Enigma Cipher challenge

[defcom]

For those who are familiar to the Enigma Cipher Machine, there's a new codebreakers challenge on Dirk's website. The Enigma cipher challenge gives you the chance to show your code breaking skills. There are ten stages, each one a bit more difficult to solve. The content of the messages you have to break are based on real events in WW2.

More info at this page:

http://users.telenet.be/d.rijmenants/en/challenge.htm

Get your name in the Table Of Honor !!!

[JBClark]

This is pretty interesting. Since the challenge requires the ability to translate German to English, and since I don't speak a word of German, I'll probably pass.

But if you are interested in this kind of thing, I have a great book recommendation. I am currently re-reading Neal Stevenson's "Cryptonomicon." This is a pretty big novel that takes place in two time frames: WWII and ~today. It is well researched historical fiction that also makes a larger point (continuing Stevenson's ongoing theme from his other fine books) about commerce and the value of information. The main theme is cryptography and it includes some fictional but well researched and hilarious scenes on a German U-Boat. In the book its U-691, a Type IXD/42 that in real life was laid down but never completed. There are a lot of Enigma encrypted exchanges between Kaptain Bichoff and Uncle Karl, along these lines: (my paraphrasing, the actual text is funny.)

B: We sank another merchant.
K: Good work, keep it up.
B: Sank two more merchants, then the airplanes were on us immediately. We lost 3 men.
K: Great work, keep it up.
B: Airplanes keep finding us, are you sure this Enigma thing works?
K: Don't worry about the Enigma, its great.
B: I don't know, we were attacked again in the middle of nowhere. I don't trust this thing.

This is a wonderful novel, very funny and without a doubt it provided the most fun I have ever had with a book. The events are all plausable but the characters have a sense of humor and appreciation of irony that reminds me of Monty Python. And a higher recommendation I cannot make.

Unless you are already a crypto pro you will probably come away from this book with a vastly improved understanding of cryptography. Read it, you'll thank me.

JBC

[tbarak]

This is pretty interesting. Since the challenge requires the ability to translate German to English, and since I don't speak a word of German, I'll probably pass.

LOL...one the one hand I understand and on the other, hmmm, with all the challenges of decyphering, you'd think a language translation is the least of your worries. :rotfl:

But I understand since of course decyphering actual war transmissions is pretty cool, but for non-German speakers without a realiable translation, it isn't much fun.

[defcom]

The translation won't be any problem, since there is a tips page, which explain pretty much all the words you come across in the messages...

http://users.telenet.be/d.rijmenants/en/tips.htm

Piece of cake

[Karl-Heinz Jaeger]

If you are interested in deciphering the messages, but put off by the German translation then check this little gem of a site out.

http://babelfish.altavista.com/

For all your translation needs, enjoy.

[defcom]

In general, all German words can be found in the 'tips' page, on the challenge site