# Time to break 'Enigma' using modern methods?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-break-enigma-using-modern-methods/310641>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 1, 2005, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-break-enigma-using-modern-methods/310641 "2005-07-01T04:25:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-break-enigma-using-modern-methods/310641/21 "2005-07-06T16:03:49Z")

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> [@Whack-a-Mole](#):
>
> It sure would. I had a hard time finding a “speed” on the Bombe as it wasn’t a computer as we know them today with a CPU. It was a mechanical device and incorporated moving parts (lots of rotating drums mainly). Anything like that (moving mechanical parts) is going to be significantly slower than purely electronic means.

You might be surprised. Western Electric had a crack at building a relay-based Bombe. Instead of dozens of motors and rotating drums, they used the same sort of relays and switches that they’ve been wizards at building high-speed telephone switching systems with. No joy. The relays were slower than the rotary Bombes.

Of course, relays aren’t electronic devices, but you’d still think they could flip on and off faster than the drums could spin. At least they made up for their failure to build a faster Bombe with their SIGSALY / SIGGRUV voice encryption system, which was very effective.

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**Author:** ![Omphaloskeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bcef8e/32.png) [@Omphaloskeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omphaloskeptic)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-break-enigma-using-modern-methods/310641/22 "2005-07-06T18:15:46Z")

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> [@grimpixie](#):
>
> I think you’ll find that it was **cckerberos** who said that, but now I’m kinda wishing it had been me… 😉

Oops, you’re right. Sorry **cckerberos**.

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