Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:01,634 --> 00:00:03,570
Narrator: It's one of the most
astonishing stories
2
00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000
Downloaded from
YTS.MX
3
00:00:03,570 --> 00:00:06,406
of the second World War.
4
00:00:06,406 --> 00:00:11,211
As Nazi forces crushed
all who opposed them,
5
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000
Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
6
00:00:11,211 --> 00:00:14,981
a small group of geniuses
based in a British country house
7
00:00:14,981 --> 00:00:16,549
fought back.
8
00:00:16,549 --> 00:00:19,586
And the codebreakers won.
9
00:00:19,586 --> 00:00:23,123
The most famous of all
was Alan Turing, whose story,
10
00:00:23,123 --> 00:00:26,192
told in Oscar-winning movie
"The Imitation Game,"
11
00:00:26,192 --> 00:00:29,863
has gripped the world.
12
00:00:29,863 --> 00:00:32,832
But there's one name
that was left out of the film
13
00:00:32,832 --> 00:00:34,801
and largely forgotten.
14
00:00:34,801 --> 00:00:39,038
A codebreaker who should be
as famous as Turing himself.
15
00:00:39,038 --> 00:00:42,909
His name is Gordon Welchman.
16
00:00:42,909 --> 00:00:47,213
Without him, the Nazi codes
might never have been broken.
17
00:00:47,213 --> 00:00:49,916
The war could have lasted
two more years
18
00:00:49,916 --> 00:00:52,752
and tens of thousands
would have died.
19
00:00:52,752 --> 00:00:54,654
Rosamund Welchman:
When I was a child
20
00:00:54,654 --> 00:00:58,191
there was always in the family
the sense that dad had done,
21
00:00:58,191 --> 00:01:00,860
done something quite important
during the war,
22
00:01:00,860 --> 00:01:02,996
but of course we didn't really
know the details,
23
00:01:02,996 --> 00:01:05,265
and it couldn't really be
talked about.
24
00:01:05,265 --> 00:01:08,034
Narrator: His achievements
didn't end with World War II.
25
00:01:08,034 --> 00:01:10,003
He would move
to the united states,
26
00:01:10,003 --> 00:01:14,207
where he'd play a critical role
in the cold war
27
00:01:14,207 --> 00:01:17,644
and change the face
of the modern battlefield.
28
00:01:20,313 --> 00:01:22,449
With Edward Snowden's
revelations
29
00:01:22,449 --> 00:01:24,918
of total global surveillance,
30
00:01:24,918 --> 00:01:27,053
we have now discovered
Welchman's legacy
31
00:01:27,053 --> 00:01:30,056
continues to this day.
32
00:01:30,056 --> 00:01:31,791
But when Gordon Welchman chose
33
00:01:31,791 --> 00:01:35,295
to come out of the shadows
and reveal his secrets,
34
00:01:35,295 --> 00:01:39,299
the dark world of espionage
to which he had given so much
35
00:01:39,299 --> 00:01:41,067
ruined him.
36
00:01:41,067 --> 00:01:45,438
♪
37
00:01:51,611 --> 00:01:54,881
September 1939.
38
00:01:54,881 --> 00:01:57,984
As Britain declared war
on Nazi Germany,
39
00:01:57,984 --> 00:01:59,819
an extraordinary motley army
40
00:01:59,819 --> 00:02:02,021
was being assembled
at Bletchley Park,
41
00:02:02,021 --> 00:02:04,557
in the English countryside
near London,
42
00:02:04,557 --> 00:02:07,560
to fight a secret war.
43
00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:09,329
Their mission was to crack
44
00:02:09,329 --> 00:02:12,398
one of the hardest codes
ever devised,
45
00:02:12,398 --> 00:02:16,069
created on a machine
called enigma.
46
00:02:18,404 --> 00:02:20,139
Enigma lay at the heart
47
00:02:20,139 --> 00:02:23,810
of Hitler's armed forces
communications system.
48
00:02:23,810 --> 00:02:26,880
Bletchley Park's staff consisted
of chess masters,
49
00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,849
crossword addicts
and bridge fanatics.
50
00:02:29,849 --> 00:02:32,118
If they could break into enigma,
51
00:02:32,118 --> 00:02:36,456
they might just save the world
from the nazis.
52
00:02:36,456 --> 00:02:38,658
The best and the brightest
were being recruited
53
00:02:38,658 --> 00:02:41,261
from Britain's top universities.
54
00:02:42,929 --> 00:02:44,631
Two of this elite
55
00:02:44,631 --> 00:02:47,634
were the renowned mathematician
Alan Turing
56
00:02:47,634 --> 00:02:52,872
and the dean of a Cambridge
college, Gordon Welchman.
57
00:02:52,872 --> 00:02:55,341
Sinclair Mckay: Gordon Welchman
was actually quite glamorous,
58
00:02:55,341 --> 00:02:57,677
he was good looking, and he knew
he was good looking.
59
00:02:57,677 --> 00:02:59,812
He had a way with the ladies.
60
00:02:59,812 --> 00:03:01,881
He was fantastically bright,
61
00:03:01,881 --> 00:03:03,616
very pugnacious,
62
00:03:03,616 --> 00:03:06,286
obviously a very proud man.
63
00:03:06,286 --> 00:03:07,887
Rosamund Welchman:
He did mountain climbing,
64
00:03:07,887 --> 00:03:12,592
he did sailing,
he loved dancing.
65
00:03:12,592 --> 00:03:13,860
Mckay: Here was a man
66
00:03:13,860 --> 00:03:15,428
who had clearly been watching
Hollywood movies.
