Manual / Guide · 1944
The US Army technical manual for the M-209: operation, key setting, the training key list and its check, key-list preparation, maintenance and destruction. NSA REF ID A67854.
- - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - REF ID:A67854 , 4 ..... -I ..,~~ tf -.•: .. ~ ..~ MAN U A'l ~... , ' ' , -. .. ., rter M~209,· ·;M-209-A M-219-B . ' (cipher) \ I I ' . 11 ... I _, I' I !Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 09-05-2013 pursuant to E. O. 1352§ REF ID:A67854 WAR DEPARTMENT TECHNICAL TM 11-3 8 O MANUAL Tins manual supeTsedes TM 11-380, 27 A.pril 1942, and TM 11-3808, 20 Sep&ember 1943 Converter M-209, M-209-A, M-209-B (cipher) • WAR DEPARTMETVT • 17 MARCH 1944 R(SJRIGJED. BISSEMINATION OF RESTRJCTm MATTER -The lnfor.. matlon contained 1n rntrlc:tec:J documenll and the . .ntlal chaiac:mistla of redrlcted material may be 9lven to any penon lcnown to be In the Rrvlc• of the United States and to penon1 of undoubted loyahy and d11Cretlon who are coopeiatln9 In Govemment wo.., but wlll not be communicated to the public or to the Pl'ftl except by authorl1ecl mllltary -.PUbl1c relatlon1 apncln. CS.• allO par 136, AR 380-5, 15Mar1944.) I REF ID:A67854 WAR DEPARTMENT. WASHJNGfON 25, D C, 17 March 19-t.-J TM 11-380, Comerter M-209, M-209-A, M-209-B, 1s pubhshed for the mformatlon and guidance of all concerned ~ • I [A G 300 7 (31 Jan 44) ] BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF wAR G C MARSHALL, Chief of Staff OFFICIAL J A ULIO, Ma1or General, The A.d1utant General DISTRIBUTION ~ IR 5, 7, 17, (21, IBn & H l (2), IBn 5, 6, 7, 9, IO, II, 17 (5), IC 2, 5-11, 17, 18, 44 (3) (For explanation of symbols see FM 21-6) II REF ID:A67854 CONTENTS Secbon I II llL IV v Appencbx I II Deecnpt1on General Purpo11e Main component& and acce&aor1es Identification or paru Pnnc1pal operating parts ln1tallat1on and operation Cryptographic 1ystems Keymg elements Preparmg for operation Indicators Enc1pherment Decapherment Zero1zmg the machine Spacing Use of letter counter Causes and correction or garbles Operating cautions Security caubons Funcbon1ng or parte Theory of operation Key wheel a11embly Guide arms Drum assembly Typewheel assembly and prmt arm assembly Paper feed auemhly Par l 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 l l l 3 4 15 16 17 8 8 9 15 17 18 19 19 19 20 23 25 18 19 20 21 22 23 26 26 28 30 30 33 24 35 36 38 39 39 39 11 12 13 H Mamtenance Care or converter Jamming Minor key wheel repairs Minor guide arm repairs Mmor drum assembly repairs Mmor typewheel auembly repairs Improper pnntmg Improper feedmg of paper tape Improper counting Common mechamcal failures Procedure For d11manthng Procedure for reauemblmg ln1pect1on check 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Supplementary data. Tabular bit of replaceable pans 37 Preparation or pin and lug IClllDIJll Sets or num~ and overlaps lor lur selllnp p- 40 40 41 41 42 43 45 48 54 59 m ~ REF ID:A67854 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS h~ 'Vo l 2 3 j 6 j 8 9 10 11 u IV T1tl1 'lam <'Omponent• and accc•sor1f's Comcrter 1\1-209-( *) opLn for opLratwn lnsulc uew of Con\'ertLr l\l-209-( *) f'omertcr M-:!09-('") 1>trapped lo knee Setting kc) ~h1 el pm• SLtllng drum bar lugs ConverlLr 1>t't to makt. :!6 ktti r d1c1k Kf'y "lu cl as~emhlv Guu)e arm .. D1 um ussembl:iT• )IL\\hLt>l a!of'mhly PapLr fcLd lldSt.mblv J'GIP 2 3 5 10 12 13 H 2i .?9 31 J2 33 REF ID:A67854 DESTRUCTION NOTICE WHY -To prevent the enemy from usmg or s.ihagmg tlus equip· ment for lus hcnefit W HE~ -When ordered h}' }'OUl' commdn<ler HOW -1 ~mash-Use sledges, axes, handaxes, p1cka'\.es, hammers, crowhars, ht.a\ v tools, heel of Q boot, etc. 2 Cut-Use a"es, han<la..,.es, mat.hele11 et<' 3 Burn-Use g.isolme, kerosene, 011, flame thro~ers, m ccnchar) grurndes, etc 1 E .... plos1ves-Use fireanns grendtleli', TNT, ell 5 Disposal-Bury m slit trendies, ro..,. holes, other holes Throw m stre.ims St..itter USE ANYTHING JM:\IEDTATELY AVAILABLE FOR DESTRLCTI01' OF TIIIS EQUll'i\IENT PRl!.Lll\ll°'ilARY-1 Afow all drum bar lugs to zero pontion• 2 lloH! all l.,cy u,/ieel pins to left positions WHAT-I Smash-Drum bars, kc) wheels, gmde arms, h pewhcel gears, kvcrs 2 Cut-C.m\'as t.clst., straps 3 Burn-C1pher-key bets, tcchrncal manuals, pclper tape, can\.as <.else 4 Bury or scatter-Anv or all of the abm.e pieces after breakmg DESTROY EVERYTHING v - - - -------------------- REF ID:A67854 ''/( Tins manual supenedc• TU 11-~80, 27 April 1942, and T.U 11-3/JOB, 20 SPptember 194& SECTION I DESCRIPTION a Converter ~i-209-(*) 1t1 a crvptograplnc deuce issued hy the ~1gnal Corps tor use m d1us10ns and lower umts, do,u1 to and mc1udmg hoittahons It may also he used by umts I.irµ:er tltdn W\181011, or hy duy other organuatwn Juthorizecl bv the Cl11ef S1p;ndl Officer The comerter provides d secure and rdp1d method of c,nplo graplung lact1cdl messages, and may he operated bv persmu1el not e:\.lens1velv tramed m Cr)ptography I. GENERAL. b