rotor wheel

English translation: the symbols on the wheels of the Enigma encoding machine

11:18 Feb 13, 2008
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
History
English term or phrase: rotor wheel
The U-boats kept their keys to the Enigma, the position of the rotor wheels, on a water-soluble piece of paper
with water-soluble ink.
Dorota Nowakówna
Poland
Local time: 20:37
Selected answer:the symbols on the wheels of the Enigma encoding machine
Explanation:
U-boats received messages which were encoded by a special machine and could only be decoded by another such machine. The encoding was based on a number of rotor wheels being set to a certain position relative to each other. The system was finally broken by a British team at Bletchley Park, and the subsequent ability to read encoded German messages was a great help to the British war effort.
Selected response from:

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:37
Grading comment
Thank you! :)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +4the symbols on the wheels of the Enigma encoding machine
Jack Doughty
4 +3part of an Enigma codeing machine
Ken Cox
4unknown
Andrey Belousov (X)


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
unknown


Explanation:
smth., you can only guess about, never certain....

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Note added at 5 mins (2008-02-13 11:23:51 GMT)
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and the word preceeding the phrase only works for this apprehension.... IMHO.

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Note added at 6 mins (2008-02-13 11:24:32 GMT)
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preceding

Andrey Belousov (X)
United States
Local time: 15:37
Native speaker of: Russian
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
the symbols on the wheels of the Enigma encoding machine


Explanation:
U-boats received messages which were encoded by a special machine and could only be decoded by another such machine. The encoding was based on a number of rotor wheels being set to a certain position relative to each other. The system was finally broken by a British team at Bletchley Park, and the subsequent ability to read encoded German messages was a great help to the British war effort.

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:37
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 32
Grading comment
Thank you! :)
Notes to answerer
Asker: The system was broken by Poles :)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  salavat
8 mins
  -> Thank you.

agree  V_Nedkov
31 mins
  -> Thank you.

agree  Dave Calderhead: very full but concise explanation, Jack. I think you've cracked it!
35 mins
  -> Thank you. I worked at GCHQ for two years, but not on anything comparable to this.

agree  Patricia Townshend (X)
3 hrs
  -> Thank you.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
part of an Enigma codeing machine


Explanation:
see e.g.:

Enigma rotor details - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The left side of an Enigma rotor, showing the flat electrical contacts. .... The third wheel and the UKW would step in the normal fashion with Enigma ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enigma_rotor_details

Enigma machine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The four-wheel Swiss Enigma K, made in Germany, used re-wired rotors. ..... Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enigma_machine

Enigma - Tourism - a Wikia wiki
Enigma (Wikipedia) was a World War II-era rotor machine used by Nazi Germany, ... Science Museum, London. The museum has a three-wheel Enigma on display. ...
tourism.wikia.com/wiki/Enigma

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Note added at 12 mins (2008-02-13 11:30:34 GMT)
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*coding*

Ken Cox
Local time: 20:37
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  salavat
8 mins

agree  V_Nedkov
31 mins

agree  Dave Calderhead
36 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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