DOCID: 'j7·4:2bS9 . ~. .. ; .. ··•·· .. ·: ..

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(U) The l».l~.but extjting voyage :9f. the il~'"-fate4. G~ :ba~eslll.P [Jis~ i~ . .on~o-f.~gt!at -; · .· naval stories or'\Yot4f·.W.ar rt, ~d p~~ps of the 2-0th·cen~._:lio~thi~srup;.,ate~aro~;hy the' "·­German cruiser P:!TJ.z. e:Ugen~ daShtxfmtO: the No~h Atlantj~. :$~nk·Britilints-_~g~t W.~~R,. @; • . ': , cruiser H .M.S. Hood, and wa.ci flruin.y.'coniered ana sµnk a~rbeing hiinted·p}/d.oz~m ~(t~'.N1Wy ... ~·: . . ships, is stilt an ex.citing tale, . . · .. · ·· .. ._ _:_: · ·-:.·'.-_"<.:.- . . :_" "

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· (U) .Int~~tingry, allied comf)i~~atjons mi~ili~~ tiad Hti1e:d~~t eff.~fo~-the ~:-J~C .. _::·: sink the Bismarck.:· British c~reak~rs at ·Bletchley· Parkha.d not quit~. Crintple~'Y.:~Qi{~~~t·~:>-.·:: ... :. . German Kriegsmarjne (Navy) Enigma cipher coden~d P~lphin. ·At the tjme cr.f:,th~:!ll~~~t_: ':': .< .. :·~ ::::~~- .:;'.,'.. · · deployment, the British were roughly aw.eek or two late in re.ad.itlg the radio· ~~:~:ff.f.~~4.~il~l~:.::"s.:·: :::~. surface ships. There were three instances in wbicb·aJlied COMfNT played a: n)W,qfmle'.:,i~i!;tfie:(}fi~~-:~":.

discovery that the Bismarck would be heading to a .French p~rt that was derived. n~ .. th¢ :~ffi~--~~fr?.:~­clue when radio control of the Bismarck switched from Ge~.any to German na'Y:~·~~~~~#{P~;-.· " the direqtion finding.fix when the German battleship broke tadio silence .ori .. 25 · ~~y;_(~~~jl!;~~~~-,,<< :. initially w~ rq)orted incorrectly either because it ~as plotted i~torrectly o~ tliat'.~~;~,~:~~r:~: :.--;_-,:~'..;,-:~· :· : different from the one used by the British Admiralty}; an~i:tbe. J;nter~ept of a m~.~~!:®~'.a.'.J:~~" :~_-:. ·. radio link that informed a senior officer that the Bismarckwooid arrive in France.= : '_·>. · ._ ·; '' -.: _._-. -· , }/·,;~"- .: .. ".-.

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(U) While Allied CQMINT played only a m~ghiat role, the que8tio~ ~t:be.:~e¢:~~~~~ · the role of German COMINT during this campaign? It is knoWn that theKnegsm:anne"Jlad :a,~~~ · proficient and widespread effort centered in the organization known as· the B~Dienst., . or.-Beob.eh~·-· .. _., -. : Dienst, literally, the Observation Service. As it turns out, the mle of German COMJNT .was·smwfi.~i .tQ ' the outcome. Its achievements and failures, as well as the technical ignorance about.$i~'.pm~@f!<lf('. ::· . · on the part of the task force commander, Admiral Gunther Lutjens, had much to·do with die .w~f4fe of the battleship Bismarck. · . ·: . .. · .. :.. . · .;, >:~ ... ..