Instruct10ns rn this rn.mua] are ap[Jhcahle to all cryptograplnc systems usmg Converter M-209-1"), JS modified b) puhlications useil ~1th a part.Ji uldr system fhe symboJ ( * t JI! used throughout tins mJnnal to refer to Comerters M-209, ~f-209-A, .ind M-209-B 2 PUHPOSE a Comcrter M-209-(* t is a smJU, c,omp.u·t, hJndoperated tape prmhuJ?, medianu.a] deuce des1guc,d for rapid enc1phermg Jnd dec1phermg of tact1c,al messJges When properly set and operJted, it will encipher a plam te'tt me1111age of an) length, autorndl.JcJll} prmtmg the enciphered te"t on .t paper tape m 5-letter groupo;, or 1t \\ill decipher J message that lias been prev10usly crypto~rdphed hv another Converter M-209-(* t, pnntmg the dear teJi.t on a paper tape ~1th proper spaung het~cen words h The con\oertcr 1s t ontJmed m d met.al ho-.;:, and is uormally l'Jr· r1< d m a <.Jm as t.dse, sus1Jemled hy a strJp O\oer the sl1oulder The rase has compdrtments for c,,1rrymg the mdnual, penc1ls, e"trd tape, mess.ige hooks, Jnd mess.ige ehps Inside the t.O\oer of the <-omerter arf' clJmps for holdm~ a screw drner, .1 pJir of tweezers, Jn 01] can, Jn mk pad can, dnd the roll of paper tape m use When desired, a hoind rarrung strap may be attad1ed to the left side of the maehme !J 1\1.\IN CO:lUP01't ENTS AND ACCESSORIES a Com erter l\I-209-(*) consists of the follmung mam wmponent pJrts \\1th weights and d1mens10ns .is shown (fig I) I REF ID:A67854 Comerter M-209, M-209-A, M-209-B (<..1pher) TM 11-380 Par 3 ~ \ 1®1,~ ®\ \® 'J'J® @ 0 Q @ (1) ( an" llS lOSC ( 2) ( on\t..rl!'r l\l-209-( *) (n ( urr)lnlf strop ( I) Hand •trup :L:~ ..J I ~ ' " 1 I " TL7416 (9) Tnk p1111' flOl Tnk pJrl 1Jn ( 11 ) Pnptr tap1 (;) '-crt"W dr1"1 r (6) l\lc~•aj!1 d1J1~ ( - ) I '" e7• rs 111) 011 ldll ==-- ---=-- --=----=---=-----=-----=---- -=- -::,_--:::.....---=--- ;-=---- -------=-- --=-Q11alllll\ I ____I__ _ D11m.1n11ms (111c/u.s) T111rt '---- - l.on"t rl1 r M-209-( * l l nst.., lUnvu~ ( 1 0111J1lt..lt with I •trJps) .;;trnp hund 1 urrymi.. ( 1 01111111 11. wuh snJ11~) 1 l I I JI!' 1 &ght I (p111111dsl _ _ _ 1_ __ I ;111xW6xJ~~ 6 111,{ :\. 6L x <i 11 )'8 loni, b The folJcw. mg ac,c,essor1es are 1ssnc1l ~1th the cornertcr -=--=----Qu1111u ~ ----- D1mP11simn ( mrhc,) 1 Can 011, "uh I fun, mk pod, wllh o\I r i wel'Zt..rs I 1Pod, mk } ') 2 4 2 2 I I O\el 1 I I I 'kro:w drl\er (m~ule mk pu1l 1 un) rupt.. puper rollb, (l m u .... 1 •pare) flips message T'I ll-;180 I 2~6" ~II ' - - --1 11 1 loni, (2~6 hlude ~6 tip) 2~6" I 41ong 1 1 d1Jm 111111111>1 1 w 1dt. 11 REF ID:A67854 TM 11-380 Par 3-4 c The totdl weight of Comuter M-209-( 0 ) , mduclmg its acces sones, 1s Jpproxunately i%, pouncL. It weighs about 10 pounds ~hen pJt.kcd for slnpment m tins c,ountrv, Jml has J \oolume of ahout 0 37 1 uhu loot IDE~TIFrCATION OF P.\RTS a Prehmmarv Proetdure Open the outt..r c O\-<..r of the m.u hmt> hy pu .. hmg the lmtto11 lot..ttl'..11 111 the cu1ter of the, front of the t.0\ i..r Raise the muer 1111 lrom thtfroul h}' hftmg 1t oft its sprmg eJtch 4 h Numhererl Ueferem l' List Operators of Comerler :'.\f-209-( 0 ) cJn ulu1t1f) .ill tlu p.irl!I of the dt>" 11 e b" referr111g lo the fo11m~ 111~ hsl and hgures 2 aml J "Vumhers 111 JMrcnth<..se., smh a'I tHJ> t.orr1 &pond to those m figures 2 Jud 3, Jnd should he sluwl'..d with Jn 1 Figure 2 Com erter 111-209-(*) open /or operation 3 REF ID:A67854 Converter M-209 M-209-o\, 'W-209-B (l.1phcr) TM 11-380 Par 4-5 opened comerter nedrhy so tl1at f'ach pJrt ma} he 1o<'ated 1hese numhers ~ill be m.ed throughout tlui. manual to ass1 .. t m 1de11t1fymg parts (~3) (1) Letter counter wmdow (2) LettLr <ounler (3) lncbcdtmg mdex H·I lnk pJd (5) TypL\\heel (6) Reproduc.m~ th,,,k (7) Tnd1<'atmg d1'lk (8) Settmg knoh (91 Encipher du iplu. r knoh (10) Readmg wrndow (11) Paper fcLd knob (12) Paper feed ratt het (13) 5-letter cam 04J Paper tape (l'i) Paper pressure arm (16) Cover support (17) Ink pad conlJmcr (18) Screw dnver (19) Oil <'an (20) Outer co\er (21) Catch for mner hJ (22) Co\er l'.ttc.h hutton Paper guard eJtLh (2..JI Paper gu.1rd (25) P.1per roll (26) Tweezers (27) Rf'set hulton (28J Inner lid (291 Number plate (301 Drum disks (311 Drum b.ir (321 Drum lldr lug ('33) Interlock le\ er (3..J) Gmde arm (J51 Drnc. knob (.361 l11tt..nne1hJtf' µ:eJr (37) Ke} whf'el hemh m.:irk (38) Ke} \\heel gear (39) Reset knoh (40) Tneffeetnf' pm ( -11) F ff e< Ln e pm (121 Kl"v '"heds (431 T} pewhec1 ~ear a J{.-y ~ h.-...Is (42) (l 1 Letters of tlie Jlphahet m norm.ii sequt.nc.e .ire t.ngra\ed on the rims of the SJ"\. kev whf'els On eac.h '"hwl, from left to right, there 1-s a decrea'img uumber of letters I hL letters Jre drranµ:t d on the key wheels as foll°'"" 5 PIUNCIPAL OPEH. \TING P.\RTS Wheel i\o 1 2 3 4 5 6 l'Vo of letters 26 25 23 21 19 17 I etters 1\-7 A-Z, onuttrng \\' A-X, on11ttmg W A-U A-S A-Q (2) Nedr tl1e rim of the le\. wheefa aml 1ust hclow each lf'tter, J small pm proJe<.ts from one ..ule or the other of the ke) \\heels The 4 REF ID:A67854 Desu1p•1on T'1 11-380 Pur 5 23 24 25 2.6 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 3B 39 40 41 4Z 43 TL7476 F1gun J l11s1de 1•ieu, u/ Cum crier U-209-(*) !..