67
00:03:15,428 --> 00:03:17,931
Here was a kind of Errol Flynn
and Robert Donat.
68
00:03:17,931 --> 00:03:20,600
It's very much that kind
of dashing, young chap
69
00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:21,834
kind of feel to him,
70
00:03:21,834 --> 00:03:24,137
as opposed to the shambling
absent-mindedness
71
00:03:24,137 --> 00:03:27,974
of many of his colleagues.
72
00:03:27,974 --> 00:03:32,378
Narrator: Welchman was one of
the original elite codebreakers,
73
00:03:32,378 --> 00:03:37,884
given the Herculean task
of decoding the enigma machine.
74
00:03:37,884 --> 00:03:42,822
Enigma used a combination
of rotors, plugs and wiring
75
00:03:42,822 --> 00:03:46,826
to put German messages
into secret code.
76
00:03:46,826 --> 00:03:51,230
There were 1 in 159 million,
million, million
77
00:03:51,230 --> 00:03:53,866
possible combinations.
78
00:03:53,866 --> 00:03:57,637
Breaking it looked impossible.
79
00:03:57,637 --> 00:03:59,973
While others sought
to crack the codes,
80
00:03:59,973 --> 00:04:03,142
Welchman took
a different approach.
81
00:04:05,712 --> 00:04:09,115
Instead, he focused on what
would come to be known
82
00:04:09,115 --> 00:04:11,784
as traffic analysis.
83
00:04:11,784 --> 00:04:14,253
The body of the message
was unreadable.
84
00:04:14,253 --> 00:04:18,191
But the first few letters
and numbers were not in code.
85
00:04:18,191 --> 00:04:20,860
This was the call sign--
the address--
86
00:04:20,860 --> 00:04:23,730
identifying who the message
was to and from.
87
00:04:26,065 --> 00:04:28,901
There was crucial information
in the call signs,
88
00:04:28,901 --> 00:04:31,037
and Welchman started
to track it,
89
00:04:31,037 --> 00:04:34,240
linking up who was sending
and receiving the messages,
90
00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:36,542
where they were,
where they went.
91
00:04:36,542 --> 00:04:39,345
It was a brilliantly simple
observation,
92
00:04:39,345 --> 00:04:41,848
yet it would prove crucial.
93
00:04:41,848 --> 00:04:46,853
Jimmy Thirsk: They call it
chat that comes over the air,
94
00:04:46,853 --> 00:04:48,287
and by this means
95
00:04:48,287 --> 00:04:51,858
we can build up a picture
of a German unit--
96
00:04:51,858 --> 00:04:54,127
of the air force, for example--
97
00:04:54,127 --> 00:04:57,497
the headquarters--
any out-stations it has,
98
00:04:57,497 --> 00:04:59,766
and how they
keep in touch with it and so,
99
00:04:59,766 --> 00:05:02,101
and send messages.
100
00:05:05,104 --> 00:05:08,541
Gordon Welchman:
We were dealing with
an entire communications system
101
00:05:08,541 --> 00:05:12,812
that would serve the needs
of the German forces.
102
00:05:12,812 --> 00:05:16,883
The call signs came alive
as representing those forces,
103
00:05:16,883 --> 00:05:22,321
whose commanders would have to
send messages to each other.
104
00:05:22,321 --> 00:05:25,191
Narrator:
Just using traffic analysis,
105
00:05:25,191 --> 00:05:26,726
Welchman started to reveal
106
00:05:26,726 --> 00:05:31,230
the precise enemy forces
that faced the allies.
107
00:05:31,230 --> 00:05:34,634
Modern codebreaking was born.
108
00:05:34,634 --> 00:05:36,903
Thirsk: And they had
a big wall map,
109
00:05:36,903 --> 00:05:40,173
and you could visually see
the whole setup
110
00:05:40,173 --> 00:05:43,209
of the German
communications system.
111
00:05:43,209 --> 00:05:44,677
Narrator: Traffic analysis
112
00:05:44,677 --> 00:05:48,781
was Bletchley's first
major breakthrough.
113
00:05:48,781 --> 00:05:51,751
Asa Briggs:
Without an analysis of traffic
114
00:05:51,751 --> 00:05:55,354
you would never have been able
to use cryptography
115
00:05:55,354 --> 00:05:57,023
to win the war.
116
00:05:57,023 --> 00:05:59,792
Mckay: When you hear phrases
like traffic analysis
117
00:05:59,792 --> 00:06:01,661
or signals intelligence,
118
00:06:01,661 --> 00:06:05,064
it doesn't immediately sound
quite so glamorous, really.
119
00:06:05,064 --> 00:06:07,100
And I think possibly
that's one of the reasons
120
00:06:07,100 --> 00:06:09,235
why Gordon Welchman
hasn't been recognized so much,
121
00:06:09,235 --> 00:06:12,705
but if people knew
just how absolutely
122
00:06:12,705 --> 00:06:14,240
he was the kind of spine
123
00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:16,242
of the entire
Bletchley Park operation,
124
00:06:16,242 --> 00:06:19,512
then they would look at him
in a completely new way.
125
00:06:19,512 --> 00:06:22,515
Narrator: The enigma codes
had still not been broken,
126
00:06:22,515 --> 00:06:25,518
but Welchman now knew the exact
position and strength
127
00:06:25,518 --> 00:06:30,790
of thousands of German troops
and hundreds of aircraft.