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(U) By the time of World War II, the Gennan navy had an establish¢, large~"an4~~- · -: ... -.:· expert COMINT service. It was located in Section Two of the_ Qennan navy's ~-'s.taft:~-~~- · maintained a number of shore stations that bad intercept and direction finding ca~611itjes~· ~,lli'e :· ·:·, :; ::·· ... · German annies conquered more territory, the navy established new sites in Frartce,. .J.~ly,.~~~"~-:'. ;;~ . the Balkans. During the 1930s, the B-Dienst had monitored the communication.$ of:the)' .. ,~,:;,'.~;~Y,_::' British navies and learned much about their procedures and cryptographic systems; especi~1-' d •• : · Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939. · . " .. · _. : :· · . '· ,. ·

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pproved for Release by NSA on 12-26-2006 pursuant to E.0: 12958, ". · .... s amended MOR 51971 · ·

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sittonin. of detman u ~boat$:. a alnSf convO'' :S. wfi:;mtsed.:hea\iit": '.!;lfil :·i : "'blloSt eic ~at'Vi1fi~~o.fl."' . ". ;;;-;-_.:;\:: ,':, ::

l:i°teUi~! deri~':lf ~ c~: . ! ' '.:' .•. Yo . ·.· '':' ' - · ,· :: fr :·· ~, / ·~. ~;. ':'(,: '; /•!:~·~:f ~\.~;~:~_:"-i',,• f "':~· {U). ·To Sdp:~leme~t' this' eff6rt' .tbt°:B~Dien~t ilsb; h~ti j~:~p' : ort :dhl~·:~iW:.cv~1 ~i~.~oil,,..~(:\

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in the G~nnan riavf · ~ey were. c0~~s~.~: of inte,r9~pt ·~pera~ors~ 1~.~~s,".arid' :p;ijptanil~~-=lb~;; t'.'~:·, ~: ·:.·.· teams were technic~lly .exc~Uent .and usua~ly illcJ~doo.a· civilian.~e~ or tWo .. The ·s~:-0{:~~~~~:_-.:: . ·' varied accor~gto· the size of the ship. In fact, the s.ldpper~fth~ Prinz.Eugen. col.nplwn~~m;~~~met~ :-:~:.

action report th# :tb.:~ 'team o~ .. the Bismarck was ·larger. ~an:bis ttrul two eXe.mples Wi~~·:s~~i0:~~ the ability .of these ~eamS. · · · . "J· ... :· ": ·:-':_;~ ;:'.::'>:'::'"· "::·'-__:,,::.:!~:--'. ...

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(U) In l~itl 19-40, the Ge~an pocket battlc:ship, AJii;~"! ~..,;,.was riudJ~~~l\~s~~~·'i';; .•.• the coast o~ so~Ui~~A~ca.- pne day, the Scheer. $potted a.:ft'.¢(8.btet--~ymg,.~ ~~~~;;~::~~~'.r· -.~ 1 : Scheer. ~ched~ ~e co~der 9f the B-Dienst_ ~am ca)led:~.e bridge. and:P:Jf.9rined.~~f ~*;~ .:.it~-~~' -ii~.>

merchant :ship wa5: ·using. British merchant callsigns and"pr~e~~~\vhilt ~~~ lilifi~~~:~?'-1'( "~:;:!~:>· shipping ~nt.er at Durb~n, Sou~h Africa: It turns out that tbe ·shi~ wEIS.a· Bntis~:{re.lght.¢t.,~Y.·'~'.: -:·,;,,·'.; -',.· American flag. ~ second example occurred during the evacuation of Alljed forc.e-s,. ::(~~rri; :N.~~y.~1•¢ :: .. 1940. The British:aircraft carrier H.M.S Glorious, which was· covering the evacµati~~·;w~~:~, ~·: ·_­sunk by Gennan warships. The B-Dienst't~am aboard one«,~f.the-0omba~is be~:4~~g;:f~it(-~·~~":L:>:·:·i communications of the carrier and, for a day> convinced· t~.-Bti.~h that the carriei ·was..~~i:f:·~~I\·" i~~>~; "· · ..