<') uhcel pins ma' he pushed lrorn side to side m the 'llots m \\hach the) are set Tbe Jeucrs Jnd pm" Jrc Jrrauged as p.1rt of t.he prehnundr} settmg of the deuu~ and dre e,.,pJamcd m dct.nl 10 pdragraph -; The key '~heels arc mounted' on a !!hafL on the right end of ~h1ch is the r<>sct 1..nob (J9 J The ke}' wheds ma' he turned as a umt in either d1rect1on \\hen the rest!t buuon l27) 1s depressed and the reset knoh t\\ 1sted lnchudual \\hecJs may he turned In l1Jnd m one chrectlon on]}' h lnd1catmg Disk (7) The md1catmp: disk 1s the larger of two disks loLdted on the left hand side of tlte c-omerter Letters of the alphahet are arranged on its rmt m normal order The chsk. can he rotated freely m mther direction, dlJo~mg any Jetter to be ahgned on a wlute benLh mark, called the indu.. ating index ( 3) The large knoh 5 REF ID:A67854 TM 11-180 Pur 5 Comcrter 1'1-209, M-209- \, M-209-B (Cipher) the left of the md1<,Jtmg disk is used for tu.rmng the disk to the desue<l J<-tter 011 c Reproducing Disk ( 6) The Jettcrs of the alphabl't are engraved m reverse order upon the repro<lucmg disk, the smdller disk lo<,.ited lUBt to th<, right of .iml on th<, same shaft as tl1L md1Ldlmg d1sl.. When the rnncr h<l is closed, four of the letters rnn be seen through the reading wuidou, (10 I on the edge of the mnn lul 1 he first letter, nearest the front of the mJcluue, is rcacl \\hen this disk is used 'pdrB lOh I 5 ) aml 22b J d T,pewheel (5) The t}pe\\heel 111 mounted on the same shaft \\1th the two d1l'ks mentioned Jhovc On its rim arc ra1se1l letters for prmtmg 'lhese lettf"rs are dl1m in rncrsc order The last letter prmted aml the letter \\l11cb JS rt>ad on the reproducmg rl1sk are the same f' Paper Feed l\.nob ( 11 ) The p.1pn tape is advanced Juto m.1t1c'llly '"hen the converter J'! opnateil .nul .ilso c.i.n be fell through the rollers by turmng the p..tpcr £Led knoh The knoh turns tow.i.rd the rear of the machwc on)) f Paper Prf'ssure Arm (l 5) On the front t>nd of the p.i.pcr pres· sure .i.rm is a small, knurlerl roller ~}uch lS held firmly J.ga1nst J. larger roller h" sprmg tension 'Jo raise the rolkr, push dm"n on the rear end of the pressure ..trm Tht> rolkr and arm are useil to gmclc the JMper tJpe A rulling <>dge u1 proH<leil on the end of the pressure arm to f.i.cil1t.i.te tc.i.rmg off the l.i.pe g Letter counter (2) The letter counter 1'! l-1t,1blc through a wmclow Jll tl1e left front <.orncr of the c.onvertcr It count'! Jctters en· uphcred or 1lec1phercd up to 9999 The counter 1s returned to zero Jn turnmg tlic rr•s<t knob (39) Ill e1thLr dircctmn '"hde depres"mg the reset button f27) on top of the umer lid h Enc1phu·-Dem1•her Knob (9) lust heJo\\ the pJper feed knob JS the euuphc.r-dcuphcr I...uoL "\'\ lieu turnt-d to the"(." pos1tum the cmnertcr is set for <'nuphermg cle.ir te'\.t '"hen set 111 "D" pos1 tlon, it 1s rca<lv to dt>l 1pher cr} ptoµr.i.phc<l tc'\.t 'I he pos1t10n ol tins J....nob sboulcl be cl1cc.J....ed 11cforc opercttlon l Drnf' Knob (35) lhc JJ.rµe hla1 k opcratmg handle on the r1ght-h.i.nd Sid<, of th<, machme is the drne kuoh Ectlh tune the 1111h· Cdlmg disk 1s moved the drne l...nob mct) he turned once ctnd then 10tks At edch turn of the drne knob, the mac.lune cnc1phers or dec1phers a letter dnd prmts the equn .tltnt letter on the t.i.pe 6 REF ID:A67854 De11cr1pt1on TM II-380 Par 5 J Drum \\'hen the rnner hd is open, the drum can be seen at the rear of the machrnt- On the drum are 27 drum bars ( 31), which Ol.CU{l) about two thirds of the c1rl.umference of the drum and are numbered at the right of the drum On each drum bar arc two rnov· able lugs winch rn.iy he set m J.n~ one of etght pos1t1ons, numbered I 0 2 3 4 5 0 6 hdd1 lug fits mto a sm.tll hole at e.ich pos11J.on .J, It "'must he puP.hed shght1v to~ard the front of the mac lune before 1t t.an be d1sengdgcd from one hole .md ehtl d1ong the har rnto another \\hen pJ.icctl .it anv pos1t1011, the lug must alwa)s bP fitted mto the hnle pru1;uled for it 7 REF ID:A67854 TM ll-380 Par 6-7 SECTION II INSTALLATION AND OPEUATION 6 CRYPTOGRAPHIC SYSTEMS a Definition A m1l1tan lnp· tograplnc. S}etem comprisei. .a pre.irr.auged set of rules and equipment chosen for crpytogr..aplnng mes .. ..agt... sent from one umt to another All S}'Stems f..all mto ont.. of t\\o cl ts~d11-at1onl!, code or c.ipher lu wde systems, groupc; of lettcrc; or uumhers represent ll.ords, phr..ases, or entire sc.ntenccs A Clph~ system normall} u::.es s.mp:le letters to rcpre· sc.nt other smgle letters Converter }1-209-( *I is a cipher device s1111,c, when operated, 1t substitutes .i letter for .i letter h Cipher Ke}'S F"cn 1,1pher S}'Stem must be provided \\.Jth a guule, or cipher ke), for 1ti. operdtion 'lhe upher key sl1ou)d he changed as often as is 11e<,cssdry to prt.sc.rve tl1e seuirity of tlie S}'stem