Comments on: UK stumped by lost WWII coded message

By: bowser

bowser — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 19:27:26 +0000

So they carried the pigeons with them, and probably the one-time pads. Otherwise the pigeons which were shot down would have their messages read.

That pigeon was one determined bird. It never fails to amaze me how we humans take advantage of some animals instincts, not necessarily to their disadvantage.

Though Cher Ami didn’t do so well.

Thanks for the information.

By: podrock

podrock — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 01:53:10 +0000

Just came across this, remembered the thread, thought you'd be interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cher_Ami

By: TB

TB — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 17:01:16 +0000

It says…

“Send out a different pigeon next time. This idiot bird keeps flying down chimneys.”

By: bowser

bowser — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 04:59:09 +0000

They run through all of those cypher combinations looking for results which make some sense. I’m sure they have algorithms which help, but they have brute force capability which can be assisted.

At least that’s what I’ve always assumed.

By: RobVG

RobVG — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 00:42:20 +0000

After a little googling I found this Block Cipher Example: For example, suppose the permutation was XJEIOLUBGCDWZA YTFPSKMNQRHV This could be made into a 3x3x3 array: X I U C Z Y P M R J O B D A T S N H E L G W F K Q V and the indices easily read off as row, column, layer (each indexed 0,1 2), so that T for example corresponds to (1,2,1).

By: ER

ER — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 20:31:46 +0000

I know pigeons were used in WWI to communicate between the front and HQ where there were no telephone lines. By WWII, semi-portable (about the size of a briefcase) radios were already in common use. The logistics of delivering and keeping pigeons seems awfully awkward for a secret agent working behind the lines. Keeping, hiding or disguising pigeons sounds even harder than concealing a radio.

As for how the pigeons are trained, I don’t know.

By: bowser

bowser — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 19:43:29 +0000

Do they raise a pigeon in one place, train it to return home, and then parachute it into resistance forces? Then those people have to keep the pigeon around until they want to send a message?

Wouldn’t a pigeon attract attention? I suspect that if someone started keeping pigeons around the authorities would figure that out or someone would tell them. A pigeon isn’t the most discreet critter to have around.

When I think about it using pigeons seems to be awkward.

Of course they could drop the one-time pad at the same time the deliver the pigeon, so that part would be practical.

Then they must have to send three or four pigeons to make sure one gets through.

By: ER

ER — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 14:30:25 +0000

that is only useful or significant when related to other messages, something like

“The Cherbourg train departs the Paris station at 0100 hours every Monday and Thursday.”

By: bowser

bowser — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 07:07:33 +0000

Fascinating story, really. Clearly a one-time pad.

By: RobVG

RobVG — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 03:31:36 +0000