Schroeder Message


Bild "Kriegstagebuch"
Schroeder´s war diary
This is the second break of the M4 Project:
Ciphertext (stripped of indicator groups):

TMKFNWZXFFIIYXUTIHWMDHXIFZEQVKDVMQSWBQNDYOZFTIWMJHXHYRPACZUGRREMVPANWXGTKTHNRLVHKZPGMNMVSECVCKHOINPLHHPVPXKMBHOKCCPDPEVXVVHOZZQBIYIEOUSEZNHJKWHYDAGTXDJDJKJPKCSDSUZTQCXJDVLPAMGQKKSHPHVKSVPCBUWZFIZPFUUP

Plaintext (as seen in the server logs):

Date: 2006-03-07 10:03:23
Score: 5211199
UKW: B
W/0: B241
Stecker: ATCLDHEPFGIOJNKQMURX
Rings: AANV
Message key: MCSF

VVVJSCHREEDERJAUFGELEITKURSFUENFFUENFGRADNICHTSGEFUNDENYMARSCAIEREBEFOHLENESQUADRATXSTANRORTMARQUANTONJOTADREINEUNNEUNFUENFXSSSOOOVIERYSEEDREMYEINSNULYYEINSNULBEDECKTYZWOACHTMBSTEIGTYNBBELSICHTEINSSMT

The plaintext of the message appears in the war diary of U623, which can be found at NARA, Microfilm Publication T1022, Roll 3385.


0425        Ausgang FT. 0246/21/203:
                Auf Geleitkurs 55° nichts gefunden, marschie-
                re befohlenes Qu. Standort Marqu. AJ 3995.
                SO 4, See 3, 10/10 bedeckt, 28 mb steigend,
                Nebel, Sicht 1 sm.
                                       Schroeder

Translation:

0425        Outgoing Radio Signal 0246/21/203:
                 Found nothing on convoy's course 55°, [I am] moving to
                 the ordered [naval] square. Position naval square AJ 3995.
                 [wind] south-east [force] 4, sea [state] 3, 10/10 cloudy,
                 [barometer] [10]28 mb [tendency] rising, fog, visibility 1 nautical mile.
                                        Schroeder


Explanation:

0246/21/203:  time/date/message serial number

AJ 3995:      German naval grid reference, 56-33 N, 37-36 W

Schroeder     Hermann Schröder, Oberleutnant zur See on U623