128
00:06:30,790 --> 00:06:33,426
It made him realize
that Bletchley Park
129
00:06:33,426 --> 00:06:36,829
could become as forceful a part
of Britain's defenses
130
00:06:36,829 --> 00:06:40,399
as the army, navy and air force.
131
00:06:40,399 --> 00:06:43,603
Their weapon would be
intelligence.
132
00:06:47,173 --> 00:06:48,941
Gordon Welchman: No one else
seemed to be doing anything
133
00:06:48,941 --> 00:06:52,378
about this potential gold mine,
134
00:06:52,378 --> 00:06:55,481
so I drew up
a comprehensive plan,
135
00:06:55,481 --> 00:06:57,416
which called for
the close coordination
136
00:06:57,416 --> 00:06:59,852
of radio interception,
137
00:06:59,852 --> 00:07:03,790
analysis of
the intercepted traffic,
138
00:07:03,790 --> 00:07:07,393
breaking enigma keys,
139
00:07:07,393 --> 00:07:10,463
decoding messages
on the broken keys,
140
00:07:10,463 --> 00:07:15,601
and extracting intelligence
from the decodes.
141
00:07:15,601 --> 00:07:18,437
Narrator:
It was the end of 1939,
142
00:07:18,437 --> 00:07:23,009
before open warfare between
Britain and Germany had begun.
143
00:07:23,009 --> 00:07:25,711
Welchman was pushing
for a total reorganization
144
00:07:25,711 --> 00:07:27,613
of Bletchley Park--
145
00:07:27,613 --> 00:07:29,682
a radical plan
that would require
146
00:07:29,682 --> 00:07:31,884
far more people and resources
147
00:07:31,884 --> 00:07:33,820
than a collection
of crossword fanatics
148
00:07:33,820 --> 00:07:36,989
and professors solving puzzles.
149
00:07:36,989 --> 00:07:39,725
Welchman went to his boss.
150
00:07:39,725 --> 00:07:42,261
Gordon Welchman: He won
high-level approval for my plan,
151
00:07:42,261 --> 00:07:43,830
and we were able
to start recruiting
152
00:07:43,830 --> 00:07:46,833
the high-quality staff
that would be needed.
153
00:07:51,704 --> 00:07:55,641
Narrator: Welchman created
what was called Hut 6,
154
00:07:55,641 --> 00:07:58,110
a modest name that belied
the magnitude
155
00:07:58,110 --> 00:08:01,647
of just what was achieved
within its walls.
156
00:08:01,647 --> 00:08:04,750
Jane Fawcett: We had two
or three or four little lights
157
00:08:04,750 --> 00:08:07,119
hanging on wires
from the ceiling,
158
00:08:07,119 --> 00:08:11,057
and we had collapsible
chairs and tables.
159
00:08:11,057 --> 00:08:14,760
It really wasn't for a
high-powered government machine.
160
00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:16,762
Thirsk: I was a bit
of a romantic,
161
00:08:16,762 --> 00:08:18,164
and I thought, well, you know,
162
00:08:18,164 --> 00:08:24,637
I might get involved
in some clandestine operations.
163
00:08:24,637 --> 00:08:27,406
Narrator: Here, brilliant people
made breakthroughs
164
00:08:27,406 --> 00:08:30,710
that helped change the course
of the war.
165
00:08:30,710 --> 00:08:34,580
All were sworn
to the utmost secrecy.
166
00:08:34,580 --> 00:08:39,886
Welchman would remain head
of Hut 6 until 1943.
167
00:08:43,155 --> 00:08:48,194
In may 1940, Hitler's panzers
invaded France.
168
00:08:52,999 --> 00:08:55,067
And Bletchley Park at last
169
00:08:55,067 --> 00:08:58,571
found a way to read
some enigma messages.
170
00:08:58,571 --> 00:09:02,441
The intelligence they contained
was code-named ultra.
171
00:09:02,441 --> 00:09:05,811
And it made
for horrifying reading.
172
00:09:05,811 --> 00:09:07,980
The nazis were driving
allied forces
173
00:09:07,980 --> 00:09:10,116
back towards
the English channel.
174
00:09:10,116 --> 00:09:12,485
British, french
and Belgian troops
175
00:09:12,485 --> 00:09:14,954
were fighting desperately.
176
00:09:14,954 --> 00:09:16,956
30 years after the war,
177
00:09:16,956 --> 00:09:20,059
in the only filmed interview
Welchman ever gave,
178
00:09:20,059 --> 00:09:24,864
he revealed how ultra had saved
thousands of British lives.
179
00:09:24,864 --> 00:09:26,832
Gordon Welchman:
In the battle of France
180
00:09:26,832 --> 00:09:31,504
probably the most important
thing which came out of ultra
181
00:09:31,504 --> 00:09:34,874
was that it was realized
so early
182
00:09:34,874 --> 00:09:38,544
that we were
in a hopeless position.
183
00:09:38,544 --> 00:09:42,148
Narrator: Hut 6 had been
established just in time.
184
00:09:42,148 --> 00:09:43,649
Bletchley Park had revealed
185
00:09:43,649 --> 00:09:46,185
the troops in France
were surrounded.
186
00:09:46,185 --> 00:09:48,721
They needed to escape now.
187
00:09:48,721 --> 00:09:51,324
The evacuation of Dunkirk began.
188
00:09:51,324 --> 00:09:54,260
Gordon Welchman: It was decided
to get out as quick as we could.
189
00:09:54,260 --> 00:09:59,098
And this meant that there
was time to organize.
