DNWPO Cipher-Busters #4: Enigma, Companion page

First of all, for those who happened here by accident, the place to start is goecaching.com, then click "getting started" to learn what the game is and how it works.

For the rest, thank you for your interest in finding my cache, GCZWZ1, the Duck Nest Worth Puzzling Over Cipher Busters Ultimate Challenge.

The first thing you will want to do is print my paper Enigma Machine simulator. Use the version on the cache page, or if that isn't adequate, it is contained in this PDF file: paperenigma.pdf (144KB PDF). Next, cut apart the pieces and assemble according to the directions on the page. I would suggest using either card stock or heavier paper for the construction. Next, I suggest taking a few minutes to familiarize yourself with how this paper version works, using the example provided. Slide Wheel I so that the left-hand G is in the top row, then Wheel II so that P is in the top row, then Wheel III so that S is in the top row: initial setting GPS. Now find D in the key/ lamp column. The adjacent letter on Wheel III should be F. Now find the other F on Wheel III. Move left to the letter V on Wheel II, and find the other V on Wheel II . Move left to the R on Wheel I, and find the other R on Wheel I. Move Left to the L on the reflector, which should be the first L, then shift to the other (second) L. Now work back to the right: L to E to E to K to K to W to W to the Q on the Key/ Lamp. Now slide Wheel III up so that the T is in the top row. Enciphering the U in DUCK goes like this: U--Y-Y--W-W--U-U--B-B--H-H--P-P--R-R--R. Now slide Wheel III up again and repeat for the letter C, and so on.

One of the consequences of the reflector is that enciphering is the mirror image of deciphering given the same initial settings. That is if DUCK enciphers as QRQA, then QRQA enciphers as DUCK, if the Wheels start with GPS in both cases. Similarly, deciphering the actual coordinates on your end is the same as enciphering them on my end.

If the example works and you would like some additional practice, try this somewhat longer message, using the intial settings SCT: The sentence "I CAN USE A PAPER ENIGMA MACHINE" enciphers as "A UBG MZY X NCWJK LHZBCG URDWEGZ" (and vice versa).

Okay, so now you are anxious to try the real message so you can go find the cache. However, you do not know the proper initial settings used on this message. The cache page gave a few hints. I'll give a few more here, but in the end you'll have to Bust the Cipher yourself. Good luck.

  1. There aren't that many three letter abbreviations on the cache page. A website address alone has several. Have you tried any of them?
  2. I would find it hard to believe if the Wermacht ever used these three letters as their Wheel settings.
  3. Many of the workers at Bletchley Park were multi-lingual.
  4. Don't forget that after Wheel III reaches Z in the top, you need to advance both Wheel III and II.
  5. I like the idea of unactivated Geocoins as FTF prizes, so that's what I did.
  6. Enigma operators often used thier own or a girlfriend's initials as the initial Wheel settings.
  7. Make no assumptions. All of these hints are factual, but some may be mis-direction.
  8. This message is not long enough to make Wheel I advance.
  9. The enigma machine had no space bar nor punctuation. It was common to insert null characters to stand for the end of a word or sentence. The letter X was often used as a null.
  10. Thus paper machune omuts them, bit for the ciruois, the pligboard jist transposed paurs of letters.
  11. The cache is not far from the fake/ parking coordinates, so it is probable that the real coordinates contain NORTH FOUR THREE DEGREES and WEST ZERO SEVEN FIVE DEGREES in some form.
  12. An actual Enigma machine required electricity. Yet somehow a reasonable simulation can be made from paper.

Suggested Further Reading:

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