The Spanish Enigma message LRS10


By Michael Hörenberg

Bild "Spanish Enigma Message"
Spanish Enigma MessageENIGMA MESSAGE KEY (Spanish Enigma Message LRS10):Bild "Breaking a Spanish ENIGMA message"
TBreaker software found a valid key

Type: Spanish Enigma machine (known machines with this wiring are A1252, K240 and K261 )
Reflector: settable reflector
Wheel Order: 2 1 3
Ring Settings: AAAH
Message Key: WYAO


Picture source and copyright: diariodeibiza.es


Solution of Spanish Enigma message LRS10:

Message as intercepted:
LRS10 OHACI PLYXT SIHJS BJCZX WYXPJ JMUIW YFGVH TMALU TAEAV XHRXV QWDRV JKIMC YFROD NBXDI SWSDI YXFJW VKHQH QMKZT

Message indicator group: LRS10

Ciphertext (without indicator group):

OHACIPLYXTSIHJSBJCZXWYXPJJMUIWYFGVHTMALUTAEAVXHRXVQWDRVJKIMCYFRODNBXDISWSDIYXFJWVKHQHQMKZT

Plaintext:

RADIOSDEBENREGRESARAZZESPANAZZTANPRONTOLESSEAPOSIBLEXCONTESTOSURADIOKKQQTKKDEDIEZACTUALXXX

Interpretation (Plaintext with word divisions and with garbles corrected):

Radios deben regresar a España tan pronto les sea posible. Contesto su radio 115 de diez actual

Translation (preliminary):

Radios must return to Spain as quickly as possible. I answer your radio 115 at ten today

Notes:

  • Maybe QQT stands for 115 (Q=1;W=2;E=3;R=4;T=5;Z=6;U=7;I=8;O=9;P=0)
  • QQT could also mean: Repeat message of .... (time) from .... (callsign) or I correct my message nr. ... (Special Q- and Z-Codes of the CIS Navy)
  • Great article about the Spanish Enigma maschines: Frode Weierud’s CryptoCellar
  • The indicator of the message (LRS10) suggests that the message was sent by Italian Army or navy. According to Frode´s PDF the Italians used indicators that consists of 3 letters and 2 figures for their enigma messages.
  • According to the original article the message was sent to the Naval Attaché of the Franco-Regime during the Spanish civil war.
  • At the beginning of August 1937, a year after the Civil War started, Manuel Espinosa Rodríguez was commissioned by Admiral Juan Cervera y Valderrama to organize an Information Service in the Balkan area. The task was important to the nationalist camp. It was about obtaining information on the movements of ships destined for Republican ports in order to intercept them and seize their cargo or, as a last resort, sink them.
  • According to the article by Frode Weierud, the Spanish made many mistakes using the Enigma. This is also indicated by a statement by the code breakers from Bletchley Park: “The problem of the Spanish Attachés was highly entertaining throughout, providing an excellent example of how a cypher machine should not be used.”
  • The wiring used for the Spanish naval Enigma machines can be found on page 24 of Mr. Weierud´s article.
  • The Spanish Enigma machines were modified versions of the Enigma K, used during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Also used by the Swiss Army during and after WWII.

Broken by Michael Hörenberg