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Grid computing cracks Nazi codes

By Derek Sooman

On March 2, 2006, 2:12 PM

A grid of internet-linked home computers has been successful in cracking some elusive WWII German ciphers. Codes that resisted the best efforts of the Allied cryptographers have been cracked by Stefan Krah, a German-born violinist with an interest in cryptography, using the grid. The project, named M4, in honour of the M4 Enigma machine that originally encoded the ciphers, uses a combination of brute force and algorithmic attempts to crack the codes.

Unencrypted and translated into English, the message suddenly comes to life:

"Forced to submerge during attack. Depth charges. Last enemy position 0830h AJ 9863, [course] 220 degrees, [speed] 8 knots. [I am] following [the enemy]. [barometer] falls 14 mb, [wind] nor-nor-east, [force] 4, visibility 10 [nautical miles]."

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7 comments

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  1. March 2, 2006 4:48 PM
    mentaljedi said:
    it took them this long? Wow. Smart germans. No wonder they were able to take over most of europe. Unfort for them, us brits were smarter. And we did it without the atom-bomb!
    Reply
  2. March 2, 2006 5:49 PM
    smtkr said:
    Oh, that's what they teach you in school? That the British defeated the nazis? Ha.
    Reply
  3. March 2, 2006 6:14 PM
    Kaleid said:
    Not all by themselves. Russians did most of the work believe it or not. But kudos to everyone involved bringing the third reich down!
    Reply
  4. March 2, 2006 8:53 PM
    crossfire851 said:
    Hey, us Americans have always (and almost all the time seceded) in being on top of the technological age, so don't hate us for the A-bomb.
    Reply
  5. March 3, 2006 3:46 AM
    spike said:
    Not suprising given that you US folk are the descendants of brittish refugees J/k
    Reply
  6. March 3, 2006 8:48 AM
    bushwhacker said:
    Too late for German. The ww2 end in 1942. Yay for the peace!Crossfire, you mean hiroshima bomb.
    Reply
  7. March 3, 2006 3:45 PM
    PanicX said:
    Yes! We finally know where they are, fire more depth charges!!!
    Reply

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