Beurling.

This is coolbert:

“I have met many gifted persons in my day, but only one genius. I need not mention his name.” - - Ake Lundqvist.

“He was a demi-god, so I was very proud.” - - Gunnar Blom.

Here is more on Arne Beurling.

If the Swedish accounts of the "breaking" of the geheimschreiber machine are true and factual, then this feat of Mr. Arne must standout as perhaps the GREATEST cryptanalytic achievement of ALL TIME.



"cryptanalyst n : decoder skilled in the analysis of codes and cryptograms"

In contrast to cryptanalytic counter-parts in a variety of nations, Mr. Arne did NOT have or had access to:

* A team of mathematicians to aid him??

* An abundance of traffic available for analysis [Arne had only one days worth].

* A knowledge of the cryptographic algorithm being used.

* A "peek" at the machine itself.

* An abundance of "machines" [Hollerith processors] to aid the analytical process.

* Collateral intelligence that could aid in the cryptanalytic effort.

Keep in mind that the geheimschreiber was considered by the German to be secure by a magnitude beyond that of the ENIGMA machine already in operation.

Mr. Arne reached a general solution in TWO WEEKS!!

Whoa boy!!

Consider that:

* The American TEAM of mathematicians that "broke" the Japanese PURPLE machine took eighteen months to do so.

* The Polish, French [for a short time], and then the British could "read" ENIGMA, but then only after years of effort, accompanied by the fruits of espionage [agent "Asche"], manuals, schematics, captured working machines, keylists, "peeks", working aids, an abundance of encrypted traffic, and TEAMS of mathematicians working in concert, etc.

The efforts of American, Polish, French, and British cryptanalysts would seem TO PALE IN COMPARISON with the efforts and achievement of Arne Beurling!!??

Let me offer a suggestion here as to what may have also been in play and NOT acknowledged.

[and never will be acknowledged either!!]

In the years prior to WW2, the Russian emigre' Boris Hagelin set up shop in Sweden. Manufactured and sold WORLD WIDE his Hagelin cryptographic machines. A competitor to the commercial version of the ENIGMA. As a normal course of his business, Boris WOULD HAVE HAD TO BEEN conversant in all the latest cryptographic developments and advancement on an again, WORLD WIDE BASIS. Perhaps whatever information Boris was able to glean was passed on to Arne? I am only speculating here!

Arne Beurling. Crypto genius numero uno??!! Perhaps!!

coolbert.

Geheim!

This is coolbert:

Let me qualify my last blog entry by saying that it took Arne Beurling TWO WEEKS and not TWO DAYS to arrive at a general solution to the geheimschreiber. That is still a remarkable accomplishment.

During the years of World War Two [WW2] both General Mannerheim and General Rommel were credited with having what can be described as almost super-cognition powers. Bordering upon the uncanny. Were able to "know" the intentions of the enemy in advance and take proper measures.

Well, there was nothing uncanny about any of it.

Arne Beurling again, contributed mightily to the abilities of the Finns to hold off Soviet invasion in 1940.

Beurling and a colleague were able to read Soviet enciphered code and pass ACTIONABLE intelligence to the Finns in time. This is where Mannerheim got his remarkable ability of pre-cognition from.

"At the outbreak of WWII, Arne Beurling was assigned to study Russian transmissions. To assist him in this task, he has Ake Lundqvist (mentioned above). Arne's section succeeds in deciphering 10,400 of the Russian Baltic Navy's telegrams. The Russians used a four-digit code (which was broken by Gosta Wollbeck and Olle Sydow) and an “additively super-enciphered five-digit code” (which was broken by Beurling and Lundqvist)."

Rommel also was receiving, during the early stages of the North African campaign, daily intelligence that was the result of German crypto-busting.

The German DID have SOME successes with cryptanalysis during WW2.

WERE able to read enciphered code of both the British Navy and American military attaches'.

The messages of the latter, sent from Cairo, provided the proverbial gold-mine of actionable intelligence when "read" by German interceptors. Rommel based many of his early successes upon the intelligence gleaned from the very judicious and detailed reporting of the American military attache' in Cairo. This attache', providing daily reports to Washington D.C., also, without his knowing it, provided the same to Rommel. Reports so detailed that the normal intelligence activities of the Afrika Corps were superfluous.

"Fellers [the American attache'] was sending one telegram after another to Washington. He fairly outdid himself in his reporting. He ranged all over the battle area, saw and heard everything, knew all preparations, every intention, every movement of the British forces and transmitted it all to the United States. The German intercept station promptly copied his messae, sent it by teletype to Berlin where it was deciphered and sent by the speediest possible route to Rommel. That took only a few hours. By now the system had been completely solved."

OH MY!

Enciphered code is generally categorized as a high-level system. Still, was "readable", to the belated chagrin of many. This sort of this happened over and over during WW2.

coolbert.

Cursed?

This is coolbert:

"And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse." - - Genesis 12; 1-3:

It is generally accepted that during World War Two [WW2], the German nation DID have very good engineers. Had some very radical and innovative designs for WAR MACHINES. Tanks [Tiger], aircraft [jets], submarines [hydrogen-peroxide], etc. State-of-the-art equipment that was ahead of their opponents sometimes in a very marked manner.

The German nation is also accepted to have been DEFICIENT in some very essential and critical areas as well. Areas that were to play a very crucial role in the war. These areas included:

* The entire field of intelligence.

* Physics. [I am thinking development of the atomic bomb here.]

* Mathematics. [crucial to the field of cryptology.]

Cryptology, the making and breaking of codes and ciphers, WAS a weak spot throughout the war for the Germans.

