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TICOM

May 07, 2024

For the academic institution abbreviated TICOM, see Tilburg Institute of Comparative and Transnational Law.

TICOM (Target Intelligence Committee) was a secret Allied project formed in World War II to find and seize German intelligence assets, particularly in the field of cryptology and signals intelligence.[1]

It operated alongside other Western Allied efforts to extract German scientific and technological information and personnel during and after the war, including Operation Paperclip (for rocketry), Operation Alsos (for nuclear information) and Operation Surgeon (for avionics).

History edit

The project was initiated by the British, but when the US Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall learnt of it, it soon became Anglo-American. The aim was to seek out and capture the cryptologic secrets of Germany. The concept was for teams of cryptologic experts, mainly drawn from the code-breaking center at Bletchley Park, to enter Germany with the front-line troops and capture the documents, technology and personnel of the various German signal intelligence organizations before these precious secrets could be destroyed, looted, or captured by the Soviets.[2][3] There were six such teams.[4]

  • Team 1 was tasked to capture German Geheimschreiber (secret writer) machines whose enciphered traffic was code named Fish
  • Team 2 was to assist Team 1 with transporting Field Marshal Kesselring's communications train to Britain (the so-called "Jellyfish Convoy")[5]
  • Team 3 was to investigate an intact German Signals intelligence unit called "Pers Z S"
  • Team 4 was to investigate in more detail the places in southern Germany that the Team 1 search had passed over quickly
  • Team 5: Following the serendipitous discovery of a waterproof box containing some of the archives of the Cipher Department of the High Command of the Wehrmacht (OKW/Chi) on the bed of Lake Schliersee, this team was tasked with recovering anything else of value from that lake
  • Team 6 aimed to capture and exploit material from the German Naval Intelligence Center and the German SIGINT headquarters

OKW/Chi (High Command) edit

The Allied supposition that the Supreme Command of the German Armed Forces, the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht Chiffrierabteilung (abbreviated OKW/Chi) was the German equivalent of Bletchley Park, was found to be incorrect. Despite it being the top SIGINT agency in the German military, it did not set policy and did not co-ordinate or direct the signal intelligence work of the different services. It concentrated instead on employing the best cryptanalysts to design Germany's own secure communications systems, and to assist the individual services organisations.[6] These were:

Drs Huttenhain and Fricke of OKW/Chi were requested to write about the methods of solution of the German machines.[12] This covered the un-steckered Enigma, the steckered Enigmas; Hagelin B-36 and BC-38; the cipher teleprinters Siemens and Halske T52 a/b, T52/c; the Siemens SFM T43; and the Lorenz SZ 40, SZ42 a/b. They assumed Kerckhoffs's principle that how the machines worked would be known, and addressed only the solving of keys, not the breaking of the machines in the first place. This showed that, at least amongst the cryptographers, the un-steckered Enigma was clearly recognized as solvable. The Enigmas with the plugboard (Steckerbrett) were considered secure if used according to the instructions, but were less secure if stereotyped beginnings or routine phrases were used, or during the period of what they described as the "faulty indicator technique" - used up until May 1940. It was their opinion, however, that the steckered Enigma had never been solved.[13]

FA Discovery edit

The discovery in May 1945 of the Nazi Party's top secret FA signals intelligence and cryptanalytic agency at the Kaufbeuren Air Base in southern Bavaria came as a total surprise.[11] The province of Luftwaffe chief Hermann Göring, it has been described as "the richest, most secret, the most Nazi, and the most influential" of all the German cryptanalytic intelligence agencies.[14]

Russian "FISH" Discovery edit

 
German prisoners prepare the "Russian Fish" for loading and shipment to England, June 1945.

The greatest success for TICOM was the capture of the "Russian Fish", a set of German wide-band receivers used to intercept Soviet high-level radio teletype signals. On May 21, 1945, a party of TICOM Team 1 received tip that a German POW had knowledge of certain signals intelligence equipment and documentation relating Russian traffic. After identifying the remaining members of the unit, they were all taken back to their previous base at Rosenheim. The prisoners recovered about 7 ½ tons of equipment. One of the machines was re-assembled and demonstrated. TICOM officer 1st Lt. Paul Whitaker later reported. "They were intercepting Russian traffic right while we were there…pretty soon they had shown us all we needed to see."[15][16]

Related efforts edit

In Operation Stella Polaris the Finnish signals intelligence unit was evacuated to Sweden following the Finland/Soviet cease-fire in September 1944. The records, including cryptographic material, ended up in the hands of Americans.

