THE B-21 CRYPTOGRAPH

ABSTRACT

The acquisition and exploitation of material found on the German cruiser Magdeburg played a major part in the early success at sea enjoyed by the Allied Powers in World War I. The Russian role in this effort, however, has been largely unknown or ignored, at least in English language publications. From the very beginning, the Russians played a major and on-going role, both in the cryptanalytic exploitation effort of the Magdeburg material and in the effective use of this communications intelligence by naval commanders of the Baltic Sea Fleet. The Russians continued to play an active role in this effort throughout the war.