https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67997406
We are all seeing this on some sort of computer, this is a great, great grandparent.
dave
We are all seeing this on some sort of computer, this is a great, great grandparent.
dave
There is a fully working replica of Colossus at the National Computing Museum Bletchley Park. I saw it running when it was first built some years ago. The "data " was fed to it via a long reel of paper tape running
over several sprockets. The sprocket drive holes were read to form the machines "clock". It was quite an amazing sight to see the tape loop whizzing round.
over several sprockets. The sprocket drive holes were read to form the machines "clock". It was quite an amazing sight to see the tape loop whizzing round.
I have to wonder why it was kept secret for so long! What, 60 years? Is there some particular cleverness in it compared to modern computers? Politicians (Especially Oxford educated, rather than Cambridge and London...) are notoriously bad at Science....
The Americans claim to have invented the first Electronic Computer (ENIAC 1945), but it was Colossus (1944). Alan Turing played a part too.
Apparently Bletchley Park intercepted the Japanese communications at the Battle of Midway (1942?). Thus telling the Cousins exactly where the Japanese Carriers at Midway were.
They did the same at the Tank Battle of Kursk (1944?). Telling the Russians exactly where the Third Reich was going to attack. Result! Leave the "Cloak and Dagger" stuff to the British.
The Americans claim to have invented the first Electronic Computer (ENIAC 1945), but it was Colossus (1944). Alan Turing played a part too.
Apparently Bletchley Park intercepted the Japanese communications at the Battle of Midway (1942?). Thus telling the Cousins exactly where the Japanese Carriers at Midway were.
They did the same at the Tank Battle of Kursk (1944?). Telling the Russians exactly where the Third Reich was going to attack. Result! Leave the "Cloak and Dagger" stuff to the British.
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The Colosuss was designed to help with decoding messages sent by Hitler to his generals. He used the Lorenz coding machine which was
more advanced than the Enigma. At the end of WWII the russians captured a number of these machines and its probable that they used
them or machines based on them. Colosuss was kept secret from them and was again probably used to decode russian messages. I say
probably because its never been revealed what they were used for after the war. I think they were in use at GCHQ until the 1960's.
more advanced than the Enigma. At the end of WWII the russians captured a number of these machines and its probable that they used
them or machines based on them. Colosuss was kept secret from them and was again probably used to decode russian messages. I say
probably because its never been revealed what they were used for after the war. I think they were in use at GCHQ until the 1960's.
One reason thet we kept everything secret for so long was that many countries adopted varieties of Enigma or Lorentz after the war, believing them to be secure. This allowed us to read communications with existing equipment for many years."I have to wonder why it was kept secret for so long! What, 60 years? Is there some particular cleverness in it compared to modern computers? Politicians (Especially Oxford educated, rather than Cambridge and London...) are notoriously bad at Science...."
One example of intelligence not being passed on may have been the Luftwaffe raid on Coventry; if the British has warned the city about it, or moved extra AA guns etc, the Germans would have guessed that Enigma had been cracked. An awful decision to have to make.
IIRC this was covered in R V Jones' marvellous "Most Secret War" book, still a great read.
Geoff
IIRC this was covered in R V Jones' marvellous "Most Secret War" book, still a great read.
Geoff
2 books which may be of interest to anyone wanting to know more about Colussus.
" Colossus 1943-1996 " by Tony Sale the man who built the clone. This is a basic but concise overview and is available from Bletchley Park.
"From Fish to Colossus - How the German Lorenz cipher was broken at Bletchley Park" by Harvey G Cragon. This is very much more
comprehensive and detailed but no longer available from Bletchley Park where i got my copy. I have seen copies on ebay etc.
" Colossus 1943-1996 " by Tony Sale the man who built the clone. This is a basic but concise overview and is available from Bletchley Park.
"From Fish to Colossus - How the German Lorenz cipher was broken at Bletchley Park" by Harvey G Cragon. This is very much more
comprehensive and detailed but no longer available from Bletchley Park where i got my copy. I have seen copies on ebay etc.
I visited bletchly park museum some years ago. Included was a presentation be a gentlemen that talked about the various aspects how enigma was cracked. In the middle of the speech i suddenly understood that many of the mistakes germans did was
applicable today such as bad key handling, repeated use of keys, human mistakes etc.
Reminded me of GSM touted as unbreakable but later exposed as worthless and "security by obscurity".
I also talked to an elderly gentlemen at a wartime radio set exposition. He told me that "those radios needed valve replacements during flights, we has spares with us in the wellingtons". That encounter gave me some perspective.
applicable today such as bad key handling, repeated use of keys, human mistakes etc.
Reminded me of GSM touted as unbreakable but later exposed as worthless and "security by obscurity".
I also talked to an elderly gentlemen at a wartime radio set exposition. He told me that "those radios needed valve replacements during flights, we has spares with us in the wellingtons". That encounter gave me some perspective.
