Dieppe Raid - "Enigma Pinch" Theory

"Enigma Pinch" Theory

Research undertaken over a 15-year period by military historian David O’Keefe, uncovered 100,000 pages of classified British military archival files that documented a "pinch" mission overseen by Ian Fleming (best known later as author of the James Bond action espionage books), that coincided with the Dieppe Raid. No. 30 Commandos were sent into Dieppe to steal one of the new German 4-rotor Enigma code machines, plus associated code books and rotor setting sheets. The Naval Intelligence Division (NID) planned the "pinch" raid with the intention to pass such items to cryptanalysts at Bletchley Park to assist with the Ultra project.

Introduction of the 4-rotor machine was preventing cryptanalysis of the Enigma, so the Allies were eager to get their hands on one to discover (and exploit) any weaknesses in the new system. However, the raid was a failure and Bletchley Park did not receive its Enigma machine.

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