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(U) The first in.tluence of German CO MINT in th_e ·~_lsmar~k operation came Qn i,~~¥~Y~~~t(:;: {;}-'_ The Bismarck and Prinz Eugen had sailed from the area Ile$' 'Berge~ Norway, the pi--CViq~-~~y~;-~-:,- ~t~;';::::-'.

desperate British aerial reconnaissance flight late on 22 Mai _discovered that the shlps.h84 ¥.ft;·:1ller._::~i-::,::-.:. aircraft radioed its report to its base. The German~ intetcep.~d tb:e message, but did no\ ,i~rt~tl\is ·t(>. ~~ ... Bismarck until the next day. (It is possible that the original .inte~ept .w~. from a.~~~~:~::::·, .::.i-:.>: unit, which might explain the delay.) Furthermore, the Bismar~kwas .rwi info~~.:g~~~:~!.;:~~;~;,:'::,>· ,· from COMINT, the German naval staff knew that major.elements <>f.th¢: 8rlti~h.'n~~~: ~;[~~9~~'.1~";: · :.:· already had left in purswt. The task force commanders. we-re ,angry over ,this lapse: fu;'.t~rtu,tg~ ;B.~·~/: :~ . time, the Bismarck, shadowed .by two British cruisers, HMS Stijfo'/IJ. and HMS.Noefol,k;:. w•~~~-~J~;:, forcing a passage to the North Atlantic via the Denmark Straits. Wh~ther th~ ·G~~;~~K,~~¢;~~:::;:-:: .::· have continued on this voyage knowing that the British home fleet had sallied out th 'it(~·,h ·Q:f(_:~:_.;;:':::~:· ~: · i_.··

retreated to Norway, is unknown. · · · .: . _ ·: .. . ...

(U) On the morning of24 May, the B-Dienst teams aboard both the Bismarck_and-~c~>, ---> .. : ~-:·:·: Eugen intercepted the callsigns of two Royal Navy ~itafs~ps. One they could ide~~~;~_; __ -__:_/;-.·:: Hood. The other was new to them, but they could dt!termjtie from the call sign s.yst.e~ :tiiJ~(~·fw~~~-~~~F:: ~ ,;. battleship - it was the HMS Prince of Wales, which had d~arted with son:ie of i~ WQr~·~e'~f~tijF : .. ·< ·"'. ;.

: .:=~: ... ·:=.~~~::· '-··<:· ...... ;·: .: :' :: •;····:···._;.. ·-

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tfot! ti "~:'.' ·:j~t~f~t 59 , . '· "'' ·<' . , ... .. , . .: .... ·· .. ''. . ·'>'···· . • , , • . .. < • ... 0 ,. . .. . .. :;::::,.• .: ;; ... . :1 : .. : .. ". .. ·'·' ... .. .

. · .~~: AI~,,~~<l:~,~-:~~ .l1tjti$~::~~s::\fi~~:;~::~e::~·M~(,:·~ ::::.:-\f~~~::~~~~~~ .. ~ : · :~. tbants·:;~ beailii ·:~~-taken:of.tne.Brlr'ijli commumeana , '· -~,$bf · h1th17-~ · · :~

. =~~=::~~=~1::0l¢~~~~'i~~~;: .B~·:~f\t~;~~~~)ro~-~j~~Jony~~"~tJ~#~~-~~t:~water ajj~-~~[·f~~·l'j ~ttleshipJ~adto-·td~ ~~·" :· · ·.· : ". . · · . < · · .. : •.. .. . ., . _ - . -.... > , ·p-;

. ·" ..... .. :"» ·: · .. ... .. ... :·:: .. ~:. _._ .. · . .. .. .. · ... : < ~· .. ' ~- - - ~·~. -~ - . ._ .. _ ... ,· ~· . ;ff;,:_,;~ .. ?"·~ ~-~~~~~ (U) The·:.f\VQ .aertfian di··· ·s C.Oifull\ied :ciri a ·sciatiiert ~ .. R,-eallzin'". the Bts)ii~-~aa: ·. ".

