PURPLE: 8th Problem

Munitions Building, Washington D.C.

                                                        December 15, 1943

 

Dear young cryptanalysts,

 

Recently the Japanese changed the wiring of their

Purple machine. We were able to reconstruct it but

it took us a very long time.

 

I ask you to find new, faster methods to be able to

reconstruct the wiring if unfortunately it had to

be changed again.

 

To practice we have created a message in English

using punctuation marks and numbers translated

into words (for example, 3=three). It should also be

noted that the words are separated by the letter Z.

The subject of the message concerns the War of

Independence from 1778 to 1780.

 

You will be helped by the fact that the Japanese

have not changed their indicator system. Here is

the message key we used: motion: 321, Sixes: 4,

Twenties: 9,11,20 and cipher mode.

 

Good luck!

 

Frank Byron Rowllet

 

Message without the header:

 

WTVZK GCBRK RYPKI VLRUD AFIYI GANQN IWMTA YRWIM GTGVZ XFZEZ

DBNOH PZSDZ TCKQD WORMK UQQIH AWUTH BKUGH DOBYA NDXVD HBZIA

TKXBQ JDHIU LZYZI XDPWC ALQEW JUVFX RPFAG TYIBA ILJEI QLWNZ

MULLQ TESDB AHLPE LXNIT EITQM DSZCI YZDBQ QFQKZ HKNPD GRZMY

XMVTH YLZUI XRTPZ XNJFK YOGIZ ICZIL UPGTI SGKPL CTSRM XISOF

JVDFD QPNBH KGVRT ITHLB RBMAZ OBRNK LXEPW KQTQL PKRNC ZIATQ

OPLHQ SWKKJ KLRSJ EKZCK XHMCM YIHFH DSGRX PYMVJ XJDLZ WRMLN

MVXJB UUPAK TBDTO ABNYV TAJRX NVNMW TSXHR WIEOC PKVLY UCWMT

IVGJK RLQUB PWXKP TMYLX BFUNI RLPIK YLOTT XPHUQ IYDAO ZNLEI

BTIXR UKRXK HUKDQ NTZMC IFWJT AIYFI ZYAQX LTDKF WJBHA IRLQN

LFDYG SUIFQ PYYYN UXCZB QWJTP XXVAD MBTKT RNRIS UCWVJ AQQLP

MRMOY RSSRD YQDNB KOYPI MFZCM NCXXR QCKKZ AOXZX TLJMN TMTIQ

EWTKN BHGKL GEHCN QXNTL QFWJJ KVPZF SJSDY CBOKO DDQCL XKMIZ

ZVHHK QSXMM KUPSR TLUGQ URMYW EAHAT MKYRC BBJRG DKVXY YWUGH

ZLDBD UASAX ODACP ICIQK GFINJ FXMKA PZUQI HMNGX RWQYB DGBEG

PLAGK MANKD CAUWF XJTQG XOCEY UWKFB WBMGY SBBCM PJUNL TIORO

UYCWW SXUKD KYMWQ CVZGX EPSMH ZMEYD ITYTH PFGQZ QWIHT EYOCZ

KVHWT BFCDO KHEXC TBJEJ EEMRF TMDRL CKYZP LWPOW PLOTO YHJDP

MOXUN RNWTH ILAKX DIVEU VEIGY UNENB CCFZB RRYMJ AKUPK CUBDB

HSVQZ CZDHT KNMPR XWJLJ ZPADZ POOYR SSYMF HMWDC CDVIY ADDDJ

