h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Peter, I know your interest and expertise in Enigma and I've read some of your fascinating comments.

Don't know whether you've had a look at this one or if its of interest to you.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A2101050

paul

Paul'

Thank you very much for pointing out that interesting post to me.

I won't make any comment at the end of the post other than to praise it and give the URL I give here, as it is so easy to be misunderstood. The weathership was the Lauenburg and what was recovered was far more important than an Enigma: it was the Enigma key-lists for June and July. A machine was not, however, seized.

Ralph Erskine says that the recovered code books 'proved a godsend'. It was thanks to the key-lists from the Lauenburg that naval Enigma messages were read throughout most of July 1941.

Full details are here: http://home6.inet.tele.dk/ron/greenland/wbs3_1.htm

All the very best,

Peter

First of all Peter welcome back, your knowledge was already being missed! With reference to Audrey, I wasn't sure of your status and I thought it best to give her the information you had kindly provided as soon as possible. If you have a few moments, could you comment on the book she's reading ..or point her in the right direction if necessary? http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/F1699811?thread=353387 paul

Dear Paul

Thank you very much for your generous comments, perhaps over-generous is a better term.

Your post and others have prompted me to list some of my interests and to clarify my role on this site, by way of an addendum to my Personal Page.

I will post a message to Audrey regarding the Montefiore book. I already had enough on Enigma in two books I have so I didn't buy his.

However, Montefiore is a first-class historian and I have recently read his 'Stalin - The Court of the Red Tsar' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003) which I now regard as the definitive biography, even better than the superb Russian biography by Dmitri Volkogonov. If Montefiore's book on Enigma is as well researched as this, then I would have no hesitation in recommending it. Much however would depend on his sources, the ex Bletchley Park denizens are still a tight-lipped bunch.

Kind regards,
Peter