The key for S}'stems u11mg Comert<.r M-209-(*) must mclude two t.ihles \\h1ch nrdke a uplwr-1.ey ]1st and .ire puhhshcd period1cally in .a S} stem puhhcatlon or tht> signal operation mstru<,t1011s of .i usmg umt The to1bles, d1dnged only h} order of the s11:,"nal or cornmwm.a· non oflker, govern prehmmar} settmgs \\lnch must he DJdcle before euuphermg or dcuphcrmp: a mcss.1p:e 'l he proper use ol c1pher l..cy l1ets is explamed rn pardgraph 8 " Con,erter l\1-209-(-:C-) Systems Anv cipher S}'stem cmploy:mg the Comerter M-209-( *) nm ..t con::.1st of th<, foJlowmg {11 The Com erlc.r :ll-209-( * ) (2) This mamJdl u-l11d1 <,ontams operatm~ mstruc t1011s for the Cou"erter M-209-(*) ( 3 I The .::ipher-key ]1st w}n<,h is m dfeC't .it the Lime (4) A system puhl1<,<1l11m 1lescrdnng the p.art1Lular s\stem m u11e .at the time, or personal instrm.L1on m such a system 7 KEYING ELEMENTS Umts usm~ Converter ll-209-(*) must make <,el'll:am that the followm~ ke)mg elements are set ident1cJllv 1f they are to exchange messages a E ....ternal Kevmg Flement The e..:tcm..al keymg clement 1s composed of the SIX ke} wheels (421 Leuer,, on the key \\heels arc selc<,ted at random by the enc1phermg opero1tor, and lmed up from left to nght along the wlute hen<'h rndrk Different letters must be •elected for ei.ery message These six letters make up the message md1· cator cand are transmitted \\Ith the message (par 9) 8 REF ID:A67854 lnstullaraon and Opcrullon 'nl ll-380 Par 7-8 h Internal Keymg Elf'menls There arc two mtemal ke},ng ele mtnts, edch 1s m1ttally set, and thanged, m accordance with a uphcrkev list The firi.t internal ke},ng clement IB mdde up of the kc} ~heel pm~ ( 40 1, ( 41) When pl.u,erl to the right, or efl.'ectivc, pos1t1on, the pms affect the operdlion of the mathme, to the left, they are m ,1 noneffective position The se<-oncl mternal ke} mg element 1s made up of the mo~dhle lugs ( 32 l on the drum hars t31) Lugs .ire cft'ettn<m dD} pos1Uon cxtept the two mdrl...erl Inetrm.tJ.ons for sett111g the ke) mg elements drL m paragraph 8 "q " c Changes of KL}S A high cle:zree of cryptograplnc sccunty 111 pr0\1ded when Comertcr :M-209-(*) is used SHtems usmg Converter M-209-(*), ho~enr, can bL sohed, <.spec1dllv if a large \olume of tr.illk is enciphered ~ 1thout d1dng:mg tlu, .irr.ingement of the ke)mg clements A daily ch.iul!e m the mternal ke~mg elements 1s a1h1sahle, although the frE"11utncv of cl1.mp;e '~ 111 clPpend upon the tactical s1tua t1on Tins IS the respo11sih1l1h of the s11,rn.tl or communu at1on offi<-cr l.hanges in the cxt.-rnal lw)irig element arc• the responsibiltt) of the., operator alone, and must be made for «'t-t>r) message he t>nuphers 1here is no reatton for allo\\<m:z tht.. enemy to "break" a mci!s.ig:E" en ciphered \Hlh Comertcr l\T-209-(* 1 b<.tJUS<' the kepng elements \\<ere not <-h.mgecl often enough The ke~ wht el al11.tnments sl1ould be noted to pre\ent llt'lmg thL s.ime arr.mgt>ment of letters for future mess.iges 8 PREPARING FOR OPERATIOl\ a Gt.neral The prot'edure gn en m tins p 1ragr.iph is mtended lo sho~ the operator how to msta11 the con\erter and m.ikt.. .ill prehmmdry settmgs h lnstallatmn Nonnalh Converter l\'1-209-(*) will he operdted under COler to protctt the maf'hme from dust and d.m1pness Usuall) the con\erter ~ill he sel up on 'I t.ihll' or some 1ml1d support If necessary, the ma<-hmc m.iy he secured to the operdlor's knet, m the follow mg manner Attaw1 lhc c.trr}m~ strap to the bottom of the <-omerter .ind pass it under the operator's foot Shorten or lengthen the strdp i;io thdt tl1e converter \\-111 he heM firmly m p1a<-e on the knee The base of the madnne IB sh.iped to fit the c.,urHture of the knee (fig 4) c Key Wheel Pms Open the outer Coler of the converter, and raise the mner hd If the m.1chme hds been properly zero1zed (par 1.21, all of the key wheel pmo; \\<JU project from the left hand side of the ke} wheels If any proJt.l'tl from the right hdnd side, use t11e sere~ clrner provided and pui;ih them to the left This ~111 make the settJng easier Set the pms as mdi~<l.tcd m table I~ Pusition of 1..ey u.heel pins 9 REF ID:A67854 TM 11-380 P.ir 8 Converter M-209, M-209-A, M-209-B (Cipher) Figure 4 Coni,erter M-209-( ) strapped to k11ee 10 REF ID:A67854 TM 11-380 lmtallabon and Operabon Par 8 The columns of letters and dashes represent the mx key wheels, from left to right. The pms associated with the letters which are pnnted 1n the columns are to be pushed to the right. or eft'ecbve, position Where a dash appears, the pm assoCJated with the omitted letter will remam at the left. or 1neffect1ve, pomtion. Thus, following the ex· ample table, the pm under letter A on wheel number 1 should he moved to the right or efl'ecbve posibon The pm under letter C on wheel number 1 will remam at the left. or mefl'ective, position A kmfe blade or the special screw dnver proVIded may be used to set the pms (fig 5) Each pm must be moved all the way to tl1e 1eft or nght A garble will result if pms are left m an mtermed1-ate pomtion TABLE I-Posr.tr.or& of key u.lieel pins Period (date) to (date) No 1 No 2 (26J (25) A B A D D E G H I J K L K M N No 3 (23) A B G H No 4 No 5 No 6 (21) (19) (17) B A B c D E F D E F II I H I H J K L M N M N M" N p p N 0 0 R s s T v w R s s T T u u x x 818849°--44--8 Q s 0 u 11 REF ID:A67854 Converter M-209, M-209-A, M.....209-B (Cipher) TM 11-380 Par 8 ,/ 'I Care m making the setting will prevent loss of time later. The eft'ective period for that particular settmg must be known in order that a new setting will he made at the proper time. (Information regarding the preparation of a table of pm settings will be found in appendix I.) - Fi1ure 5 SeHu11 key u.heel pans TABLE II.