The Enigma was one of the best of the new electromechanical cipher machines produced for the commercial market in the 1920s. Hugo Koch, a Dutchman,conceived of the machine in 1919. Arthur Scherbius first produced it commerciallyin 1923. Impressed by its security, which was based on statistical analysis, theGerman government acquired all rights to the machine and adapted it to the needsof its new, modern military forces. It became the standard cipher machine of themilitary services, of German agents, and of the secret police. It was also used at allechelons from high command to front-line tactical units including individualairplanes, tanks, and ships. An ordinary three-wheel Enigma with reflector and sixplug connections generated the following number of coding positions: 3,283,883,513,796,974,198,700,882,069,882,752,878,379,955,261,095,623,685, 444,055,315,226,006,433,616,627,409,666,933,182,371,154,802,769,920,000, 000,000 Given this statistical capability, proper communications procedures and practices,and the fact that solving the Enigma on a timely basis would require rapid analyticmachinery which did not exist, the Germans regarded the Enigma as impenetrableeven if captured. The Germans, however, did not always practice propercommunications security, and, more importantly, the Allies, even in 1938-39, wereon the verge of creating the necessary cryptanalytic machinery which would unlockthe Enigma's secrets. The evolution of this technology and its application were majorcontributing factors to the ultimate Allied victory in World War II....