See also edit

  • Ralph Tester, senior British codebreaker who worked on the TICOM project

Notes edit

  1. ^ Rezabek 2017, I Introduction.
  2. ^ Parrish 1986, p. 276.
  3. ^ Rezabek 2017, I Introduction: Origin of TICOM.
  4. ^ Rezabek 2017, III The Teams.
  5. ^ Rezabek 2012, IV Case Studies: FISH and the Jellyfish Convoy.
  6. ^ Rezabek 2012, II The Targets: OKW/Chi (High Command).
  7. ^ Rezabek 2012, II The Targets: GdNA (Army).
  8. ^ Rezabek 2012, II The Targets: Chi Stelle (Air Force).
  9. ^ Rezabek 2012, II The Targets: B-Dienst (Navy).
  10. ^ Rezabek 2012, II The Targets: Pers ZS (Foreign Office).
  11. ^ a b Rezabek 2012, II The Targets: FA (Nazi Party).
  12. ^ Huttenhain & Fricke 1945.
  13. ^ Huttenhain & Fricke 1945, pp. 4, 5.
  14. ^ Kahn 2000, p. 178.
  15. ^ Rezabek 2012, IV Case Studies: Russian FISH.
  16. ^ TICOM Team 1 Report Appendix 14: Baudot Equipment Report on Gen Der Nach. Aufkl. Gruppe VI

