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Don't get tired of it: Churchill sank 5 German supply ships, followed by a blind spot

author:Iron Mask Imperial History

During World War II, British experts made a machine that could decipher the German code, which became Prime Minister Churchill's secret weapon.

Churchill, in addition to his pride, gave it a resounding name: "Super Secret".

Don't get tired of it: Churchill sank 5 German supply ships, followed by a blind spot

In World War II, the British used a "super secret" cipher machine

Ever since the "super secrets", the British have been able to accurately grasp the dynamics of the German army.

Churchill treated this achievement as a top secret and kept it at all costs.

On October 23, 1942, the famous Battle of El Alamein began. The British, under Montgomery's command, launched an onslaught against Rommel's Afrika Korps.

Don't get tired of it: Churchill sank 5 German supply ships, followed by a blind spot

Famous Battle of El Alamein

On 26 October, British intelligence officers learned through "superclassifications" that five Italian ships loaded with ammunition and gasoline were about to reach the quartermaster port in Rommel.

Obviously, the sinking of these ships would certainly have given Rommel a devastating blow at the Battle of El Alamein, and if he had been given sufficient supplies, the course of the war would have been difficult to predict.

Don't get tired of it: Churchill sank 5 German supply ships, followed by a blind spot

Staff at the British code decryption base

Because Churchill had ordered that in order to ensure the absolute security of "superclassified", it was not possible to act on the basis of only one piece of "superclassified" intelligence, but there must be other reasonable and credible sources of intelligence.

At that time, there was heavy fog in the Mediterranean Sea, and it was difficult for reconnaissance planes to find ships. If a reconnaissance plane is sent to symbolically reconnoiter and then a bomber is sent to attack 5 ships, it is easy to leak out the flaws, and the "super secret" is in danger of being exposed.

How to deal with this situation, only ask Churchill to make a decision.

Don't get tired of it: Churchill sank 5 German supply ships, followed by a blind spot

Winston Churchill said only one sentence: "Sink it"

Churchill listened to the report and did not immediately take a position. He took one sip after another of his cigars, then turned around and uttered a categorical sentence: "Sink it."

Churchill saw the victory or defeat of this battle as "the key to fate" and had to risk exposing "super secrets".

From the 27th to the 28th, the five Italian ships were indiscriminately bombed by bombers, with 4 sunk by the British Air Force and 1 sunk by the US Air Force.

Don't get tired of it: Churchill sank 5 German supply ships, followed by a blind spot

Churchill sank 5 German supply ships

In response, Rommel was furious. He asked to find out how the British had discovered the ships in fog.

He sent a long telegram to Berlin, asking the intelligence services to investigate all possible leaks, including the "dumb puzzle" system of telegram ciphers.

Of course, the telegram was also intercepted by the British and sent to WinterBotham, the director of the London Supervision Service.

What they feared had finally happened.

In order to protect the "super secret", the confident Churchill made a blindfold.

Don't get tired of it: Churchill sank 5 German supply ships, followed by a blind spot

Churchill's wartime underground command post during World War II

Churchill asked Winterbossum to inform the Cairo agency of the British Intelligence Service, using a code the Germans could understand, to send a telegram to a group of nominal spies in Italy, congratulating them on the information they had provided about the ships departing from Naples, and promising them a raise.

The telegram was sent on November 2 and was intercepted by Germany, and an investigation into the British "spies" was quickly launched.

A blindfold that keeps the "super secret" safe and sound and continues to play a significant role.

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