From the Ground Up: American Cryptology during World War I

Betsy Rohaly Smoot is an intelligence historian who formerly worked with the NSA's Center for Cryptologic History. This new book, From the Ground Up: American Cryptology during World War I is required reading for anyone interested in the history of American cryptology. The book covers the period from April 1917 through July 1919, from America's entry into World War I through the Treaty of Versailles. Focusing mostly on signals intelligence issues in the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), Smoot covers code and cipher compilation code and cipher solution, radio intercept and goniometry, communications security, radio deception, and the organization of the Signal Corps and the Radio Intelligence (G2A6 and G2A9) sections of the AEF. To say that the Americans had to start from scratch with respect to signals intelligence as the country entered the war is an understatement. Even after the organization of the Military Intelligence Division and the G2 (Intelligence) section of the AEF there was no single place in the American military establishment where code and cipher creation, printing, radio intercept, and communications security were done and coordinated as the NSA does today. All the separate organizations performing these functions had to learn to reach out to others, including the French and English, to coordinate their efforts. This took much training and time. While America entered the war in April 1917, it was over a year later before the Americans really began to pull their weight and contribute substantially to the overall Allied signals intelligence effort in Europe. However, by the end of the war, the Americans in the AEF had several notable successes, and were innovating in terms of training, solutions, and technology. These successes were the result of the efforts of several exceptional individuals, including people whose names are well known, such as Joseph Mauborgne, Frank Moorman, Parker Hitt, Howard Barnes, and William Friedman. Not left out are several notable achievements made by personnel in Herbert Yardley's Code and Cipher Section of the Military Intelligence Division (MI-8) in Washington. Smoot's singular contribution is to bring out into the open many of the other Army and Navy personnel who also contributed enormously to the American successes. Title: From the Ground Up: American Cryptology during World War I Author Name: Smoot, Betsy R Location Published: Center for Cryptologic History: 2023 Binding: softcover Book Condition: As New Pages: 393 Categories: American Expeditionary Force (AEF), Espionage, Intelligence & Spies Seller ID: 1503