Sample Enigma Messages

These are sample real world enigma messages from WW2. Using manual and computing resources to break a message might take hours or even days. And resources did not allow breaking of all messages. You can see the difficulty of understanding messages even when the code was properly broken. Abbreviations, different message conventions and normal language translation difficulties all conspired together. In example 1, spaces are just dropped rather than replaced by X as was generally the case. In example 2, for the most part they are replaced with X. Numbers words might be abbreviated ex. seq instead of sechs for six, or inf rgt for infantry regiment. In example 1, is neustadt "new city" or the town of "neustadt"? In example 2, there seems to be a convention to repeat place names. And the closing signature of K stood for division commander.

You can cut and paste these original messages and use the documented rotor, ring, plugboard, etc settings to decode the messages yourself.

Sample from 1930 Enigma manual

• Rotors: II I III
• Ring Positions: 24 13 22
• Reflector: UKWA
• Plug Pairs: AM FI NV PS TU WZ
• Rotor Positions: A B L

Encoded message:
GCDSEAHUGWTQGRKVLFGXUCALXVYMIGMMNMFDXTGNVHVRMMEVOUYFZSLRHDRRXFJWCFHUHMUNZEFRDISIKBGPMYVXUZ

Decoded message, in German, spaces were deleted in the original message.
FEINDLIQEINFANTERIEKOLONNEBEOBAQTETXANFANGSUEDAUSGANGBAERWALDEXENDEDREIKMOSTWAERTSNEUSTADT

Without the X between words, breaking the message into separate words took more effort.
FEIND LIQEINFANTERIE KOLONNE BEOBAQTETX ANFANG SUEDAUSGANG BAER WALD EXENDE DREI KM OSTWAERTS NEUSTADT

Translating the message from German to English via Google Translate.
Enemy light infantry column observation beginning south exit Baer Forest extend three KM eastwards Neustadt

Original message from Operation Barbarossa, 1941 (Invasion of Soviet Union).

• Rotors: II IV V
• Ring Positions: 2 21 12
• Reflector: UKWB
• Plug Pairs: AV BS CG DL FU HZ IN KM OW RX

Message 1:
Rotor positions: B L A
EDPUDNRGYSZRCXNUYTPOMRMBOFKTBZREZKMLXLVEFGUEYSIOZVEQMIKUBPMMYLKLTTDEISMDICAGYKUACTCDOMOHWXMUUIAUBSTSLRNBZSZWNRFXWFYSSXJZVIJHIDISHPRKLKAYUPADTXQSPINQMATLPIFSVKDASCTACDPBOPVHJK

Message 2:
Rotor positions: L S D
SFBWDNJUSEGQOBHKRTAREEZMWKPPRBXOHDROEQGBBGTQVPGVKBVVGBIMHUSZYDAJQIROAXSSSNREHYGGRPISEZBOVMQIEMMZCYSGQDGRERVBILEKXYQIRGIRQNRDNVRXCYYTNJR

Message 1 and 2 decoded:
AUFKLXABTEILUNGXVONXKURTINOWAXKURTINOWAXNORDWESTLXSEBEZXSEBEZXUAFFLIEGERSTRASZERIQTUNGXDUBROWKIXDUBROWKIXOPOTSCHKAXOPOTSCHKAXUMXEINSAQTDREINULLXUHRANGETRETENXANGRIFFXINFXRGTX
DREIGEHTLANGSAMABERSIQERVORWAERTSXEINSSIEBENNULLSEQSXUHRXROEMXEINSXINFRGTXDREIXAUFFLIEGERSTRASZEMITANFANGXEINSSEQSXKMXKMXOSTWXKAMENECXK

Message 2, broken into words.
AUFKL ABTEILUNG VON KURTINOWA KURTINOWA NORDWESTL SEBEZ SEBEZ UAFFLIEGERSTRASZERIQTUNG DUBROWKI DUBROWKI OPOTSCHKA OPOTSCHKA UM EINSAQT DREI NULL UHRANGETRETEN ANGRIFF INF RGT DREI GEHTLANGSAM ABER SIQERVORWAERTS EINS SIEBEN NULL SEQS UHR ROEM EINS INFRGT DREI AUFFLIEGER STRASZ EMITANFANG EINS SEQS KM KM OSTW KAMENEC K

Translated message:
Reconnaissance unit from KURTINOWA north-west of SEBEZ on the flight corridor in direction DUBROWKI, OPOTSCHKA. Started to move at 18:30. Attack. Infantry Regiment 3 goes slowly but surely forwards. Time: 17:06. I Infantry Regiment 3 on the flight corridor starting 16 km east-west of KAMENEC. Division Commander.