Enigma-B

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The Enigma-B (also: Enigma B ) is an early model of the Enigma rotor key machine .

history

In the long history of the different Enigma models , the Enigma-B, introduced late in 1924, was the fourth model chronologically (see also: family tree of the Enigma under web links ). In contrast to the "writing Enigma cipher machines", namely the so-called " trading machine" from 1923 and the " writing Enigma " from 1924, it was the second so-called "incandescent lamp cipher machine ". Like its immediate predecessor, Enigma-A , it did not use type levers , but light bulbs .

There were two different model variants of the Enigma-B, referred to in English-language literature as the Mark I and Mark II . The first had, similar to the Enigma-A, a two-row keyboard and a two-row lamp field. The second consisted of three rows of buttons, three rows of lamps and finally the set of rollers (from front to back) - an appearance very similar to that known from all later models.

Another important difference between the two variants was that - as with the Enigma-A - only a total of three rotors (two through rollers plus reversing roller) of the Mark I in contrast to the four rollers (three through rollers plus reversing roller) of the Mark II . The reversing roller (VHF) was no longer visible from the outside and no longer rotated (fixed VHF). The three rotating rollers each had 28 positions (and not 26, like later models). 

 A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J
  K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S
   T   U   V   X   Y   Z   Å   Ä   Ö

On November 13, 1924, such a machine was offered to the Swedish General Staff. In addition to the letters Ä and Ö, also used in Swedish , it also showed the letter Å . There were no Ü and W. The latter was replaced by VV if necessary.

literature

  • Anders Wik: The First Classical Enigmas - Swedish Views on Enigma Development 1924–1930. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Historical Cryptology, PDF; 12.5 MB 2018, pp. 83-88.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Anders Wik: The First Classical Enigmas - Swedish Views on Enigma Development 1924–1930. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Historical Cryptology , PDF; 12.5 MB 2018, p. 85.
  2. ↑ Enigma B in the Crypto Museum (English) accessed on February 20, 2019.