190
00:10:00,666 --> 00:10:07,440
Narrator: Hut 6 had saved
nearly 340,000 lives
191
00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:11,744
and prevented the annihilation
of the British army.
192
00:10:11,744 --> 00:10:17,149
Its success was a testament to
Welchman's steely-eyed vision.
193
00:10:19,251 --> 00:10:20,786
Rosamund Welchman: Well, I think
he was the right person
194
00:10:20,786 --> 00:10:22,221
at the right time.
195
00:10:22,221 --> 00:10:24,256
I think he probably had a lot
of personal characteristics
196
00:10:24,256 --> 00:10:29,128
that were really vital
for his work here.
197
00:10:29,128 --> 00:10:32,331
Narrator: For Bletchley Park
and Gordon Welchman,
198
00:10:32,331 --> 00:10:34,266
it was just the beginning.
199
00:10:38,738 --> 00:10:43,210
By the end of 1940, Hut 6,
under Gordon Welchman,
200
00:10:43,210 --> 00:10:46,580
was at the heart of the whole
Bletchley Park operation.
201
00:10:49,683 --> 00:10:53,353
Here, they used traffic analysis
to select and target
202
00:10:53,353 --> 00:10:57,924
particular German radio networks
and operators.
203
00:10:57,924 --> 00:11:01,695
Their traffic was then
intercepted and decoded
204
00:11:01,695 --> 00:11:05,298
thanks to a remarkable new
electromechanical device
205
00:11:05,298 --> 00:11:08,068
designed by Alan Turing.
206
00:11:08,068 --> 00:11:11,238
It was helping to break
key enigma signals
207
00:11:11,238 --> 00:11:13,540
on a daily basis.
208
00:11:13,540 --> 00:11:17,177
It was called "The bombe."
209
00:11:17,177 --> 00:11:20,146
it simulated all
the possible configurations
210
00:11:20,146 --> 00:11:22,782
of the enigma machine.
211
00:11:22,782 --> 00:11:25,752
The bombe could check them
hundreds of times faster
212
00:11:25,752 --> 00:11:28,088
than the smartest human.
213
00:11:30,156 --> 00:11:31,891
But it was very limited.
214
00:11:31,891 --> 00:11:34,761
To run a test,
known as a bombe run,
215
00:11:34,761 --> 00:11:37,964
it needed to compare
a short phrase from the code
216
00:11:37,964 --> 00:11:39,699
with what the codebreakers
guessed
217
00:11:39,699 --> 00:11:42,269
might be the original message.
218
00:11:42,269 --> 00:11:45,138
For example,
many German messages might begin
219
00:11:45,138 --> 00:11:47,907
with the words "Heil Hitler's."
220
00:11:47,907 --> 00:11:52,212
this guessed text
was known as a crib.
221
00:11:52,212 --> 00:11:54,281
If they were right
in their guess,
222
00:11:54,281 --> 00:11:57,517
the bombe could start
cracking the code.
223
00:11:57,517 --> 00:12:00,220
But they needed accurate cribs.
224
00:12:00,220 --> 00:12:03,923
Welchman realized the German
operators were only human.
225
00:12:03,923 --> 00:12:06,960
Like anyone else they would fall
into bad habits--
226
00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:09,062
and if they could target
these habits,
227
00:12:09,062 --> 00:12:12,832
Bletchley might have a shortcut
to break the codes.
228
00:12:12,832 --> 00:12:14,968
Tony Comer:
What Welchman discovered
229
00:12:14,968 --> 00:12:16,403
was that by understanding
230
00:12:16,403 --> 00:12:20,240
the way that the Germans used
their communications
231
00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:22,409
you could start to predict
more easily
232
00:12:22,409 --> 00:12:25,645
where particular types
of message would come.
233
00:12:25,645 --> 00:12:27,147
Thirsk: There was
a German commander
234
00:12:27,147 --> 00:12:30,183
in Brittany somewhere,
who, during the war,
235
00:12:30,183 --> 00:12:32,919
regularly sent in
every morning a message,
236
00:12:32,919 --> 00:12:37,057
saying "Alles in ordnung,"
"everything okay here."
237
00:12:37,057 --> 00:12:40,026
it was the same phrase he used
every morning,
238
00:12:40,026 --> 00:12:45,398
which was a godsend
to the decryptors in Hut 6.
239
00:12:48,034 --> 00:12:50,737
Narrator: Armed with a crib,
the Bletchley team
240
00:12:50,737 --> 00:12:53,306
could now start a bombe run
241
00:12:53,306 --> 00:12:56,309
and hope to find
the enigma settings.
242
00:12:56,309 --> 00:12:58,678
But it was a race against time.
243
00:12:58,678 --> 00:13:01,681
German codes were changed
at midnight,
244
00:13:01,681 --> 00:13:06,786
and the bombe might take days
to find an answer.
245
00:13:06,786 --> 00:13:08,722
Even if they cracked the code,
246
00:13:08,722 --> 00:13:13,626
it could be too late
to help the allies.
247
00:13:13,626 --> 00:13:16,429
Welchman's genius was to come up
with a modification
248
00:13:16,429 --> 00:13:19,432
of Alan Turing's
brilliant design
249
00:13:19,432 --> 00:13:23,169
and make it work
many times faster.
250
00:13:23,169 --> 00:13:24,571
Mckay: It was Gordon Welchman
251
00:13:24,571 --> 00:13:27,841
who spots the one thing
that the machines need
252
00:13:27,841 --> 00:13:31,311
that could give them an almost
uncanny elegance and beauty
253
00:13:31,311 --> 00:13:34,547
in the way that they worked.
