# For the sake of the greater good **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 5, 2000, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-sake-of-the-greater-good/15572 "2000-04-05T02:07:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-sake-of-the-greater-good/15572/1 "2000-04-05T02:07:00Z")
The thread on the enigma got me to thinking. It seems the British would have to let the Germans bomb certain places in order to keep the Germans from knowing they were on to their machine. They may have even had to send their troops into battle just so the Germans wouldn’t suspect and change the enigma. This meant civlians died and troops died when they didn’t have to. But since intelligence info was saved overall less died and the greater good was served. I don’t know if I could do this. I realize that overall fewer people die but still. Does anyone else have a problem with this? ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-sake-of-the-greater-good/15572/2 "2000-04-05T02:55:00Z")
The bombing of Coventry is probably the most infamous alleged case of the British gov. not reacting to knowledge received through the enigma project . This is questioned [here](http://www.winstonchurchill.org/ffhmcive.htm) but even if that incident didn’t happen I’m in no doubt that people did die to protect the enigma project . Thinking about the position Britain was in during the post Dunkirk and pre D-Day years I can understand them holding on to any advantage they had but I’m glad I didn’t have to make that decision or be one of the people that had to deal with the consequences firsthand. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-sake-of-the-greater-good/15572/3 "2000-04-05T02:57:00Z")
The bombing of Coventry is probably the most infamous alleged case of the British gov. not reacting to knowledge received through the enigma project . This is questioned [here](http://www.winstonchurchill.org/ffhmcive.htm) but even if that incident didn’t happen I’m in no doubt that people did die to protect the enigma project . Thinking about the position Britain was in during the post Dunkirk and pre D-Day years I can understand them holding on to any advantage they had but I’m glad I didn’t have to make that decision or be one of the people that had to deal with the consequences firsthand. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-sake-of-the-greater-good/15572/4 "2000-04-05T08:12:00Z")
I believe that the British did, in fact, allow certain major bombing raids to go unopposed to protect the secret of their code-breaking operations. For some reason a raid on Coventry comes to mind. I’m sure that someone with better citations than my “I seem to remember” will be along soon. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-sake-of-the-greater-good/15572/5 "2000-04-05T08:15:00Z")
Darn it. I hate it when the board goes down and your answer makes older responses that make you look mildly foolish pop up. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-sake-of-the-greater-good/15572/6 "2000-04-05T19:13:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Billdo: > **Darn it. I hate it when the board goes down and your answer makes older responses that make you look mildly foolish pop up.** It also lead to me doulble posting . :o