WERE NOT able to penetrate and "read" the high-level codes and ciphers of the allies or the Soviets.

WERE ALSO NOT able to construct their OWN cryptographic systems that were SECURE. HERE I am of course referring here to the entire German debacle with the ENIGMA system.

The ability of the allies to read ENIGMA encrypted messages all throughout the war with IMPUNITY has been touched upon by many authorities.

It also seems that another German machine cryptographic system was vulnerable during the war. NOT as well known as ENIGMA. A system that was designed to be MORE secure than ENIGMA. Supposed to be an advancement of a magnitude beyond the ENIGMA. Thought to be so by the German. But was not. This was the geheimschreiber [secret writer]. An on-line cryptographic machine used to secure land-line teletype communications. Long-haul, bread and butter type of communications used for strategic communications of the highest level authorities of the Reich.

The Swedes in particular were responsible for the "breaking" of the geheimschreiber. Remarkably so for a nation usually considered to be a minor-league player on the world stage.

All the result of a Swedish mathematician named Arne Beurling. A man who arrived at a general solution to the geheimschreiber cryptographic machine in TWO DAYS!!!

Read about this astounding feat of Mr. Arne here in this excellent web article.

[the British were ALSO able to "read" this German cryptographic system. To what extent the same as the Swedes is unclear. It is clear the Mr. Arne devised a general solution different from the British, but still effective. Maybe more so!!??]

[that the Swedes could "read" this German secure traffic was a secret for a long time. At least as long [30 years] as the successful effort to conceal knowledge of the ENIGMA secret from the general public. That again of itself is amazing.]

NOW, back to "bless me, I bless you, curse me, I curse you".

According to the world renowned physicist Freeman Dyson, the Germans during the period of WW2 DID have good engineers, but did not have enough world class physicists and mathematicians. Both were vital to war effort. Mathematicians in particular being need to develop SECURE cryptographic systems that would be relatively invulnerable to enemy snooping.

In the decade prior to the outbreak of WW2, the TOP physicists and mathematicians in Germany WERE JEWISH. Persons that fled the country as a result of Nazi repression. Leaving behind a vacuum that could not be filled. Especially in those two fields where their skills were so needed. As with devising SECURE crypto systems.

Such as WAS NOT the case with the geheimschreiber!!

"Bless me, I bless you, curse me, I curse you". YOU decide!!

coolbert.

Road to Hell III. [Conclusion]

This is coolbert:

Here is yet another example of how military units, road-bound and without an ability to maneuver, can be defeated by more adept and resourceful opposition.

The Finnish Motti.

"Motti is Finnish military slang for an encircled enemy unit, or the tactic of encircling it."

The Finns, in the Winter War of 1940, had repeated success in defeating road bound Soviet military columns. Soviet troops, lavishly equipped but whose movement was confined, found themselves at the mercy of determined, mobile, well-led Finnish ski troops.

Ponderous Soviet mechanized and armored columns, totally road bound, NO room for maneuver, found themselves beset by Finnish units just much more prepared, able, and proficient for the type of warfare fought in the heavily forested terrain of Finland.

[John Keegan rates the Finns as the best soldiers of World War Two [WW2]. The Finns too were provided with very good intelligence thanks to the cryptanalytic work of the Swede Arne Beurling.]

Trevor Dupuy would have said the Finns excelled over the Soviets because:

* [Finnish] leaders were more flexible, aggressive, and dynamic.

* [Finnish] doctrine, and its execution were better.

* More adaptable [the Finns.

* [AND, performed team tasks better.]

Soviet commanders in all likelihood were just largely inexperienced, inept, bound by inappropriate doctrine, pig-headed and under orders from a higher command [Stalin] totally out of touch with reality.

Extracts from the wiki say it best:

"This tactic of envelopment was used extensively by the Finnish forces in the Winter War . . . A motti is a double envelopment manoeuvre, using the ability of light troops to travel over rough ground to encircle an enemy restricted to open terrain or roads. Heavily outnumbered but mobile forces could easily immobilize an enemy many times more numerous."

[first, the head and tail of the road-bound Soviet column was simultaneously attacked, forward and backward movement becoming impossible.]

"The idea is to cut the enemy columns or units into smaller groups and then encircle them with light and mobile forces - such as ski-troops during winter. This turned out to be especially effective against some of the mechanized units of the Soviet Army, as they were effectively restricted to the roads. The Finnish troops on the other hand could move quickly through the forests and strike weak points. The smaller pockets of enemies could then be dealt with individually by concentrating forces against them."

[Right!! Those Soviet units confined to the roads had to guard against attack from all directions. Could NOT use their manpower or firepower advantage in a concerted manner either for defense or offense. The Finns could concentrate their forces, choosing the time and place for attack.]

"If the encircled enemy unit was too strong, or if attacking it would have entailed an unacceptably high cost, e.g. because of a lack of heavy equipment, the motti was usually left to 'cook' until it ran out of food, fuel, supplies and ammunition and was weakened enough to be eliminated. Some of the larger mottis held out until the end of the war, because they were resupplied by air."

"The largest motti battles in the Winter War occurred at the Battle of Suomussalmi. Three Finnish regiments enveloped and destroyed two Soviet divisions (already in retreat) as well as a tank brigade trapped on a road."



[the Finns in this instance had to be outnumbered at least MORE than two to one, with the firepower advantage overwhelmingly in favor of the Soviets. That did not deter the Finns even in the slightest manner!!]

At Suomussalmi, the opponents had at their disposal:

* Finns - - Three regiments and separate battalions (11,000 men.

* Soviets - - Two divisions, one tank brigade (45,000-50,000 men).

Finland - - si, Soviet - - no!

coolbert.