254
00:13:34,547 --> 00:13:35,648
Narrator: Welchman came up
255
00:13:35,648 --> 00:13:39,219
with an inspired,
improvised solution.
256
00:13:39,219 --> 00:13:42,789
It was called
the diagonal board.
257
00:13:42,789 --> 00:13:45,291
A simple electrical circuit
enabled the bombe
258
00:13:45,291 --> 00:13:47,961
to cross-check hundreds
of possible combinations
259
00:13:47,961 --> 00:13:51,131
at the same time.
260
00:13:51,131 --> 00:13:58,271
It reduced bombe runs from days
down to hours or even minutes.
261
00:13:58,271 --> 00:14:01,908
Hut 6 could now read
German messages,
262
00:14:01,908 --> 00:14:03,977
sometimes before
they were even read
263
00:14:03,977 --> 00:14:06,746
by the intended enemy recipient.
264
00:14:09,082 --> 00:14:10,683
Mckay: So here we see an example
265
00:14:10,683 --> 00:14:13,720
of Gordon Welchman's fantastic
mathematical intelligence
266
00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:14,821
coming through,
267
00:14:14,821 --> 00:14:19,492
easily a match for that
of Alan Turing.
268
00:14:19,492 --> 00:14:22,462
Narrator: By 1941,
Bletchley's decodes
269
00:14:22,462 --> 00:14:25,432
were starting to change
the course of the war.
270
00:14:25,432 --> 00:14:27,734
A German battleship,
the Bismarck,
271
00:14:27,734 --> 00:14:31,805
was scouring the Atlantic,
destroying British shipping,
272
00:14:31,805 --> 00:14:35,542
and threatening
the nation's survival.
273
00:14:35,542 --> 00:14:37,177
Fawcett: The main part
of our fleet
274
00:14:37,177 --> 00:14:40,146
was out pursuing the Bismarck.
275
00:14:40,146 --> 00:14:42,482
She was the latest German ship
276
00:14:42,482 --> 00:14:44,184
and the best thing they'd got
in the navy
277
00:14:44,184 --> 00:14:46,085
and very important.
278
00:14:46,085 --> 00:14:48,955
Narrator: On may 24, 1941,
279
00:14:48,955 --> 00:14:53,059
the Bismarck sank the pride
of the British navy, hms hood,
280
00:14:53,059 --> 00:14:57,997
Britain's most modern
and biggest battlecruiser.
281
00:14:57,997 --> 00:15:02,035
1,400 British sailors
lost their lives.
282
00:15:03,837 --> 00:15:07,106
Only three of its crew survived.
283
00:15:10,343 --> 00:15:12,312
Winston Churchill
ordered the royal navy
284
00:15:12,312 --> 00:15:15,014
to find and destroy
the Bismarck.
285
00:15:15,014 --> 00:15:18,084
But they had no way
of knowing where it was.
286
00:15:18,084 --> 00:15:20,854
At Bletchley,
Welchman's team believed
287
00:15:20,854 --> 00:15:24,691
they might be able to use
intelligence to find it.
288
00:15:27,594 --> 00:15:30,864
Sifting through the entirety
of German naval communications
289
00:15:30,864 --> 00:15:32,932
for any reference
to the Bismarck
290
00:15:32,932 --> 00:15:36,669
was a daunting challenge.
291
00:15:36,669 --> 00:15:39,839
Fawcett: What I had to do was
to take the enigma telegrams
292
00:15:39,839 --> 00:15:42,842
as they arrived in Hut 6,
293
00:15:42,842 --> 00:15:45,645
and I had to put them
into the machine.
294
00:15:45,645 --> 00:15:47,347
Then I had to look at them
and see whether--
295
00:15:47,347 --> 00:15:49,549
they were all in German,
of course--
296
00:15:49,549 --> 00:15:53,520
see whether they appeared to be
of any interest.
297
00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:56,623
Narrator: Then the breakthrough
they had been hoping for.
298
00:15:56,623 --> 00:16:01,494
Fawcett: We discovered this
message from a German commander
299
00:16:01,494 --> 00:16:03,463
to the commander of the Bismarck
300
00:16:03,463 --> 00:16:04,931
saying, "Where are you going?
301
00:16:04,931 --> 00:16:08,101
I'm worried about my son
who's on board."
302
00:16:08,101 --> 00:16:09,502
and the message came back,
303
00:16:09,502 --> 00:16:12,539
which I got,
which said "Brest."
304
00:16:12,539 --> 00:16:14,874
Narrator: At last they had
a location.
305
00:16:14,874 --> 00:16:18,511
The Bismarck was heading for the
port of brest in northern France
306
00:16:18,511 --> 00:16:21,114
being used by the German navy.
307
00:16:21,114 --> 00:16:24,684
A powerful royal navy
battle group of 13 vessels
308
00:16:24,684 --> 00:16:27,787
was ordered to hunt down
the Bismarck.
309
00:16:27,787 --> 00:16:30,690
Newsreel narrator:
In this, perhaps the most
dramatic naval film ever taken,
310
00:16:30,690 --> 00:16:32,292
you will see salvos
from the Bismarck
311
00:16:32,292 --> 00:16:34,594
failing to hit
one of our battleships.
312
00:16:34,594 --> 00:16:36,763
This was during the chase
right across the Atlantic
313
00:16:36,763 --> 00:16:40,333
while the Nazi ship was running
from the guns of our squadron.
