[ARC5] FW: How the U.S. Cracked Japan's 'Purple Encryption Machine' at the Dawn of World War II

[Jim Haynes]

On Wed, 7 Dec 2016, Gene Smar wrote:

> 
> My understanding of the Purple Code and Pearl Harbor was that it WAS used to
> break the 13-page (or 14?) diplomatic message from Tokyo to the Ambassador
> in Washington prior to the attack.  Deciphering of the final page was
> finished after the attack had begun – too late to give any advantage to our
> forces. 

I don't remember it being deciphered that late in Washington, but there
was considerable difficulty in getting a warning to Pearl.  Something 
about a Western Union messenger on his bicycle carrying the message
as the bombs were falling.