# Were the German codes broken by the Enigma machine coherent German? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 2025, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367 "2025-12-03T14:58:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/141 "2026-02-22T03:24:47Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > two were trucked out of Bletchley Park and no doubt installed in a new location and role, watching Cold War traffic. I would love to think that at least one still survives, perhaps in a classified museum. Enigma machines continued to be used postwar, including by ??? some South American countries ???. The English continued to crack enigma traffic. Most of it would have been transmitted by cable, rather than radio, but the English continued to moniter cable traffic. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/142 "2026-02-22T09:51:37Z")
Enigma is so last century. I am using a one-time code, based on Sisyphus. Crack that if you can… ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/143 "2026-02-22T20:31:33Z")
We sold commercial versions of it to various countries, who got the impression that it had never been broken. _Colossus_ would have been mostly built from standard Post Office equipment, which is why it has a rather familiar look for those of us who were around telephone exchanges in the 1980s. Most of the components were probably returned to store. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/144 "2026-02-22T22:18:30Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > They had their own “code talkers” who spoke in a northern dialect that’s impenetrable to even other Japanese speakers. If you could provide a link to more information about this I would be very interested. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/145 "2026-04-02T14:18:06Z")
The dialect is Satsuma-ben, but it appears whether or not it was used in WWII is a matter of ambiguity. [Kagoshima dialect - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kagoshima_dialect) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/146 "2026-04-02T17:53:44Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Satsuma-ben It’s really not far enough from standard Japanese to be used like Navajo was. Navajo is completely unrelated to English. Satsuma-ben is only just far enough from standard Japanese that some consider it to be a different language. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/147 "2026-04-02T23:28:51Z")
Very interesting article, thank you. I see the island of Yakushima is included in that dialect area, which is an area where I have ancestral family connections (by marriage), and where I hope to visit one day and hike to the Jomon sugi tree. One other thing I learned from that article - the English word soy (as in soy sauce) is from that dialect. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/148 "2026-04-02T23:59:32Z")
> [@hibernicus](#): > > One other thing I learned from that article - the English word soy (as in soy sauce) is from that dialect. Yup. > **[Etymology 1 - soy - Wiktionary, the free dictionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/soy#Etymology_1)** > > 1670s; borrowed from Dutch soja, from the Satsuma pronunciation of Japanese 醤油 (soi), variant of the standard Japanese 醤油 (shōyu). Doublet of shoyu, orthographic borrowing from Middle Chinese 醬油 (tsjàng-yuw), from 醬 (tsjangH, “bean paste”) + 油... ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/149 "2026-04-09T01:43:12Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > That’s just face slappingly stupid. Not if you don’t really and deeply understand how the system is working. For what it’s worth the operator might have been a bricklayer or clerk in his civil job, ~~without access to the History Channel.~~ … Without being cognizant of his personal relevancy in history… Sending off his messages from a small town hundreds of miles away from the coast, where nothing ever happens. ;o} ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/150 "2026-04-09T18:55:03Z")
It’s funny how much more cognizant we area as a society of information security and encryption. Regular people in the 1930s and 40’s never needed passwords (except to get into a speakeasy during prohibition). Things we all know now, like don’t use your birthday or your girlfriends name for a password, just weren’t part of daily life. The German high command did warn the troops not to do this. But it wasn’t ingrained as a matter of habit for many field-level encryption personnel. And the Brits took full advantage of it. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/151 "2026-04-09T20:36:20Z")
And even today people use stupid passwords all the time, or are stopped by the computer system from doing so. (and then proceed to write their passwords in a post it and leave it next to the computer) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/152 "2026-04-09T20:42:45Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > (and then proceed to write their passwords in a post it and leave it next to the computer) Pst: the failproof and secure method is to leave the post-it under the keyboard instead of sticking it to the monitor. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/153 "2026-04-09T20:46:20Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > the failproof and secure method is to leave the post-it under the keyboard instead of sticking it to the monitor. Genius level security! ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/154 "2026-04-09T21:22:53Z")
Or write the key code on the wall next to the door. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/155 "2026-04-09T21:44:40Z")
Honestly, a secure password written on a post-it stuck to the monitor isn’t all that bad. Most likely, the only people who see it will be other people in the same office, who probably already have their own access to the same system. And if that’s what it takes to get you to use a good password, that outsiders won’t guess, then it’s a net positive. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/156 "2026-04-09T22:06:44Z")
It is better than an insecure password yes, but is not _good_ ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/157 "2026-04-09T22:11:26Z")
There are all kinds of downsides to that. Different employees/network users can have different levels of access to files, applications and settings, so giving away your password on your monitor can lead to bad consequences and misuse. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/158 "2026-04-09T23:31:41Z")
And if the damn security folks would make them create 1 secure password that worked for all systems (SSO) could last longer than 3 months, they would memorize it and quit writing it down. I am an IT professional of 35+ years and I use Google Password Manager because I can’t keep up with all the different passwords with all their different requirements on all their different schedules. We have “secured” ourselves into insecurity, ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/159 "2026-04-09T23:33:10Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > can lead to bad consequences and misuse. Where’s the formerly infamous poster **Hal\_Briston** when we need him? 😉 Turns out he’s still around, only very rarely. I won’t @ him to spare him any current embarrassment; we’ll all just think about him quietly. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367/160 "2026-04-09T23:54:17Z")
Baa. Er, I mean, bah. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-the-german-codes-broken-by-the-enigma-machine-coherent-german/1025367.md?page=9)