314
00:16:40,333 --> 00:16:50,543
[artillery fire]
315
00:16:53,346 --> 00:16:55,782
Narrator: A torpedo dropped
from a British biplane
316
00:16:55,782 --> 00:16:57,750
disabled the Bismarck.
317
00:16:57,750 --> 00:17:01,120
The British warships closed in.
318
00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:03,590
Fawcett: We were all
absolutely on our toes
319
00:17:03,590 --> 00:17:05,992
wondering what was going
to come through next,
320
00:17:05,992 --> 00:17:09,262
because we knew it was one of
the major battles of the war.
321
00:17:09,262 --> 00:17:11,431
Newsreel narrator:
When these pictures were
taken during the action,
322
00:17:11,431 --> 00:17:13,633
the Bismarck
was nearing her end.
323
00:17:13,633 --> 00:17:15,268
Narrator:
Hut 6 had the satisfaction
324
00:17:15,268 --> 00:17:17,337
of decoding
the very last message
325
00:17:17,337 --> 00:17:19,539
sent from the stricken Bismarck.
326
00:17:19,539 --> 00:17:21,307
"Ship unmanageable.
327
00:17:21,307 --> 00:17:23,476
We shall fight
to the last shell.
328
00:17:23,476 --> 00:17:26,913
Long live the fuhrer."
329
00:17:26,913 --> 00:17:30,617
Fawcett: And eventually
they sank her.
330
00:17:30,617 --> 00:17:33,653
Narrator: This flagship
of Hitler's navy went down
331
00:17:33,653 --> 00:17:37,724
with over 2,000 of its crew.
332
00:17:37,724 --> 00:17:40,059
Thirsk: I mean, that was
a day to remember.
333
00:17:40,059 --> 00:17:43,162
We were constructing a jigsaw,
334
00:17:43,162 --> 00:17:45,531
but half the pieces
were missing.
335
00:17:45,531 --> 00:17:51,337
Now it all made a picture, and
all the jigsaw came together.
336
00:17:51,337 --> 00:17:56,476
We were invigorated immediately.
337
00:17:56,476 --> 00:17:58,845
Narrator: It was Britain's
first significant victory
338
00:17:58,845 --> 00:18:02,382
in the darkest days
of World War II.
339
00:18:02,382 --> 00:18:07,353
Bletchley Park had proved that
intelligence could sink ships.
340
00:18:10,923 --> 00:18:16,062
It was a weapon the allies were
determined to use to the limit.
341
00:18:16,062 --> 00:18:18,297
Under Welchman's supervision,
342
00:18:18,297 --> 00:18:21,067
a ramshackle collection
of wooden Huts
343
00:18:21,067 --> 00:18:27,240
became the world's first
intelligence factory,
344
00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:31,411
rebuilt in brick
on a whole new scale.
345
00:18:33,713 --> 00:18:36,115
A handful of codebreakers
346
00:18:36,115 --> 00:18:39,919
became thousands working
around the clock.
347
00:18:39,919 --> 00:18:43,523
Two bombes became 200.
348
00:18:46,659 --> 00:18:50,463
Bletchley Park
was breaking enigma daily,
349
00:18:50,463 --> 00:18:54,333
revealing the inner secrets
of the German war machine.
350
00:18:54,333 --> 00:18:58,204
And it was changing
the course of the war.
351
00:19:00,506 --> 00:19:04,343
They tapped into field marshal
Erwin Rommel's battle plans,
352
00:19:04,343 --> 00:19:07,647
and his forces were driven
out of north Africa.
353
00:19:10,249 --> 00:19:12,085
They located
the u-boat wolf packs
354
00:19:12,085 --> 00:19:13,786
lurking in the Atlantic,
355
00:19:13,786 --> 00:19:17,623
and they were hunted down.
356
00:19:17,623 --> 00:19:19,459
And thanks to Bletchley,
357
00:19:19,459 --> 00:19:23,262
the allies knew their
d-day deception had worked.
358
00:19:23,262 --> 00:19:26,232
Hitler believed the real
invasion was yet to come
359
00:19:26,232 --> 00:19:28,568
and held back the panzers
360
00:19:28,568 --> 00:19:33,339
that might have driven
the allies into the sea.
361
00:19:33,339 --> 00:19:35,274
For the very first time,
362
00:19:35,274 --> 00:19:37,744
codebreaking had made
a significant difference
363
00:19:37,744 --> 00:19:39,479
to a war:
364
00:19:39,479 --> 00:19:40,947
Bletchley is credited
365
00:19:40,947 --> 00:19:43,983
with hastening the Nazi defeat
by two years.
366
00:19:43,983 --> 00:19:46,419
That's enough
to have saved thousands
367
00:19:46,419 --> 00:19:51,290
or hundreds of thousands
of lives.
368
00:19:51,290 --> 00:19:55,194
By the time the war ended
in 1945,
369
00:19:55,194 --> 00:19:59,065
Bletchley Park had transformed
military intelligence.
370
00:19:59,065 --> 00:20:00,700
The brains at Bletchley
371
00:20:00,700 --> 00:20:03,369
had taken on the brawn
of the teutonic army
372
00:20:03,369 --> 00:20:04,971
and won.
373
00:20:04,971 --> 00:20:08,141
And Welchman was
at the heart of it.
374
00:20:09,742 --> 00:20:11,144
John Naughton: To think of him
375
00:20:11,144 --> 00:20:12,411
as the Henry Ford
of cryptography
376
00:20:12,411 --> 00:20:13,946
is not a bad metaphor.
