Short Weather Cipher Encrypting/Decrypting and Sending Procedure

 

Kriegsmarine

 

SHORT WEATHER CIPHER ENCRYPTING/DECRYPTING AND SENDING PROCEDURE 

​

Encrypting/Decrypting and Sending a Kriegsmarine 4-rotor Short Weather Cipher Message

 

Note:  The Kriegsmarine Enigma machines were used by U-boats and converted fishing trawlers to relay weather information from the north and west, the directions from which Germany's weather came, to B.d.U. (U-boat Headquarters). After Feb 1942, the Enigma machine version used was the 4-rotor M4. The Short Weather Cipher examples used here are based on the 3rd Version of the WKS. The 3rd version was released primarily for the U-Boats, but any German surface ship with an M4 Enigma could use the 3rd Version WKS. These "floating weather observers" were critical to both German strategic (long-range) and tactical (short-range) battle planning.

​

To view this procedure, please click on the "Quick Reference Guide for Short Weather Cipher (Wetterkurzsignal)" bullet below.

 

1.  Print-out a paper copy of all of these documents by clicking on the links:

​

• Quick Reference Guide for Short Weather Cipher (Wetterkurzsignal)

• Kriegsmarine Practice M4 Inner and Outer Settings for the Wetterkurzsignal

• Kriegsmarine Practice Special Key Table for Weather Short Cipher (Schlüsseltafeln M - Wetterkurzsignal)

• Short Weather Cipher Tables (A, C, DDD, E, G, K, L, M, PPP, R, T, V, W, and Z)

• Table BB - Sea Area Grid Map  (This is a large file. It will take a minute to load.)

• Table Recording Sheet (Encoding) - (Example)

• Table Recording Sheet (Encoding) - (Blank)

• Message Decryption Sheet - (Example)

• Message Decryption Sheet - (Blank)

​

Note: We will select sample values from the tables to use for our example U-boat in this procedure.  To send your own Enigma-encrypted

Short Weather Cipher message to a friend, you may, of course, choose any table settings or values you wish.

​

​