Re: Enigma Variations and UKW A

Dear Frode

Just as a matter of interest we have only produced 'Butterboards' for 
our Bombe Rebuild. We have spare plugboards that could be plugged as UKW 
A but have found no reason for doing so. If this email of yours brings 
out a valid reason then we could plug up one or all three using your 
information. However we would ideally need a known break to prove this 
wiring before perhaps trying a previously unbroken message.

Regards

>
>I have read with interest the latest postings on BP entrance fees and
>the plea
>for more cryptological discussions. The BP Mailing list has been
>hibernating
>for quite some time so even the entrance fee postings I found to some
>extent
>simulating. At least it brought me out of my deep slumber.
>
>Norman's last posting about the BCS-ISSG's seminar titled 'Enigma
>Variations'
>further triggered my imagination. The reason being that back in 1998
>David
>Hamer, Geoff Sullivan and myself published an article in Cryptologia
>with the
>title "Enigma Variations: An Extended Family of Machines". An updated
>version
>is available here:
>http://frode.home.cern.ch/frode/pubs/enigvar.pdf
>
>For some time I have been thinking of publishing a sequel to this story
>with
>hopefully new and interesting information about the Enigma machines,
>their use
>and development. I will not reveal all my new knowledge here but I
>thought a
>small quiz could be of interest. I know the correct answer to my
>question and
>when you all are fed up with this little puzzle I will let you have the
>details.
>
>The question concerns the Enigma reflector A, Umkehrwalze A - UKW A. In
>January 2000 Philip Marks and myself published an article in Cryptologia
>with
>the title "Recovering the Wiring of Enigma's Umkehrwalze A". The article
>is
>available here:
>http://frode.home.cern.ch/frode/pubs/ukwa.pdf
>
>As you can see from this article the wiring of UKW A was recovered
>analytically because we never had come across a real UKW A where we
>could
>measure the wiring. And as far as I know this is still the case. After
>1945
>nobody has ever seen a UKW A. My question is simple:
>
>Why do you think we have never found a Umkehrwalze A?
>We know they existed. The Poles recovered the wiring.
>
>The quiz if open.
>Unfortunately, I am not in a position to offer any other prize than the
>truth.
>
>Best wishes,
>       Frode

-- 
John Harper