Crypto.

This is coolbert:

Here with some miscellaneous crypto stuff.

As reported by the TimesOnline, Franco, prior to the start of the Second World War [WW2], made use of the Enigma cryptographic machine.

"Nazi Enigma machines helped General Franco in Spanish Civil War"

Cryptographic machines of the Enigma [German] variety were used to secure the top-level communications of the insurgent Nationalist movement during the Spanish Civil War. A version of the Enigma that WAS NOT the German WW2 military version of the cryptograph, but rather the commercial, civilian variety.

"Franco needed to improve communications between his generals as encryption of top-secret messages was far from sophisticated: at the start of the war both sides used the same codes."

What is being said here? At the start of the Spanish Civil War, both the Nationalist [Franco] and Republican [leftists] were using the same cryptographic systems to secure their communications? There were military units both in rebellion and in allegiance to the Republican government of Spain that at the beginning of the war USED THE SAME CODES? Codes as opposed to cipher! This is not unreasonable.

To improve and secure his communications with his top commanders during the Spanish Civil War, Franco purchased: "ten Enigma machines from Germany"

These Enigma machines were: "commercial Enigma machines, invented in 1920, rather than the more effective and highly secret military version that the German army used so effectively during the war."

"the British code breaker Alfred Dilwyn Knox cracked the code of Franco's machine in 1937, but 'this information was not passed on to the Republicans'”

Both: 1. German and 2. Italian - - military units fighting on behalf of the fascist Spanish movement utilized the commercial version of the Enigma cryptograph. This was non-Stecker traffic, not employing the plug board as found in German WW2 versions of the Enigma.

Commercial versions of the Enigma continued to be used only very sparingly by the Italians during WW2. According to Calvocoressi in his book: "TOP SECRET ULTRA" - - "Although the Italians used a version of Enigma in the Spanish civil war, they made only sparing use of machine cyphers in the second World War . . . An exceptional Italian Enigma message contributed to the action off Matapan where the battleship Vittorio Veneto was damaged and three other Italian capital ships were sunk."

This WAS a commercial version of the Enigma? This is not clear! The German did not trust their Italian allies with secrets of any type? I think NOT!

coolbert.