Historical Document · 1950
Navy lab history: ECM Mark I and II, the Navy's 1932 rotor-stepping claim, CCM (CSP 1600/1700/1800), CSP 2900 production figures (7 pp.) [writer A]
REF ID:A40422 . . COfY U. S. NAVAL CODE & SIGNAL LABORATORY 3801 Nebraska Avenue N.W. Wash~gton 25, D. c. Aug 12 1950 A4-2 DWS/r SE!Stm' To: Chief of Bureau of Sh~ps, Navy Department. SubJect. u.s. Naval Code and Signal Laborator,y History of Reference. (a) VCNO conf. ltr. Op-20-Sl(SC)A3-l/ND17-l Ser 0329626 of 26 June 1943 to Comdt.~RNC (b) AFSA conf .lt:r. AFSA 42/A4-2 Se:r 040 of 9 Nov 1949 to BuShips. (c) Sec Nav ltr. Jp-248/CJ Ser. 446424 of 6 Dec. 1949 to All Ships and Stations. 1. Reference (a) established the U.S. Naval Code and s~gnal Laboratory at the Naval Commun~cations Annex, 3801 Nebraska Avenue, N.W. Wash~ngton, D.C., on 26 June 1943· Reference (b) requested the disestablishment of the Naval Code and s~gnal Laboratory. Reference (c) effected the disestablishment of NCSL on 10 December 1949. 2. Prior to the establishment of the NCSL at the Naval Communications Annex, the work was performed b.Y the Code & Signal Sect~on of the Radio Laborator,y located within the U.S. Naval Gun Factor,y, Washington, D.C. In the latter part of 1929, Lt. L. F. Safford, USN (now Captain L. F. Safford) then head of the Code and Signal Section, Navy Department, requested the assistance of the Washington Navy Yard to perform work unaer his airection. In the latter part of 1931, Lt. (jg) J. N. Wenger, USN (now Captain J. N. Wenger) reported to the Bureau of Eng~neer~ng and he ~n collaboration w~th Lt. Safford concentrated on the mechan~zation of naval cr.yptographic communicat~ons. Lt. Wenger was assigned to the newly established "Signal Dev~ces desk" in the Bureau of Eng~neering (now the Bureau of Ships). Engineering 'ivork required by Naval Operations 11 Code and Signal Section" was then processed through the Bureau of EngineerJ.ng's 11 SJ.gnal Devices desk''. An initial sum of t50, 000 was set up by the Bureau of Engineering for code and signal engineering work as requested by the ChJ.ef of Naval OperatJ.ons. Lt. Wenger then init~ated action to establish a new section of the Radio Laboratory in the Washington Navy Yard for the purpose of handling code and signal engJ.neerJ.ng work. For purposes of security thJ.s section was set up ~ a bu1lding adJacent to the nadio Laboratory. This section then became known as the Code and SJ.gnal Section of the Hadio Laboratory. The establishment of this-~ the foundation for the S1gnal Laboratory. eclassified and approved for release by NSA on 9-25-2013 ursuant to E. 0. 13526 SECRETCOPY A4-2 sEeflm!- 3. In 1942, plans to place nearly all phases of cryptographic work performed in the Navy Department on a secure reservation were ~n process. Capta~n E.E. stone, USN (now Rear Admiral F.E. Stone) included the Code and Signal Section of the Naval Gun Factory in these plans and maae space reservations. On 26 June 1943, the Naval Code and Signal Laborato~ was establ~shed and set up under the military command of the Commandant, Potomac River Naval Command. Personnel comprising the Code and S~gnal Section of Naval Gun Facto~ formed the basic complement of the newly establ~shed NCSL. On 30 June 1943 th~s group moved from the Naval Gun Facto~ to the Navy Communications Annex (now Navy Communications Station) and began functioning as the Naval Code and Signal Laboratory. The m~ssion of NCSL established b,y the Bureau of Ships was. Conduct research, development, and des~gn; produce, overhaul, test and mainta~n cryptographic instruments and their component parts employ~ng the use of electron~c theories, electro-mechan~cal mechan1sms, the phys1cal properties of materials, and the reduction of these units into practical applicat~on as requ~red for special classified commun~cation dev~ces. 4. The peak complement of 414 wh~ch consisted of 22 off1cers, 350 enlisted personnel and 40 civilians was reached 1n August 1944. At the t1me of ~ts disestablishment the complement cons~sted of 176 c~vilians, 1 officer and 1 enl~sted. 5. The h~ghlights of accomplishment centers on the following items& (1) Adapted the first commercial cipher mach~ne to military use - CSP 903. (2) Develooed the f~rst pract~cal keyboard operated code machine - CSP 691 and CSP 692. (3) Developed the reliable rotor maze contacts, now universally used. (4) Developed ~ October 1935 the first analogue machine Known as M-1 dev~ce and X-199. -2- SECRET REF ID-:-A.4-04-2-2---- e SECRET COPY A4-2 SESRE!l' (5) Developed adapters to convert CSP 691 and CSP 903 to Jap analytical mach1nes. (6) Manufactured and developed several Jap analogue equipments