FVGSD RPBAR KEWZT VEJPO EAXID EIHTL LQKPO SPNPT CWMQC JABTG

JCNLQ MXSIK QNPIN WKVRN VCHUA XOVXI ZGPIK IBDQC RPYPS AACGU

QLZJK EKZMG WSUGZ CJAIP ZPNET EWHTH JRFNL YFOCG YTVXO ZYJRB

WPVYC ZRICD OPQRO BKVYZ RQJJP FRHZW STBXZ KZGWT WGOUN OWKED

GHGFX DIHKB OIKCQ QBUEP PFSYJ RBLFO AHQKS CFOGC WNVTB HGUPC

FVEBY QXLLS IAPZI CJUOZ LUQCN BTXYQ GYMYQ ZFPMQ TGAEZ XQHYB

OOBJZ AHSXS OIQPL NYTER XUJGD GTKNF WBQMI KXWHM FCHTR DFLEI

GABWI YDOWN OAWIU YHYVP AMYXN ITRNT YACIF IXBKY XQRVI QFXQJ

WAUKL CUSZO UFCXN OUQLL IQRCY FXNWL NYYOS MJMDN MUIOC GPQTH

WYOWB QNOIQ OVKRA UTOPI MHJMA YATMC YTBTW BBHCY XYCVM THIUA

IXGRP DAQMT WSCST MBWQI XUZIY LHYJN ILBHL KZATW YZVAU AFOEY

RAZDH TXDXT UCYRV AKHGK ALOZB IZCLL DHOQR KEKDF QQPVJ TTUAQ

GWEBA QLSYU XMHXZ VGCAQ IBTPA OIEZL UQOTK XXXDJ AUGUG QARJR

TMVYK BGUHG MTGMU ANHYJ XEUCR DAYUK WYGGX KEXAJ CGNVP AKFEI

FZKFZ QQABF OZBKO HUJXK XFZBH CZBIW FGPGT KNSCJ QKDZS OQWZW

MVEZN PDCAY KRQZM CPCHD CFOJJ KVNCF SJSTP NNTKY MGLVI XEMGN

XATBD UKMFP IFMCD XKMOU XCIOK GPZXW JAWNP BZYWD DIYEK TMDYJ

HHAZP SIXFN DIPLD VNNIA VWSIQ JLKPN DUNWN RPNPN OKXHK CXIAW

NCYPQ OKKIO LWOKS VMBGO RCMBK LRYHM YTKAZ KGKTN BLQIL BFDAD

MMVQT QNKWQ OBBOF NPPOD WFLEN OVHIS HPOKY TCYSR MAIWU QDMAJ

LLTCG ABGLE OIRKL JGOQJ NBFTE ENDDC BLVRC QXKAM VXGZW DFZWL

THYJW DTPBH HYAAB KCNHD HAAJM ILERT ZNPNS GONSZ UXFVY NDUQZ

MWAXK ZZAGE KTPZS VIWBQ ZRAYD EHEDB AGNGS PWKBN XHXQW CXOEC

IDVIS WKIHB OUDSN TBJBS INSGN TWOYC JHCIW BUUCQ VWXAW BFODX

UVMCF MMSCZ BTGGZ NIAXM BZANX DQEFH DKLMU HFMIC DIDEZ QKMAQ

RFDCD YPWKQ BMKLC LGLEI VXRDJ BXIBK NWLVS TWEGB NKDHC UYRJQ

BNMIA RSAQW AWDLY OIMCN DDXRB AGLOH TLWYB LQCMJ IABGC ABBNJ

MMIJF UIUKK BELMP TAAGK KFRRL QYAHM MYKIL ILDPP CNODB LZDCO

WHQOP CUDNK NZQSY TCKNK ATCQE UBGMT SOLSS ZBOQF WNTMP YUIWD

APXHM YHSFR XMGKB GGHEL OFFEG ZVEAF IGZHK DVCGY HRYGQ QNIPG

QCVJT GZTFN DMIOW VZCLM YPSBC RPWTM RIGLT KQSUN OLJGN EDSXR

EGVBH IASZN XQZRY KGQMO VTTIQ TDPTP HIYNS TEKVJ DMVVV EQDEC

NWMRO BHBZI PPKHW TKDTY EMXMN BLNSK BUXKL GMXAU UXNZK UECXP

WMBCI WHZTQ FHQMG RLQEB CGXHX EBYWQ QXKGY FCKYO RLRDY COJAU

RIIIH LTQBM HBLKX KIDLK VEIWH UMRFI HRNWT NSMTX WTUVK AAJOO

FANTH ABONH UVBZR QBCOI LAXLG GVGYQ FEBPM RQQSU UQUPG EIIDU

DVBQS ZALCY CFWSH MUJEJ IEHZH QGZFY UEIDG XFCQT QQIHJ ETLAD

