The Machine
A working Enigma I — the same rotors, wiring and quirks as the real thing. Type on your keyboard or click the keys. Lamps show the scrambled letter.
Follow the electricity
Press a key and this panel traces the current's journey: through the plugboard, three rotors, the reflector, and all the way back to a lamp.
⚡ Challenge: crack this message
A friendly agent intercepted this transmission. Set up your machine exactly as listed below, then type the scrambled message on the keyboard (or paste-type it) — the lamps will spell out the secret.
DTDGT KYXLG BXHAI XDSJI MRLGZ LHUPA
| Rotors (L·M·R) | I · II · III |
| Ring settings | A · A · A |
| Start positions | C · A · T |
| Plugboard cables | E↔N and I↔G |
Remember to rewind the rotors to C·A·T before you start typing — the wheels move with every letter, just like the real machine.
Send a secret message to a friend
1 · Agree on settings with your friend (rotors, rings, positions, cables) — that's your shared key.
2 · Set up, type your message, send them the scrambled text any way you like.
3 · They set up their machine identically, type the gibberish in — and read your message on the lamps.
That's exactly how German operators used it. Just don't type a key twice at the start —
ask Marian Rejewski why.