{"id":50530,"date":"2021-10-15T07:33:02","date_gmt":"2021-10-15T11:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=50530"},"modified":"2021-10-13T07:33:24","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T11:33:24","slug":"ncm-discovers-incredibly-rare-omi-cryptograph-machine-in-a-dusty-crate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/10\/ncm-discovers-incredibly-rare-omi-cryptograph-machine-in-a-dusty-crate\/","title":{"rendered":"NCM discovers incredibly rare OMI Cryptograph machine in “a dusty crate”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

OMI Cryptograph, an Italian cipher machine built by Ottico Meccanica Italiana (OMI), is part of the National Cryptologic Museum\u2019s (NCM) collection of artifacts. (Photo by NCM)<\/p><\/div>\n

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Andrea Borgnino, who shared the following news from the NSA Museum (the National Cryptologic Museum) in Fort Meade:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Long lost and rare Italian cipher machine found<\/a><\/h1>\n

FORT MEADE, Md. \u2014 At the outbreak of WWII in 1939, Nazi Germany\u2019s Enigma encryption machine stood as the state-of-the art method for sending and receiving secret messages. It wasn\u2019t until 1940 that English mathematician Alan Turing, and the team at Bletchley Park, cracked the daily changes Berlin made to its cipher system, and helped the Allied powers win the war.<\/p>\n

While the Enigma stands out as the most famous of encryption machines, Italy, set out to develop a high-end machine to rival its war partner, Germany. In 1939 Italy\u2019s government secretly tasked a little-known photogrammetric equipment company, Ottico Meccanica Italiana (OMI), to build a device capable of rivaling its more famous cousin. Founded in 1926, OMI\u2019s tools were used to create precision topographical maps and surveys using stereoscopic aerial photography. The technical expertise made OMI a natural fit for the job. The end result was OMI\u2019s first cipher machine known as the Cryptograph Alpha.<\/p>\n

OMI built cipher devices throughout WWII, and into the 1960\u2019s, including: the OMI Cryptograph, the OMI Cryptograph-CR and the OMI Cryptograph-CR MkII. While many of these devices managed to survive passing through the hands of various collectors and museums, examples of the second iteration, the OMI Cryptograph machines, were widely believed to have been destroyed long ago. Until now. Digging through its vast collection of warehoused artifacts, the National Cryptologic Museum (NCM), curators found an OMI Cryptograph machine in its collection.<\/p>\n

NCM Collections Manager Spencer Allenbaugh recently discovered the OMI Cryptograph in a dusty crate and immediately knew he had found a treasure.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis find gives the National Cryptologic Museum the chance to recover an artifact once thought to be lost forever. This device provides a small glimpse into Italy\u2019s cryptologic history and how Italian cryptologists operated during that time period. This recovery also strengthens our already-strong reputation in the field of cryptologic history and will give people more reason to come and see the device up close once the museum re-opens,\u201d said Allenbaugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the device is on display, researchers and historians will have the opportunity to see the artifact, study it, and learn more about its history and design,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Originally introduced around 1954, the OMI Cryptograph operated similarly to the German Enigma, with five moving cipher wheels to encipher\/decipher messages, but, unlike the military Enigmas, it also had a built-in printer that produced its output directly onto a paper strip. This model was operational until the late 1950s when the OMI Cryptograph-CR succeeded it.<\/p>\n

Visitors to the NCM can look forward to see this treasure on exhibit when museum renovations are completed and the museum reopens in Spring of 2022.<\/p>\n

Click here to read this story at the NSA website.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Andrea Borgnino, who shared the following news from the NSA Museum (the National Cryptologic Museum) in Fort Meade: Long lost and rare Italian cipher machine found FORT MEADE, Md. \u2014 At the outbreak of WWII in 1939, Nazi Germany\u2019s Enigma encryption machine stood as the state-of-the art method for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,288],"tags":[2996,9488,812,9489],"class_list":["post-50530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-radio-history","tag-andrea-borgnino","tag-national-cryptologic-museum","tag-nsa","tag-omi-cryptograph"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-d90","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":41232,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/an-enigma-machine-just-fetched-over-106k-at-auction\/","url_meta":{"origin":50530,"position":0},"title":"An Enigma machine just fetched over $106K at auction","author":"Thomas","date":"December 20, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Bloomberg.com) A rare \u201cEnigma\u201d machine, used by Nazi Germany to create military communications code thought to be unbreakable, sold at auction for more than $106,000. 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Thanks to Ed in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/WJhf1000-300x127.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":47651,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/the-last-elephant-cage-is-a-fascinating-nsa-documentary-about-the-monolithic-flr-9-antenna-system\/","url_meta":{"origin":50530,"position":2},"title":"“The Last Elephant Cage” is a fascinating NSA documentary about the monolithic FLR-9 antenna system","author":"Thomas","date":"February 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Andrea Borgnino (IW0HK), who shares the following video--a 15 minute NSA documentary--about the FLR-9 \"Elephant Cage\" antenna in Anchorage, Alaska. https:\/\/youtu.be\/uh88Y2_33GI Click here to view on YouTube.","rel":"","context":"In "Antennas"","block_context":{"text":"Antennas","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/antennas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FLR-9-Elephant-cage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FLR-9-Elephant-cage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FLR-9-Elephant-cage.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FLR-9-Elephant-cage.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FLR-9-Elephant-cage.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9859,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/06\/interferenze-interview-on-rai-radio3mondo\/","url_meta":{"origin":50530,"position":3},"title":"“Interferenze” Interview on RAI Radio3Mondo","author":"Thomas","date":"June 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Andrea Borgnino,\u00a0journalist and Internet Content Manager for RAI (RadioTelevisione Italiana)...and, remarkably enough, reader of the SWLing Post. 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Click here to register for this free event. Description: THE US NAVY'S\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/OTRG-print-3D-1-e1602094762677.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15406,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/11\/uvb-76-the-buzzer-surfaces-on-6998-khz\/","url_meta":{"origin":50530,"position":5},"title":"UVB-76: The Buzzer surfaces on 6,998 kHz","author":"Thomas","date":"November 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"My buddy,\u00a0Andrea Borgnino, recently heard UVB-76 (The Buzzer) on 6,998 kHz with his Elecraft K3 in Italy. Check out this short video: New buzzer on 6998 khz received in Roma @sicral @dxcoffee @SWLingDotCom @LondonShortwave @priyom_org @Spy_Stations pic.twitter.com\/nd5cBkDTEh \u2014 Andrea Borgnino (@aborgnino) November 1, 2015 While the audio sounds identical to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photo: Andrea Borgnino","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Elecraft-K3-UVB-76-Buzzer.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Elecraft-K3-UVB-76-Buzzer.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Elecraft-K3-UVB-76-Buzzer.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50530\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}