377
00:20:13,946 --> 00:20:16,282
The industrialization
of cryptography.
378
00:20:16,282 --> 00:20:18,951
That's an astonishing
achievement.
379
00:20:22,321 --> 00:20:26,893
John scarlet: His legacy is
in what Bletchley Park achieved,
380
00:20:26,893 --> 00:20:28,928
what Bletchley Park contributed
381
00:20:28,928 --> 00:20:32,064
to the success
and the allied victory
382
00:20:32,064 --> 00:20:35,802
in, in 1945.
383
00:20:35,802 --> 00:20:38,437
It's hard to have
a bigger legacy than that.
384
00:20:40,573 --> 00:20:44,911
Narrator: One war was over,
but another was about to start.
385
00:20:47,747 --> 00:20:50,016
It would see
a remarkable contribution
386
00:20:50,016 --> 00:20:53,119
from Gordon Welchman,
387
00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:56,255
but at a devastating
personal cost.
388
00:20:59,859 --> 00:21:02,261
After the end
of the second world war,
389
00:21:02,261 --> 00:21:04,997
the legacy of the work
of Bletchley Park and Hut 6
390
00:21:04,997 --> 00:21:08,501
would endure.
391
00:21:08,501 --> 00:21:11,304
Gordon Welchman's creation
would find itself the model
392
00:21:11,304 --> 00:21:14,440
for the National
Security Agency, the NSA,
393
00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,977
and its British equivalent,
GCHQ.
394
00:21:17,977 --> 00:21:20,646
The future lay in computers,
395
00:21:20,646 --> 00:21:23,282
and while Bletchley
had once led the world,
396
00:21:23,282 --> 00:21:25,952
Welchman now believed
bankrupt Britain
397
00:21:25,952 --> 00:21:29,655
was squandering
its technological lead.
398
00:21:29,655 --> 00:21:32,191
Mckay: You also have a sense
of a man who understands
399
00:21:32,191 --> 00:21:34,527
very, very well
about the computer revolution,
400
00:21:34,527 --> 00:21:36,863
the computer age that was
about to come into being,
401
00:21:36,863 --> 00:21:38,431
because this is a computer age
402
00:21:38,431 --> 00:21:41,767
this is brought into being
at Bletchley Park.
403
00:21:46,105 --> 00:21:47,907
Narrator: Welchman
was determined to stay
404
00:21:47,907 --> 00:21:51,143
at the forefront
of the computer revolution.
405
00:21:51,143 --> 00:21:53,980
That meant America.
406
00:21:53,980 --> 00:21:56,582
Film narrator:
The Massachusetts institute
of technology
407
00:21:56,582 --> 00:21:59,318
was asked by the three
military services
408
00:21:59,318 --> 00:22:02,321
to establish
a new research center.
409
00:22:02,321 --> 00:22:04,624
Narrator: This new center,
called Mitre,
410
00:22:04,624 --> 00:22:08,194
was created to develop
top secret defense technologies.
411
00:22:08,194 --> 00:22:11,264
And they were recruiting
the finest brains.
412
00:22:11,264 --> 00:22:14,834
Robert Everett: I imagine that
the powers that be in England
413
00:22:14,834 --> 00:22:18,971
got in touch with the powers
that be in the united states
414
00:22:18,971 --> 00:22:21,974
and said they had
this wonderful guy
415
00:22:21,974 --> 00:22:25,278
and he would like a job.
416
00:22:25,278 --> 00:22:27,413
Narrator: Working here
put Gordon Welchman
417
00:22:27,413 --> 00:22:31,884
right back at the heart
of another intelligence war--
418
00:22:31,884 --> 00:22:33,920
the cold war.
419
00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:38,858
[fanfare music playing]
420
00:22:42,995 --> 00:22:44,830
Film Narrator: One of the most
dangerous threats
421
00:22:44,830 --> 00:22:46,799
to our nation's security
422
00:22:46,799 --> 00:22:48,568
is the possibility of attack
423
00:22:48,568 --> 00:22:52,772
by high-speed enemy bombers
armed with nuclear weapons.
424
00:22:52,772 --> 00:22:57,209
Narrator: This was secret
conflict on a global scale.
425
00:23:00,179 --> 00:23:02,481
Huge strides in technology
were needed
426
00:23:02,481 --> 00:23:06,185
to hold the so-called red menace
at bay.
427
00:23:06,185 --> 00:23:07,286
Eric Ellingson:
During that period
428
00:23:07,286 --> 00:23:08,721
was the Cuban missile crisis.
429
00:23:08,721 --> 00:23:12,558
Okay, I mean, that was, that was
really a tough period, okay?
430
00:23:12,558 --> 00:23:14,560
I built a bomb shelter
in my basement
431
00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:17,463
in Bedford, Massachusetts.
432
00:23:17,463 --> 00:23:21,133
Film narrator:
A large-scale nuclear attack
on the united states
433
00:23:21,133 --> 00:23:23,169
could produce a patchwork
pattern of fallout
434
00:23:23,169 --> 00:23:26,205
covering two thirds
of the nation.
435
00:23:26,205 --> 00:23:29,241
[dramatic music playing]
436
00:23:30,543 --> 00:23:33,179
We cannot afford
to take that chance.
437
00:23:36,349 --> 00:23:37,516
Narrator: Welchman was given
438
00:23:37,516 --> 00:23:40,486
the highest civilian
security clearance.