-Posiiion of drum bar lugs. Penod (date) to (date) . ') 1. 3-6 2. 0-6 3 1-6 4 1-5 5. 4--.'i 6. 0-.t. 7. 0-4 .i 0-4 9. 0-4 IO. II. J.2. 13. 14. 15. 16 17. 18 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 19 20. 21. 22 23 24. 25 26 27. 2-0 2-5 2-5 0-5 0-5 0-5 0-5 0-5 0-5 26-letter check TNJUWAUQTKCZKNUTOTBCWARMIO 12 I REF ID:A67854 lmaallalion and Operabon TM 11-380 Par. 8 d. Drum Bar Lugs. With the mner lid open, the drum will be seen 111 the rear of the machine. Each of the 27 drum bars has 2 movable lugs which may be placed in eft'ectlve positions 1 through 6, or in 2 noneft'ective positions labeled "O." Consult table II, Puinnun of drum bar lugs. The 2 columns of numbers. 1 through 14. and 15 through 27, represent the 27 drum bars. The numbers opposite each drum bar number denote the positions which the two lugs on each drum bar will occupy. These positions are mdicated on the machme by the number plate behind the drum. For example, on bar 1, the left-band Jug will be moved to pos1t1on 3 and the right-hand Jug to position 6. On bar 2, the left-hand Jug will be moved to the left zero position, and the nght-hand lug to pos1t1on 6. Tum the settmg knob (8) to release the drum lock and to allow the drive knob to rotate the drum. Use the special screw driver provided to move the lugs from one position to another (fig. 6). When correctly placed, each lug will lock m position in a small hole. When moving a lug, push !it slightly toward the f root of the machme to release 1t, before attemptmg to slide it to another location. Be sure that the lug catclies in the hole at the new positum. If a lug is allowed to remain in an intermediate position, it will Jam the machine. A click can he heard "'hen the lug is properly placed. It u recomn1ended tl1a.t the left-hand lugs on each drun1 bar j ~- ---~-- TL7475 Figure 6. SeUu11 drum bar lugs 13 REF ID:A67854 TM ll-380 Par. 8 Conw:rter M-209, M-209-A, M-209-B (Cipher) be placed m positions 1, 2, 3, and the left zero, and that the right-hand lugs be placed in positions 4, 5, 6, and the right zero. When all lugs l1ave been properly set, tum the drive knob unlll the drum locks into TL7418 (1) Counter set on 0000. (2) Ene1pher-dee1pher knob set ill the C po11tion. (3) Key wbeela aligned to AAAAAA (-I) First letter A loLated on 1nd1Lallng d111k Figure 7. Converlel' sei io make 26-leuer rhL'Ck. 14 REF ID:A67854 ln1tallation and Operabon TM 11-380 Par. 8-9 place. (lnformabon on the preparation of a table of lug settings may be found in appendix I.) e. TweECy-six letter Check. Every cipher-key list will include a 26-leater check. Using tins check, the operator of Converter M-209-( *) may venfy hia prclinunary settmgs. The operator must always make the check immediately after completing his pin and Jug setbngs. The following steps are necessary: Insert the paper tape according to mstructions given in paragraph 24d. Make certain that the ink pad contm.ns enough ink for legible printing. (If it does not, replace the pad from the ink pad can clamped to the outer cover.) Tum the setting knob several times to ink the typewbeel thoroughly. With tl1e inner hd closed, depreBS the reset button and turn the reset knob to zerotze the letter counter. The right•hand zero of the letter counter must be completely m view. A click will he heard when it comes mto place. Set the encipher-decipher knob m the C position. Set tlie initial alignment of AAAAAA on tlte key wheels by turning them individually until the letter A of each wheel Imes up with the white bench mark {fig. 7). Tum the mdicatmg disk until the letter A is on lme with the indicating mdex, and encipher it by operating the drive knob. Be sure that the dnve knob is turned until it locks in place. Continue the encipherment o: "A's" in tl1e same manner until the letter counter shows that 26 ]eaten have been enciphered. If the letter A is already aligned on the indu:ating mdex at the end of an operating cycle, the indicating disk must be moved to another letter and returned to A in order to release the drum lock, which prevents turning the drive knob. Advance the paper tape by turning the paper feed knob until tile paper can be tom off at the cut.ting edge. Compare the tape with the 26-letter check in the cipher-key list. If the tape and the 26-letter check are identical, the pin and lug settings are correct; if they d1ffer by one or more letters, there is an error in the initial aettings of the converter which must be corrected before proceeding with any encipherment or deciphcrment. Refer to tbe cipher-key list composed of tables 1 and 2, and make the preliminary setting&. Venfy these settings by means of the 26-letter check in table II. 0 9. INDICATORS. a. General. Every message enciphered with Converter M-209-(*) will he accompanied by certain 111.du:ators which are transmitted with the meBSage. The purpose of these indicators ia to show the deciphering operator what setting& to make on his machine before dec1phenng tha11. message. 