NQBDX TCVUK XLJKF ZVGVK PMYHH JHMNK PZEGW GFDRR WKMPL RDHJR

DXADZ XZDRA RQKKQ HLRQD CFMRU EIMUK YRLMF IPPKF VBUDW WSCXN

RGZPF YSWCS LFOFU VKUXU UGUJJ DHHFY YCXUO WVOUF WIMNO ZOZRY

GVNJK EKBPS XUWQC LCYVK TEXUI WQVYX CAJKD URPKQ QACYL WMORI

RIVNA BRCYY KMZDH TCAZY GWHJJ IFVJI ZEATS UOCPA ILGHW MZMBJ

DNBFI SXPWK ZACSJ UUOCZ COFNM EIWFU JPLOA LHSQV YUDUJ NXPGU

IGBDL RAQFD QGLIO ZKBEG LFXEG FNBHQ DLAPP MTBSU AOKKY AFQJG

MFHJR IJSFD TNCIM XRUPJ OBCZF MMIZD SWCVY NBKMA TACVU NPLDB

BFDYB BEMNY GRIFW KZSZG LTCLK TXNZP IKQMC HFMTR NXOIB EYPIQ

ENRPI LHQLA UAQFH KNSRR UNILM LQQPZ YYCGF YWBAW XKCVU TTJDU

LLKLY SWCDC JXRPV ZIJLR PGCXK NIRXB UBCKG KPNKR LGOVA VFKER

MFVSK XTSMP BNTYH UDMAN XRNYT CFYWG NPOAY YUKDT WKYVN CPLTJ

YTLWL DHWQP TUOQM DEJMQ SRUUU FYCQW YRWNO NDDOW OTLGJ UIBDX

HBVND QQSPP DFORN CYPTG TQARZ CCGOY IKKXU XYSLN RBTOK PYWZJ

PKCSK PRBCN DRKGD HKQCC EDMHD EKVIT SLKQK QTWKB RKLVU LNYYZ

UPAQK THUKB HNLNF GHWEU UJTCP ZURCM GLTKI WAKHX RXJAR MYCRG

OYLPK CSBNX QGSUY MYZBG OWSOL CVZOR SIGKK QYDLJ WTAPY XTJKJ

NHLNS MRGKZ POGTF ODOZG AFAKX ETWAH FYSKL AMNIB YBGIK RMFCY

BTITK NSSSS ONSKS VRRAC AFMCB EAONP SGKIP SAMCJ XXNMT PAJJQ

DMGWI UKKLR QMQUH WJNTA QFRHQ PMTSK CNTHA QMSPY NKOZG GETJO

LKHYK HUWWO QGYDO VRGCH UFLOZ ABECA WCJBL NFWXM NJAQH BHBLA

CPDFI SADLZ NBCXC QODEY GWCTU EUERK WKQNF HEQVL IQHLG PZYEB

LFVXU SYWKO PUMKR KKSVW CEJVJ HYPBQ SQLYA KPUNI VNWNT UBPJN

TCVJF FQABX XOZWE BYBNW ZXQEP ECBAI SOIYE KRUHB DRZVR MBQIJ

BZBFF LRDWA LMDGR CQRLO RYFWJ EXAJX RJSFN NCLOT RJTXK CTQEK

NZGJF SXDCY MMQTB TVGHR QFGHB IBQLF PWYPA JPAUO MPDMD XNLUR

PNDML SNRIN AFXBU UXQXN LDNHT RIVGR SAKRC SWWMJ CVCII XERNU

TGDZK XQFDZ IFPFC EKBVQ APJAY WJAXA ZWHLL ZTGLF KKNYJ CRJRK

WDTRU YHYYC OMKGY LHZUG MZCJN BVDFA WHOUZ GRMMY PJMOK MPJJU

RKDQU SRIPS RNXDN OOJFN NQLLR RNNRZ HOXOM KRODF VXNDK PIHDK

FBNGZ QTSGH BFQYX CJVVJ WADPM WDRTP STQKA DFBXX KMLDI LBCUA

NUBID EKQFZ XYQNL INJDT ONBCK LTZNO NKRIX EFNSO ZIPRY XFDAR

EWDQD BOGYA OUHXI BOBVU BPTUB PZLDN IUOOS TFZYX KIUIK EYJGX

MPCBY SIFTN AZDKI UVAUQ EEQPG LXONU HEQWN LAGFH KMSBH OLDWK

XOBOB NZKMZ KYKDP QPONU JPQUE AGUDG SUYVL QDKWC NHJCY IZQEP

BHNJP URBNW NCPWF PNJTX QFDDH PDXUM IAGYP LWZOT WKNLR VFAGC