to make · ~- ·Adnlkt: L~t' · ~s-!.noo -th~:·p·" · tinz-i~ · ." :~l<fu~:ib :rie~,,;~;;e~-c0m!r~ raiCfi .-~~~:r~iJi~~ : . po&., . :Je . . r.ge . . ... .. . jj.l~ - .. . ... , • • ~ i i .. .a.lit . .. . bad the Bismarck.double back ~d at;Jack the British. C.~set~--tP~ contillued.·tO-tnicitlb.i~~-~: . ,_· with their radat. Durini.the attac~ th~: two cruisern. ·h3d~ scia~d and·.subseqil~Iy't~·~~ c~~~\1ri~ · the Bismarck. They ii)form~d Royal N~vy Headq:uartei'$: jp¢::two ~hips contiilii~ =tO' 8eai0ii: 'YiJdt ii!~~-- .. ·. radar but could not' find the Btsmarct .. ·Forthe ·lii~t; ~-··1~.:!h.e·p~ckW.~.Jree :9f.~ 'c~';- . ·.-

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(U) tfowev~r;.- th~ ~an~ did,·~oHake ~~~,P:f:~i~~tiOA~-:f.9t ~~:lh~ttgi·~~-~i ·:·; team apparently ~id:n_ot mtercept ~.~essage frqm the9Ftli~· th~ ~ey had-.)~~)~~,~~£¥~"- ~

importantly, while the Btitish en.risers ·could not find th~ battleship::with their ~da,t~:-tb:~!P.~m~k-~JJJ.q ~--:'. .. still intercept their.faint radar signals with its radar receiver:. ·This·ability.to recit·h~~ -~'..Qffii$li;~j(; :-;:::; · ~ signals probably ,c0nvinced Admiral Lutjens that·the BiS,lfla~k w~ still b.e~g: ttJ'C~~~'~.t•:~C·.··_ ;~ : ;< ·: the signals th.e Germans werehearing"were too we~ 41ft1Jsed~ ot ~attered fol: tb,,;~fi[:~~·~'.:~; :: :

out of range, . t.~ get ·a reliable .return . . ~ot .~ware ·that .i~ b~d:~~c~pw;th.e_ B?,~~~i ,~~:;~~;~e-~~::: ,: 2? May~ B~marck ,mmsnntted +iJll1JDb;e.t: .of.l9n~. mes~~~~: rovi'1g ~~-~~~~~~i:'1~~,~~?~~tt;J. head for France. Although GC&CS could .not decm't.tJ1ese. ~~~a~s'- .a .dir~c1J.9n,·~~ft~~:J~~rr: : .. _.,:: wrong by some 150 miles, but corrected within 8· ho~~ w·~~-~~:: At::t~st:'~~· ~~~~~{!tS.;:~~1;· the Gennans· caused the British confusion over the Bismarck(s'loc~f.ion by $endi~:a'·f~~~:1tl\e ...

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British ·naval network. However, the real reason wa8 -poordit~on fiµding ~~~:~:'ti~~~::~~::

fixes. The next day the Bismarck was sighted by a Catalitia flying boat Thus ~~~ .. ~~:RoX.~~~~f r. ' .. ..

closed for the kill. . .. · · :· .· ... , ... :-~- - · ... · .. .. · ..

(U) The failure of the Bismarck operation ended· any pians f-or any_ further s4J.f*-' '-'?.ti~: .,y,;'.~ .. capital ships of the Kriegsmarine. German CO MINT detectecj much valuable irif-O:rmatlen ~~.}i1 ... · ' · '" . retrospect, if handled better,. might have saved the batti~ship~· A~ lt:was, the Ge~ ~QI~- ·+ .. -· . would continue to perform well, especially aboard U-boatS.. It was-only .after the Alli,C$. :s~~~-: .

convoy and operational codes in 1943 that German naval COMINT lost its eff~iveii~~> .. : : .. ·:-":. ; _: ~ : ._· - ' > I I : . .

[(U/~bert J. Hanyo~ Center for Cryptologic History, rjhanyo, 972-2893s] .. :.. ._ .. - ·.

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U NC LASS I FI ED// C ("'\ D fl CC If" I I\ I I I C C fl I\ I I ' ' 1 "-'' I '-"' I n •. Jlr\L- V"-1L- '-JI "LI

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