External links edit

  • TICOM archive

References edit

May 07, 2024
ticom, academic, institution, abbreviated, tilburg, institute, comparative, transnational, target, intelligence, committee, secret, allied, project, formed, world, find, seize, german, intelligence, assets, particularly, field, cryptology, signals, intelligenc. For the academic institution abbreviated TICOM see Tilburg Institute of Comparative and Transnational Law TICOM Target Intelligence Committee was a secret Allied project formed in World War II to find and seize German intelligence assets particularly in the field of cryptology and signals intelligence 1 It operated alongside other Western Allied efforts to extract German scientific and technological information and personnel during and after the war including Operation Paperclip for rocketry Operation Alsos for nuclear information and Operation Surgeon for avionics Contents 1 History 1 1 OKW Chi High Command 1 2 FA Discovery 1 3 Russian FISH Discovery 1 4 Related efforts 2 See also 3 Notes 4 External links 5 ReferencesHistory editThe project was initiated by the British but when the US Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall learnt of it it soon became Anglo American The aim was to seek out and capture the cryptologic secrets of Germany The concept was for teams of cryptologic experts mainly drawn from the code breaking center at Bletchley Park to enter Germany with the front line troops and capture the documents technology and personnel of the various German signal intelligence organizations before these precious secrets could be destroyed looted or captured by the Soviets 2 3 There were six such teams 4 Team 1 was tasked to capture German Geheimschreiber secret writer machines whose enciphered traffic was code named Fish Team 2 was to assist Team 1 with transporting Field Marshal Kesselring s communications train to Britain the so called Jellyfish Convoy 5 Team 3 was to investigate an intact German Signals intelligence unit called Pers Z S Team 4 was to investigate in more detail the places in southern Germany that the Team 1 search had passed over quickly Team 5 Following the serendipitous discovery of a waterproof box containing some of the archives of the Cipher Department of the High Command of the Wehrmacht OKW Chi on the bed of Lake Schliersee this team was tasked with recovering anything else of value from that lake Team 6 aimed to capture and exploit material from the German Naval Intelligence Center and the German SIGINT headquarters OKW Chi High Command edit The Allied supposition that the Supreme Command of the German Armed Forces the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht Chiffrierabteilung abbreviated OKW Chi was the German equivalent of Bletchley Park was found to be incorrect Despite it being the top SIGINT agency in the German military it did not set policy and did not co ordinate or direct the signal intelligence work of the different services It concentrated instead on employing the best cryptanalysts to design Germany s own secure communications systems and to assist the individual services organisations 6 These were The Army Heer OKH GdNA the Oberkommando des Heeres General der Nachrichtenaufklarung 7 Air Force Luftwaffe Chi Stelle 8 Navy Kriegsmarine Beobachtungsdienst or B Dienst 9 Foreign Office Pers ZS 10 Nazi Party Forschungsamt or FA 11 Drs Huttenhain and Fricke of OKW Chi were requested to write about the methods of solution of the German machines 12 This covered the un steckered Enigma the steckered Enigmas Hagelin B 36 and BC 38 the cipher teleprinters Siemens and Halske T52 a b T52 c the Siemens SFM T43 and the Lorenz SZ 40 SZ42 a b They assumed Kerckhoffs s principle that how the machines worked would be known and addressed only the solving of keys not the breaking of the machines in the first place This showed that at least amongst the cryptographers the un steckered Enigma was clearly recognized as solvable The Enigmas with the plugboard Steckerbrett were considered secure if used according to the instructions but were less secure if stereotyped beginnings or routine phrases were used or during the period of what they described as the faulty indicator technique used up until May 1940 It was their opinion however that the steckered Enigma had never been solved 13 FA Discovery edit The discovery in May 1945 of the Nazi Party s top secret FA signals intelligence and cryptanalytic agency at the Kaufbeuren Air Base in southern Bavaria came as a total surprise 11 The province of Luftwaffe chief Hermann Goring it has been described as the richest most secret the most Nazi and the most influential of all the German cryptanalytic intelligence agencies 14 Russian FISH Discovery edit nbsp German prisoners prepare the Russian Fish for loading and shipment to England June 1945 The greatest success for TICOM was the capture of the Russian Fish a set of German wide band receivers used to intercept Soviet high level radio teletype signals On May 21 1945 a party of TICOM Team 1 received tip that a German POW had knowledge of certain signals intelligence equipment and documentation relating Russian traffic After identifying the remaining members of the unit they were all taken back to their previous base at Rosenheim The prisoners recovered about 7 tons of equipment One of the machines was re assembled and demonstrated TICOM officer 1st Lt Paul Whitaker later reported They were intercepting Russian traffic right while we were there pretty soon they had shown us all we needed to see 15 16 Related efforts edit In Operation Stella Polaris the Finnish signals intelligence unit was evacuated to Sweden following the Finland Soviet cease fire in September 1944 The records including cryptographic material ended up in the hands of Americans See also editRalph Tester senior British codebreaker who worked on the TICOM projectNotes edit Rezabek 2017 I Introduction Parrish 1986 p 276 Rezabek 2017 I Introduction Origin of TICOM Rezabek 2017 III The Teams Rezabek 2012 IV Case Studies FISH and the Jellyfish Convoy Rezabek 2012 II The Targets OKW Chi High Command Rezabek 2012 II The Targets GdNA Army Rezabek 2012 II The Targets Chi Stelle Air Force Rezabek 2012 II The Targets B Dienst Navy Rezabek 2012 II The Targets Pers ZS Foreign Office a b Rezabek 2012 II The Targets FA Nazi Party Huttenhain amp Fricke 1945 Huttenhain amp Fricke 1945 pp 4 5 Kahn 2000 p 178 Rezabek 2012 IV Case Studies Russian FISH TICOM Team 1 Report Appendix 14 Baudot Equipment Report on Gen Der Nach Aufkl Gruppe VIExternal links editTICOM archiveReferences editBamford James 2002 Body of Secrets How America s NSA amp Britain s GCHQ Eavesdrop On The World New ed London Arrow ISBN 978 0099427742 includes material on the TICOM take Huttenhain Orr Fricke 1945 OKW Chi Cryptanalytic Research on Enigma Hagelin and Cipher Teleprinter Messages TICOM Kahn David 2000 Hitler s Spies German Military Intelligence In World War II Cambridge MA Da Capo Press ISBN 978 0306809491 Parrish Thomas 1986 The Ultra Americans The U S Role in Breaking the Nazi Codes New York Stein and Day ISBN 978 0 8128 3072 9 Rezabek Randy 2012 TICOM The Last Great Secret of World War II Intelligence and National Security 27 4 513 530 doi 10 1080 02684527 2012 688305 Rezabek Randy 2017 TICOM the Hunt for Hitler s Codebreakers Independently published ISBN 978 1521969021 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title TICOM amp oldid 1190773205, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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