1'he various methods 0£ determinmg and USlllg the indicators a.re described 1ll system publications. 15 .J' REF ID:A67854 TM 11-380 Par. 9 Converter M-209, M-209-A, M-209-B (Cipher) b. Types. Three types or indicators are used. The number reqmred will depend upon the system. ( 1) The system indicator discloses to the receiving operator the system which 1s in use It will appear in the system publication or the ugnal operation instructions. (2) The message indicator reveals to the decipl1enng operator the 11ut1al key wheel alignment which was used to encipher the meBBage (par. 7a). In some systems dus indicator will be enciphered before tranmuBBion to provide additional security. (3) The cipher-key indicator designates the particular cipher-key list wluch was ID effect at the time or enCJpherment. This indicator will appear 10 the SOI with the cipher-key lists. c. Use. The following method or using the indiicaton is mtended as an example £or training purposes only: (1) The system indicator is composed of two letters, such as FW. This system indicator designates the method of cryptograph1ng. and is placed as the first two letters or Llie first group or the mdica~!'S. (2) The meBBage indicator is taken from the six key wheels before enc1pherment is begun, hy reeC:1ng the letters which are aligned with the white bench mark. These six letlen 11.re cbV1ded in half, the first half forms the last three letters of the fint mc11eator group, and the second half forms the first three letters of the second indicator group. These appear as the first two groups of a message, and are sent m the clear. ABBume. for example, that the initial key wheel alignment is QAHNK.E. These letters make up the message indicator, and are wntten in the form shown below. (3) The cipher-key indicator will appear as two letters. such as LP, accompanymg each cipher-key list. These letters are inserted as the last two or the second indicator group. ( 4) The two indicator groups would be made up and transmitted as rollows: ___ FWQAH .__..,.._, (1) (2) NKELP ~,........, (3) This is only a sample method of shou.'U&B the indicators. d. The indieators will always he placed in the order shown above. and will be inserted before the first in-oup of cipher text.. They also appear (in the same order) as the last two groups of the message, 0 16 REF ID:A67854 Installation and Operation TM ll-380 Par. 9-10 following the last group of cipher text. The indicators must l1e added m pencil in both cases. IO. ENCIPHERMENT. a. General. The student should follow the procedure on a converter which has been set and checked with the cipher-key hst composed of tables I and II. b. Preliminary Instructions. The following steps for enciphering a meseage with Converter M-209-( 0 ) are presented in a numbered sequence designed to help an operator leam the process by performing the operations: (I) Make certain that the drive knob is JD the locked position. If it is not locked, tum 1t until 1t clicks and will turn no more. The knob cannot be tumed again until the ind1catmg disk has been moved. Leave the drive knob 10 the locked pos1t1on until all adjmtmentB have been made. (2) Tum 1he encipher-decipher knob so !hat the letter C is up and Cacmg the front. (3) Zero1ze the letter counter. This will insure that the enCiphered text will be pn.nted m groups or five letters, and will show the exact number of letters enciphered. ( 4) Align the key wheels at random. In selectmg the key wheel align· ment. the operator should move the key wheels md1Vldually, chooB10g the letters which line up on the white bench mark. These letters should not spell a word, nor should the same letter be found twice JD one key wheel ahgnment. The flat end of the tweezers may be used !'or turning the key wheels in21v1dually. Do not rue an eraser tip. Each key wheel upon coming mto place will click audibly; do not leave a key wheel in an intermediate posit.1on. Make a note oC the indicator BO that it may he re(erred to later (5) Advance enough paper tape to allow msertion of the system and meBBage md1cators by hand. (IC the supply of paper tape is exhausted, the cipher text may be copied from the reproducing disk, as each letter is encl phered.) c. Procedure. Encipher the following message: MENTS URGENTLY NEEDED. Proceed as folJows: REINFORCE- (I) Tum the indicating disk until the first letter to be enciphered (R) hnee up with the indicating mdex, and release the knob. (2) 'l'u:n the drive knob until it locks. Avoid a rapid or jerky movement of the dnve knoh. A moderate steady motion is preferable. 