known as M-2, M-3, M-4 and M-5. (7) Designed and developed first mechan1cal universal~ controlled cipher maze. (S) Proposed first the use of rotor maze to control rotor stepping maze 21 June 1932, now used in ECM Mk.II. (9) Developed automatic word spacing. Converted all CSP 691 equipment for its use. (10) Developed 1ndex maze. (11) Basic design and development of ECM Mk.I. Made original model, w1red all rotors used by system. (12) Basic des1gn and development of ECM Mk.II now in use b,y the services. (13) Development of reverse stepping of rotors. Manufactured all parts and made necessary modif1cations to accommodate. (14) Design and development of combined c1pher mach1ne. (15) Des1gn and development of changeable contour ring. (16) Des1gn of CSP 688 and 845 str1p cipher devices. Manufactured 36,000 CSP S45. (17) Design of CSP 1116 a1rcraft contact pad. Manufactured 11,000. (lS) Design and development of ball contacts for cipher maze. (19) Basic design of Mk.I and Mk.II rotors. SECRET<2o> Designed and developed rotor bobbin to enaba• automatic wir1ng of rotors. - 3 - e REF ID:A40422 e SECltET A4-2 (21) Des1gned and developed CSP 1127 adapter un1ts for State Department traff1c. Manufactured 150 CSP 1127. (22) Basic design of 26-To-5 translator for Off-L1ne ECM operation. (23) Set up first tra1ning course for cipher machine ma1ntenance. (24) Developed RIP 60, RIP 61 and RIP 62 analogue machines. Manufactured equipmenta used. (25) Des1gned ana developed CSP 1800 Brit1sh type 1 adapter for CCM use. (26) Designed and developed One-T1me~ad Machine CSP 2100 - Manufactured 4· (27) Des1gned ana developed un1versal rotor contacts for contour control. (28) Synchron1zed stepping of forwara and reverse rotor movement. (29) Des1gned and developed CSP 2200. Manufactured 110. (30) Designed and developed adapter un1t to make the Mk.I ECM the cryptographic equ1valent to the Mk.II ECM. (31) Designea ana developed cast metal maze unit. Constructed 100 for CSP 2300. (32) Des1gned an~ developed f1rst removable maze unit. (33) Des1gned and developed the first motor driven c1pher mach1ne. Made one model 1nstalled on the USS TEXAS 1n 1931. (34) Des1gned electro-mechanical rotor dr1ve mechanisms used on present mach1nes. - 4- SE~i~Ef REF ID:A40422 ---------- ------------------------- SECRET A4-2 SEern!l! (35) Developed and manufactured Navy One-Time-Tape manufactur1ng equ1pment. (36) Des1gned and developed automatic mechan1cal 1nterlock. Manufactured 2,500 for use on CSP 889, 2900, 3300 and 2)00. (37) Des1gn and development of CSP 1700, CSP 1600, CCM Equ1pment. Manufact~ed 2,000 CSP 1700 and 6500 CSP 1600. (38) Des1gned and developed CSP 2900 and CSP 2900A cipher mach1ne. Manufactured 1,196 CSP 2900 and 10 CSP 2900A. (39) Developed CSP 2300. Manufactured 65. (40) Developed CSP 3.300. Manufact\ll'ed 85. (41) Des1gned and developed ?-rotor devices for proposed, combined use. Manufactured 2 models. In addition to the above, many more designs and developments of lesser importance were produced, practically all were used, or are now in use. 6. The actual production of many of the 1tems l1ated was accomplished by the Naval Code and Signal Laborator,y. Over 1,000,000 rotors were wired and over 80,000 p1eces of cryptographic equipment of various types were produced by NCSL. The activity handled over 300,000 pieces of highly classJ.fied reg1stered publications and gear W1thout loss or failure to account for a single item. Throughout its ex1stence the act1vity was fortunate 1n 1ts selection of good, well quali£1ed personnel. Morale was excellent and the worK output was ma1ntained at a h1gh level at all times. The lasting use of 1ts accomplishments made the establishment of the Naval Code and S1gnal Laborator,y and its tenure of ex1stence a credit to the Nav,r. 7. The wr1ter of this statement of h1story of the U.S. Naval Code and S1gnal Laboratory was cont1nuously assoc1ated w1th NCSL since 1ts beginning at the rtadio Laboratory in the Washington Navy Yard. From 1929 to 1942 he was eng1neer in charge, f'rom 1942 to 1946 he was of'ficer in charge and from 1946 until 10 vecember 1949 he served as the Director of' the Naval Code and Signal Laboratory. -5- SECRET REF ID:A40422 ---------------------------- • • I 0 e SECRET A4-2 8. The items and statements made herem have been veriiJ.ed wJ.th the fJ.les before storage and also WJ.th CaptaJ.n L. F. Safford, USN, and Captain J. N. Wenger, USN, who have been continuously J.nterested in the work of Naval Code and SJ.gnal Laboratory since J.ts establishment. D. Vi. SEILER Commander, USN cc. DIRECTOR, NAVAL CODE .~ SIGNAL LABORATORY DIRAFSA CNO COMDT.PRNC SECRET 6 REF ID:A40422 •