Enigma Machine Rotor I

Enigma Machine Rotor I 1

Material/Specs: Aluminum alloy, Bakelite components.

Context & Provenance

When It Was Found (Creation Context)

Captured by Allied forces during the sinking of a U-boat in the North Atlantic, recovered in 1943.

Country & Location of Origin

Berlin, Germany

Real History & Interpretation

The Enigma machine mechanized complex polyalphabetic substitution ciphers. Rotor I, one of the standard components, possessed a specific wiring pattern. Its capture and subsequent analysis by cryptographers at Bletchley Park were pivotal in breaking German codes, significantly shortening the war.

Image Licensing Note: All visuals for artifacts in this collection are assumed to be licensed under Creative Commons or Public Domain for educational display purposes.