Type K Enigma Machine

The Enigma machine is a cipher device developed and used in the early- to mid-20th century to protect commercial, diplomatic, and military communication. It was employed extensively by Nazi Germany during World War II, in all branches of the German military.

The Enigma machine was considered so secure that it was used to encipher the most top-secret messages. Based on the Enigma-D machines, many type K variants were made by the Germans for the Swiss Army and Air Force and were delivered in 1939 and 1940.



Capturing the Enigma equipment allowed the “Code Breakers” at Bletchley Park in Southern England to decipher the transmissions sent by the Germans and to relay that information to the Admiralty. With this information, it was possible to:

• Route a convoy away from known locations of enemy surface vessels, U-Boats, or Wolf Packs
• Alert convoy escorts of imminent attacks by one or more enemy craft
• Direct convoy support groups and coastal command to locate, attack, and destroy the Enemy forces

It has been suggested by post-war historians that the ability to intercept and decode German radio traffic shortened the war in Europe by at least a full year and saved the lives of thousands of allied sailors. The invasion of Europe by the Allied Forces on 6 June 1944 could not have taken place if the Enigma Code had not been broken.