17 REF ID:A67854 TM ll-380 Par. 10-11 Converter M-209, M-209-A, M-209-B (Cipher) CompJete the operating cycJe before enciphering another letter, or jamming of the mechanism will result. (3) Locate the second Jetter of the me86age (E) on the indicating disk and rotate the drive knolb agam. This procedure is repeated for all Jetten of the clear text. (4) Encipher the letter Z between the worm of the clear text; i. e., between rein/orcemcn111 and urgPntly, and be:.ween urgently and nPPded, in the above message. When the cipher text is deciphered, a space will appear at the proper place between the words. A thorough explanation of Z-spacing is included in paragraph 13h. (5) Since the drive knob is locked at the end of each operating cycle, the mdicatmg disk must always be mover! hefore another letter can lie enciphered or deciphered. Occasionally the desired letter is already in position before the indicating disk is moved. If this happens, move the disk to another letter and retum 1t to the desired letter. Thu will release the lock and allow the drive knob to be turned. ( 6) When tl1e message has been completely enciphered, advance the paper tape two or three inches and tear it off at the cuttmg edge. (7) Note 1hat the cipher text has been automatically spaced into five letter groups. IC the last group contams only 1, 2, 3, or 4 letters, add enough X's in pencil to make it a complete 5-letter group. DO NOT J.:NCIPHER THESE X's TO COMPLETE THE LAST GROUP. Such a practice reduces the security of the system and aids the enemy m solvmg the message. (8) Now print at the hegmnbg of the message the system, message, and cipher-key indicators, and repeat them m that order at the end of the me811age. From this point, the code clerk will follow the procedure for cryptographed messap;es as outlmed in FM 24-5, Basil· Signal Commumcat1on, or the standing operating procedure of his unit. 11. DECIPHERMENT. The deciphering operator must have initial settings on his machme which are 1dent1cal to those used by the en· ciphering operator. Retaming the se::tings of tables I and II, decipher the message winch was enciphered m paragraph IOc. PYoceed as follows: a. Make certain that the dnve knob is in a locked pomtion. b. Tum the encipher-decipher knob to the D position. c. Zer01ze tbe letter counter. 18 ---=------- REF ID:A67854 ln1tallation and Operation TM 11-380 Pu. ll-lZ-13-14 d. Check the meHage indicators at the beginning of the message with those at the end to make sure that they are the same, and abgn the key wheels in accordance with the message indicator. e. Proceed as in encipherment; locate the cipher letten one by one on the mdicating disk, and operate the drive knob m one complete "ycle eacl1 time. Disregard the spaces between the groups of the cipher tPxt. Carry in nund one 5-letter group at a time so that it will not he necessary to look at t11e text for each Jetter; this will keep errors tlt a mmimum. f. Upon completion of decipherment, advance the tape unbl the pnnted clear text is beyond the cutta.ng edge, and tear it ofF. If the letter ''Z" was used as a space between words when the message was enciphered., the clear text will appear in its original word form. Local message center procedure will he followed in serv1cmg the message and delivering it to the addressee. 12. ZEROIZING THE l\f.A<:HINE. When the converter is to be closed at the end of a day or a penod of operation, the internal keying elements of the device must he zero1zed. FJrst, push all of the key wheel pins to the left or meft'ective posibon. Second., move all lugs to the zero positions on the drum bars. Tear off any tape which contains printing, and close the outer cover of the machme. The converter should then he placed in the canvas case proVlded, and kept m a dry place until used again. 13. SPACING. a. Aulomaniic Spacing. Five-Jetter cipher groups are obtained only when the enc:pher-decipher knob is set in the en· cipher posibon. This spacing is automatic and is ignored by both enciphering and deciphering operaton. b. 7Aipaeing. 1£ the ope!'ator enciphers a Z for each space between words of clear text, the deciphered message will appear in its original word form (par. 10c(4) ). This is made possible by the elimination of the letter Z m the deciphennir; proce&B. Such a word as ORGANIZED will appear in clear text as ORGAN! ED, but the mHmng letter can easily be supplied from the context of the message. The printing of the Z is prevented only when the encipher-decipher knob is set for deciphering. 