If you're not that great in
German vocabulary, or translating into English, don't
panic! This page will help you strugle through the
messages. With only a few basics, you will be able to
understand most of the message. This will also help you
to cut the text in pieces and if there are still unknown
words, you can run them through an on-line translator.
Since the Enigma can only produce
letters, we know that all numbers are spelled. So, these
are easy to find in a message.
1 EINS
2 ZWO
3 DREI
4 VIER
5 FUNF
6 SECHS or SEQS
7 SIEBEN
8 ACHT or AQT
9 NEUN
0 NULL
00 CENTA
000 MILLE
0000 MYRIA
Sometimes, they spell out letters.
Here's the German military phonetic alphabet:
Anton Bruno
Cäsar Dora Emil
Fritz Gustav Hans
Ida Jota Karl
Lucie Max Nanni
Otto Paula Quatsch
Ricard Sophie Toni
Ulrich Victor Wilhelm
Xanthippe Ysop Zet
If a letter is important, it could be
repeated three time, for instance U-255 can be written
out as UUU ZWO FUNF FUNF
Often, names of large combat units are
numbered with Roman figures. The XII Armee (12th Army)
will be written as ROMANEINSZWOARMEE
For special names or expressions, they
used the letter J as stressmark, as in
UNTERNEHMEN JHERCULESJ
For more details or abbreviations, read
Enigma
Procedures
And here are some common words or
expressions:
| German |
English |
| ABFAHRT |
Sailing out |
| ALLE |
all |
| AM / AN / UM |
on |
| ANFANG(EN) |
start(ing) |
| ANGRIFF / ANGREIFEN |
attack |
| ARMEE |
army group |
| AUS |
out(of) / from |
| AUSFUHREN / AUSFURUNG |
execute/execution |
| AUF |
on |
| AUFTRAG |
mission |
| BEI(M) |
with/near |
| BEFEHL(EN) |
order(ing) |
| BDU (Behehlshaber Der
U-Boote) |
Supreme Command U-boat
Fleet |
| (OBER) BEFEHLSHABER |
(supreme) commander |
| BLOCKIEREN |
block(ing) |
| BOOT(E) |
(U-)Boat(s) |
| DER / DIE / DEN |
the |
| DIV |
division |
| DURCH |
by/through |
| EINSATZ |
em/de-ployment |
| ES |
it |
| FALLSCHIRMJAEGER |
para troopers |
| FERTIG |
ready/finished |
| FEIND(-KRAFTE) |
enemy(-forces) |
| FLANKEN |
flanks |
| FLUGZEUG |
airplane |
| FUHRT |
leads |
| FUR |
for |
| FUNK |
radiomessage |
| GEGNERSTAND(-ORT) |
enemy position |
| GESAMTEN |
complete |
| GESTERN |
yesterday |
| GESTUTZT |
supported |
| GRAD |
degrees |
| GRUPPE |
(army-)group |
| HEUTE |
today |
| ICH |
I |
| IST |
is |
| IM / IN |
in |
| KDR |
commander |
| KRIEGSSTANZ |
war conditions /war action |
| KUSTE |
coast |
| MELDEN / MELDUNG |
reporting / report |
| MINE(N) |
mine(s) |
| MIT |
with |
| MORGEN |
tomorrow |
| MARQ(UA)
(Marinequadratkarte) |
Naval square grid |
| MUSS |
must |
| NACH |
to |
| NACHT |
night |
| NACHSCHUBROUTE |
supply road |
| OBJECTIVE |
objective |
| ODER |
or |
| OHNE |
without |
| OKW (Oberkommando Der
Wehrmacht) |
Army Supreme Command |
| RICHTUNG |
direction |
| PANZER |
armoured/tank |
| PZDIV (Panzer Division) |
armourd division |
| SCHADEN |
damage |
| SCHIFF |
ship |
| SCHUTZ |
protection |
| SEIT(-DEM) |
since |
| SIE |
you |
| SOFORT |
immediately |
| SOLL(TE) |
should |
| SPALTEN |
split |
| SPITZE |
point |
| STANDORT |
place/position |
| TREFFEN |
meet/hit |
| UBER |
over |
| UHR |
hour |
| UND |
and |
| UNTER |
under |
| UNTERNEHMEN |
operation |
| VERLASSEN |
leave |
| VERSORGUNG |
supply(ing) |
| VON |
from |
| VORBEREITUNG(-EN ) |
preparation(s) |
| WIE |
how |
| WIRD |
shall/will |
| ZEIT |
time |
| ZERSTORUNG |
destruction |
| ZUNACHST |
next |