Using Ultra to research the Luftwaffe

[Larry deZeng]

Steve C. wrote in part:

I put a query to the PRO last year about the possibility of digitising HW5. This is their response:

Thank you for your enquiry regarding the Government Code and Cypher School: German Section: Reports of German Army and Air Force High Grade Machine Decrypts in The National Archives catalogue reference HW 5.

At present we have no plans to digitise this series and make it available online, but it is a series worthy of investigation, not least because it is fascinating and because it highlights the extraordinary work carried out by the intelligence service during World War II.

Thank you Steve and Bruce D. for clearing this up. I guess we can't expect the archives to digitize everything - not even in good economic times when funds are more readily available. BNA has already done a great service by digitizing DEFE 3 and the community of World War II historians should be grateful for that. Still, a disappointment for those of us who are captivated by the nitty-gritty details of it all from the German side.

L.