14. USE OF LEITER COUN'll'IEJa. An operator who wishes to check a word or correct an error, or who has lost his place m the message he is enc1phermg or deciphering. need not start at the beginning of the 616849°-44---4 --- - - -- - - ------~-- 19 REF ID:A67854 TM 11-380 Par. 14-15 Converter M-209, M-209-A, M-209-B (Cipher) me1111age i£ he has a proper understanding or the letter counter. Whenever it 111 neceuary to check back in the me&11age £or any reason, pro· ceed as £ollow11 · a. Determine the place in the message where the error occurs. Count the letters Crom the heginn'lng or the message to the error. Ir the count is made Crom clear text, remember to count 11pace11 also. In cipher text, the number or groups can be multiplied by :live (there are five letters in each group), and any extra letters which are correct can be 1tdded to the product. For example, m the me1111ap;e used in paragraph lOc, "REINFORCEMENTS URCENTLY NEF.DF.D," a mistake m1g!1t have been caused by 11k1pping a letter m decipherment 110 that the (ollow· ing text resulted: "REINFORCEMF.NTS URGENQCTLV etc." A count or the letter in error will show that all letters through the 20th are correct. b. Tum the letter counter back until 1t reads 20. Count the cipher text letters up through the 20th (£our groups), and begin Crom there by deciphering the 21st letter. This procey may be used £or reen· ciphering or redeciphering any portion or a message as long as the indicators remain the same. 15. CAUSES AND CORRECDON OF GARBLES. a. Geime!l"eR. FauJty operation or a cryptographic device, errors made in transmiS111ou, or mistakes made hy either the enciphering or deciphering operator may produce garbled texL The garble may be 110 slight that the text may 11t1ll be read, or it may hkew111e he 110 serious that the text will be unreadable. It is important that operators of Converter M-209-( 0 ) recognize the types 0£ garbles and know their causes, and whenever possible, make correctlOD. The operator should always make <>Very poasible attempt to decipher a message before asking for a servicP on it. There are five common causes or garbled text. b. Incorrectly Set Key Wheel !Pin. One incorrectly placed key wheel pin will result in garbled text. This type of garbJe is recognized by a single-letter error appearing periodl1caUy m the text, i. e., by en-ors which are an equal d111tance apart. Location 0£ the incorrectly set pm is accomplished in the following manner: (1) Count the number or letters including 11pace11 from one garbled letter to the nexL This number determme11 the key wheel on which the pin is located. If the count 1s 17, the incorrectly set pm wiU be round on wheel number 6 (numbenng from left to nght), because this wheel contains only 17 pins (table I). Ir the count is 19, the incorrectly set pin will be found on wheel number 5; if 21, on wheel number 4; 20 ~----·----- - - - - REF ID:A67854 TM 11-380 IDltallation and Operabon Par. 15 if 23, on wheel number 3; i£ 25, on wheel number 2; if 26, on wheel number 1. The following message is slightly garbled as the result of an inco?reOtly set key wheel pin: NOW IS LHE TIME FOR ALL XOOD MEN If the deciphering were contmued, the error would appear periodically at the same interval. A count shows that from the first error to the second, there are 17 letters and spaces, indicating that the incorrectly. set pm is on key wheel number 6. (2) Following the directions given m paragraph 14, tum the letter counter to the number of the last letter deciphered before the garbled letter appeared. In the example above, the counter would be turned back to 7. (3) By usmg the follow1ng table and counting over the top of the key wheel which contams the error, beginning with the letter which is on hne with the bench mark, the pm which was in the operation at the time of the error will he located. Wheel No. I 2 3 4 5 6 Count back 16 15 14 13 12 II If A were aligned on the key wheels, 'J:he pm in operation for the next letter would be the one allllOOiated w1ili the letter P for wheel number I, 0 for wheel number 2, N for wheel number 3, and so forth. After determining the pm m error, turn the wheel until that pm is V181ble, and move it to the other 11de. Reset the key wheel to its proper place and decipher the letter to determme whether the trouble has been corrected c. Incorrectly Set Drum Bar Lug. Garbles caused by an incorrectly set drum bar lug are recognized by a non.penodu: appearance of ermrs throughout the text, which may or may not be readable at first sight. Such garbles can be divided into three types according to the results produced: (I) The first type 1s caused hy a Jug which has been made effective, when it should he noneffec'Ji:.ve. This condition adds one pomuve "kick" in the operation of the machine. In this case the letters which are in error will always be those letters which immediately follow the correct letters in the alphabet. The text might appear as follows. NOX IS THEAUIMF FORAAML HOOE MEN - -- ---- {NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD 'ME~) 21 ----- -- - - REF ID:A67854 Converter