I guess you mean "Operation BolĂvar"
[en.wikipedia.org]
It seems, that spies were using ham-radio to contact
with HQ in Argentina, which relayed the information
directly to the Abwehr HQ (Berlin, Tirpitzufer).
On the other hand, in this document:
[www.nsa.gov]
they say, that there were also other radio-stations in Brazil,
which were transmitting directly to the Germany.
Regarding encryption - in the latter document they say, that
agents in Brazil used Enigma. So I guess, that for local communication,
spies used some other codes (code-books) and only while transmitting
information to the Germany, they were encrypted with Enigma.
> II. Did U-boats at sea always use Enigma codes or
> was that just for certain secret transmissions?
> (e.g. did they get & receive news from home using
> regular Morse or a secret code that was not
> Enigma?)
All communication from and to the U-Boats were encrypted with Enigma.
However, as far as I know, there were some exceptional cases, when
message was sent without encryption: when the U-Boat was sinking after
emergency surfacing (the abandon the ship order was given and was no time
to encode the message).
--
Regards
Maciek
[www.tvre.org]
markos88 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I. In 1942, Allied intelligence intercepted
> German spies in Mexico using ham radio
> transmitters. the spies sent information about
> shipping and Allied weapons & tactics. I presume
> these Mexican spies did not have Enigma machines -
> Did they use another secret code? Did they
> transmit directly to the Abwehr headquarters in
> Hamburg, the Kriegsmarine in Lorient France or
> directly to U-boats in the Gulf and Caribbean?
I guess you mean "Operation BolĂvar"
[en.wikipedia.org]
It seems, that spies were using ham-radio to contact
with HQ in Argentina, which relayed the information
directly to the Abwehr HQ (Berlin, Tirpitzufer).
On the other hand, in this document:
[www.nsa.gov]
they say, that there were also other radio-stations in Brazil,
which were transmitting directly to the Germany.
Regarding encryption - in the latter document they say, that
agents in Brazil used Enigma. So I guess, that for local communication,
spies used some other codes (code-books) and only while transmitting
information to the Germany, they were encrypted with Enigma.
> II. Did U-boats at sea always use Enigma codes or
> was that just for certain secret transmissions?
> (e.g. did they get & receive news from home using
> regular Morse or a secret code that was not
> Enigma?)
All communication from and to the U-Boats were encrypted with Enigma.
However, as far as I know, there were some exceptional cases, when
message was sent without encryption: when the U-Boat was sinking after
emergency surfacing (the abandon the ship order was given and was no time
to encode the message).
--
Regards
Maciek
[www.tvre.org]
Subject | Written By | Posted |
---|---|---|
Radio Communication | markos88 | 09/17/2015 12:29AM |
Re: Radio Communication | SnakeDoc | 09/17/2015 07:59AM |
Re: Radio Communication | Ken Dunn | 09/17/2015 12:08PM |
Re: Radio Communication | markos88 | 09/17/2015 09:28PM |
Re: Radio Communication | markos88 | 09/17/2015 09:29PM |