Speaker Series: Cracking the Enigma - The Secret Battlefield of WW2
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Crack the Code: Cryptology, Espionage & the Enigma Machine
Join us at historic St. Peter's Chapel, the oldest naval chapel in the nation, for an engaging presentation by author and cryptology historian Ralph Simpson.
World War I was the first war to make widespread use of radio communications, providing a tremendous advantage on the battlefield. However, the weakness of existing manual ciphers meant that secret messages could often be intercepted and decoded by the enemy. This vulnerability drove the development of increasingly sophisticated machine ciphers and marked the beginning of modern cryptographic warfare.
One of the most important innovations to emerge from this era was the Enigma machine, invented during World War I and among the first electrical cipher devices. Radio communications directly fueled the rapid evolution of cryptology and codebreaking—a technological arms race that continues today.
During World War II, Nazi Germany relied heavily on the Enigma machine and maintained complete confidence in the security of its communications despite evidence that Allied forces were breaking its codes. The Allied effort to crack Enigma became one of history's greatest intelligence achievements—a story of innovation, intrigue, and deception involving tens of thousands of people in the United Kingdom and United States. Remarkably, the success of the operation remained classified for 41 years, until 1974. This level of secrecy is especially remarkable in today's age of the internet, WikiLeaks, and Edward Snowden.
More than 35,000 Enigma machines were manufactured, yet only about 400 are known to survive today. Guests will have the rare opportunity to see an original, working German Enigma machine on display during this presentation.
About the Speaker
Ralph Simpson spent 32 years in the computer industry, working for IBM and Cisco Systems in a variety of technical and leadership roles. He began his career as a systems engineer working with large mainframe computers and retired from Cisco as Senior Director for Service Strategy, overseeing more than 2,500 engineers. Today, Ralph researches, collects, and writes about historic cipher machines and cryptographic technology. His collection and research can be found at CipherHistory.com.
Event Details
Date: Sunday, February 21, 2027
Time: 3:00 PM
Doors open: 2:30 PM
Location: St. Peter's Chapel 1181 Walnut Avenue Mare Island, Vallejo, CA
Tickets
Advance: $15 At the door: $20 No membership discounts
Purchase tickets at MIHPF.org/events.
Please Note
No physical tickets will be emailed. Your purchase receipt and the name used at checkout will serve as admission.
ADA Notice
St. Peter's Chapel is a significant contributing element of the Mare Island Historic District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark (NRIS Number: 75002103). Due to its historic significance, the building is not wheelchair accessible. 28 C.F.R. 35.150(A)(2).
Join us at historic St. Peter's Chapel, the oldest naval chapel in the nation, for an engaging presentation by author and cryptology historian Ralph Simpson.
World War I was the first war to make widespread use of radio communications, providing a tremendous advantage on the battlefield. However, the weakness of existing manual ciphers meant that secret messages could often be intercepted and decoded by the enemy. This vulnerability drove the development of increasingly sophisticated machine ciphers and marked the beginning of modern cryptographic warfare.
One of the most important innovations to emerge from this era was the Enigma machine, invented during World War I and among the first electrical cipher devices. Radio communications directly fueled the rapid evolution of cryptology and codebreaking—a technological arms race that continues today.
During World War II, Nazi Germany relied heavily on the Enigma machine and maintained complete confidence in the security of its communications despite evidence that Allied forces were breaking its codes. The Allied effort to crack Enigma became one of history's greatest intelligence achievements—a story of innovation, intrigue, and deception involving tens of thousands of people in the United Kingdom and United States. Remarkably, the success of the operation remained classified for 41 years, until 1974. This level of secrecy is especially remarkable in today's age of the internet, WikiLeaks, and Edward Snowden.
More than 35,000 Enigma machines were manufactured, yet only about 400 are known to survive today. Guests will have the rare opportunity to see an original, working German Enigma machine on display during this presentation.
About the Speaker
Ralph Simpson spent 32 years in the computer industry, working for IBM and Cisco Systems in a variety of technical and leadership roles. He began his career as a systems engineer working with large mainframe computers and retired from Cisco as Senior Director for Service Strategy, overseeing more than 2,500 engineers. Today, Ralph researches, collects, and writes about historic cipher machines and cryptographic technology. His collection and research can be found at CipherHistory.com.
Event Details
Date: Sunday, February 21, 2027
Time: 3:00 PM
Doors open: 2:30 PM
Location: St. Peter's Chapel 1181 Walnut Avenue Mare Island, Vallejo, CA
Tickets
Advance: $15 At the door: $20 No membership discounts
Purchase tickets at MIHPF.org/events.
Please Note
No physical tickets will be emailed. Your purchase receipt and the name used at checkout will serve as admission.
ADA Notice
St. Peter's Chapel is a significant contributing element of the Mare Island Historic District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark (NRIS Number: 75002103). Due to its historic significance, the building is not wheelchair accessible. 28 C.F.R. 35.150(A)(2).
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Where is it happening?
St. Peter's Chapel, Vallejo, California, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherMare Island Foundation