RKARP JQCMM YBBIP LRFVN CWUIA UKHRQ JXOWN ZZSIZ VCSVZ TFADN

GWSOO WTRUI XEKDM VCYLN LAJJY BUZDB GLLBZ MOSYI PZAHH ZQUHN

ZNXDT AYTGC KIKHM VYZCH JLFWE EWUDO YCNKP ZOKND QKMLW HYNJR

QVTJI JCWZP GUKCH GQHEX YGMEN MTDDH TASOK KVKXC VGPLH LFIUU

IYYFR ZSNQA NMKYD HKGQP EKQNU LBULT JIIUU EMQIJ TGYQO YQTOG

TXYZX JPNNI HYOMO YRAVS ETREG QNZQO TCRFS YZQQH DMHOR AFSJQ

TULXP SRHHO PXZAS VIOUW OBXOC FUYBU LQMQY BRKCP DNVQB XMORL

SUODW UPDXR ZGYKI VZQVZ RPLYM LMRHS RITKH NBIKO BZGVP GMTEH

FPRKM DBSAJ YPNBC VALVW DRPUD GWVAC WMCHH JPGYY WPIQD ERTBJ

MTYFC PHKZU CCYDZ YPIVO LBTMY EXOCY QRAUI IWXUF OGBPN QNBWF

IAVPP EKKFS IEBDG NKRBQ ZFHOI UVUJA XEIAT KUDCJ ENLBK YQXEL

YVMPN BYKTR CDBXO OTVHR LLIEP TZECT MCLDC QIAYC XAHAO GAIEA

WDVRM MWZJC ALTQO WLJEW QAZYZ EMCFP DGXUI IWBMB UZLVC CXDHW

ONMRK UAYBW WMWCB VHJPQ RUXLA QRZOT DKPCI HNKLQ URIDP CASDO

OWIBX MPUMB NNIHW RUTMY MJJZT HVEZN ZAQBZ RMACY RGCTQ RQPHD

JNIGM DQGHR JWCCL ZTZBC BTXEC PIPJY SGBAC XPQMG HYHOJ PRRYQ

FQTAU YKFNN KGNRU AKLOC BCWNB FHCTK UHCLA HEADH CTXLZ HIDLW

BVWCO OHHLX KWITJ PGKUH LFYED DFNQD MZDRC OFAPX QBJAR EIZDU

WWVHL TNKLB CZPOW CLNOG AHFMY OWFLM YYSNR XUXNA VACZD NFQDY

DNLIK YWRAM GAWAH GCGBK RCWDD WHVLD BWBNT KEHGO CGLXB HMTKC

BMVDO XASBF MFUQH GPCAV ULIPZ ILCVK OLSVD QFGAW BWGWY EGYPL

ELEQX RQNRK MLWUW OWTWU WWLMT WRLDF SPALM MSKAO OKIMS YWOEU

EXGJB PNCNZ WYZPD AWTIS XHJGR ELQIH ZGBPB HYHKB CDCTM HOSCR

JUIMK CSUUL RTHMI OPZMD INNEK UDMFU HDHCK KWETU DIPPJ ZHZDH

BQROP BCMIH YFTCJ OMRHM ZABLN DPIHK HASMU JLJKX VGNVC QATYT

UIXRY OYIKM MYGTZ CPXVW NFABR MUZXG DNTRY XFPBZ KWOIP SNYOB

UFIXC UNMXA QQRUX DGXXO ZYWJX AVMFQ EKBDC ZZUIF NWXAI BMZAR

NVYJK UPOWK ALTTC CLPAA XFWOP UMQRZ NHIKB CYKTU GKXOH DFZUK

TLLTW CKQFW NXIYW TRAWS DDMEH HCBHN JDLBA AEBSJ VCJMD AEGMM

WFAFZ ALKXT JZMRN GMJRX REQZK IAIPK EKHLM NFXMQ CNRVJ MZDPO

CVBJC XPTBW WGMZX UKUTJ EKACA RBMND SHMXS DRXIX KQVZG YBFWA

OVLIC ACSDY DDPZG QXJXD CDQGJ DOFPV AAXPK QWPMG CQZDW UHQOC

ZZTIT UKNAY GBKYY RKWMK ETMJA UBDDA AHMUZ ULRBP OMGAD PWOPO

DWGYI TACAC AGLZG LHDHY UFODA TVHJK EKOQS PLAZX VWZYJ QCZDW

NVWRQ AFLIF OZLKN BRXLM VRMKY RHVJU QGPXO BFIMA VUPUD IRZEC

NBVMM WKTCO OXBCG CGGVW HQJWJ GSIQZ SGIFB TLBPY VRVXB KPKGA

FWYFH SGQBG YENCP BYPEY QWQRC PCNGM SUDFA RMA