439
00:23:40,486 --> 00:23:44,824
It meant becoming
a U.S. Citizen.
440
00:23:44,824 --> 00:23:46,359
Ellingson: The job did require
441
00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:48,794
a very high
security clearance.
442
00:23:48,794 --> 00:23:51,263
In fact it was high enough
so that it--
443
00:23:51,263 --> 00:23:53,699
the fact that I had it
was classified.
444
00:23:53,699 --> 00:23:55,768
[laughs]
445
00:23:55,768 --> 00:23:57,303
Narrator:
With the frightening prospect
446
00:23:57,303 --> 00:23:59,505
of a nuclear confrontation,
447
00:23:59,505 --> 00:24:01,440
Welchman was given
the vital task
448
00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,343
of ensuring
U.S. Military communications
449
00:24:04,343 --> 00:24:08,314
were capable
of withstanding attack.
450
00:24:08,314 --> 00:24:10,583
All he had learned
at Bletchley Park
451
00:24:10,583 --> 00:24:14,353
was now applied to help achieve
American supremacy
452
00:24:14,353 --> 00:24:18,357
on a scale
that would dwarf Hut 6.
453
00:24:18,357 --> 00:24:22,428
Larry Hill: Traffic analysis
in World War II
454
00:24:22,428 --> 00:24:26,666
led Welchman to understand
455
00:24:26,666 --> 00:24:29,902
the way information flowed
in battle
456
00:24:29,902 --> 00:24:34,140
and how many different ways
it flowed.
457
00:24:34,140 --> 00:24:36,776
Narrator: Welchman realized
military communications
458
00:24:36,776 --> 00:24:40,846
hadn't really moved on
since his days at Bletchley.
459
00:24:40,846 --> 00:24:45,151
Headquarters issued an order,
units made reports.
460
00:24:45,151 --> 00:24:47,019
But in modern warfare
461
00:24:47,019 --> 00:24:50,923
instant access to battlefield
information was essential.
462
00:24:50,923 --> 00:24:54,026
Man: Repeat,
this is a yellow alert.
463
00:24:54,026 --> 00:24:55,995
Narrator:
And computer technology
464
00:24:55,995 --> 00:25:00,399
was advancing fast enough
to make this possible.
465
00:25:00,399 --> 00:25:03,035
Ellingson: He said, hey, with
this digital communications
466
00:25:03,035 --> 00:25:07,306
we can do some things that we've
never been able to do before.
467
00:25:09,341 --> 00:25:11,577
Narrator: Welchman used
all his experience
468
00:25:11,577 --> 00:25:14,814
to develop a completely new kind
of network.
469
00:25:14,814 --> 00:25:18,417
Information on the battlefield
was constantly updated,
470
00:25:18,417 --> 00:25:23,456
immediately shared
and totally secure.
471
00:25:23,456 --> 00:25:26,826
Hill: Everybody periodically
broadcast bits of information
472
00:25:26,826 --> 00:25:29,995
about where they were,
what they were doing.
473
00:25:29,995 --> 00:25:33,566
Narrator: Welchman called
his idea a horseshoe,
474
00:25:33,566 --> 00:25:39,872
but we would all recognize it
today as the cloud.
475
00:25:39,872 --> 00:25:43,709
Welchman's system instantly
connected planes, submarines,
476
00:25:43,709 --> 00:25:46,011
ground forces, battleships--
477
00:25:46,011 --> 00:25:48,714
all the elements
of the command structure--
478
00:25:48,714 --> 00:25:53,052
all at the same time.
479
00:25:53,052 --> 00:25:55,321
Hill: And that went out
into the sky,
480
00:25:55,321 --> 00:25:57,523
and anybody who was interested
in knowing
481
00:25:57,523 --> 00:26:00,126
what friendly aircraft
are in this area
482
00:26:00,126 --> 00:26:02,394
could immediately get
those reports--
483
00:26:02,394 --> 00:26:04,363
sort of like an instant Goggle,
484
00:26:04,363 --> 00:26:08,367
and this was three, four decades
before Goggle.
485
00:26:08,367 --> 00:26:10,803
Ellingson: Gordon came up
with this radical idea,
486
00:26:10,803 --> 00:26:15,241
and people looked at it and said
hey, that's pretty good,
487
00:26:15,241 --> 00:26:18,377
and, uh, so, you know,
my boss called me in
488
00:26:18,377 --> 00:26:21,180
and said okay, make it work.
489
00:26:24,216 --> 00:26:27,920
Hill: His ideas were really
a game changer.
490
00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:29,622
They changed
the way people thought
491
00:26:29,622 --> 00:26:31,290
about command and control,
492
00:26:31,290 --> 00:26:35,261
and they changed the way
battles were managed
493
00:26:35,261 --> 00:26:37,563
and warfare was fought.
494
00:26:37,563 --> 00:26:42,635
It's still in use today,
and it will be for a long time.
495
00:26:42,635 --> 00:26:45,104
Narrator: The legacy of the two
giants of Bletchley Park
496
00:26:45,104 --> 00:26:47,239
endures to the present day.
497
00:26:47,239 --> 00:26:49,742
Alan Turing had made
a decisive contribution
498
00:26:49,742 --> 00:26:52,011
to the computer revolution.
499
00:26:52,011 --> 00:26:53,479
Gordon Welchman's work
500
00:26:53,479 --> 00:26:57,116
anticipated how the Internet and
the cloud would later develop,
501
00:26:57,116 --> 00:27:01,220
and how technology would enable
a surveillance society.
502
00:27:02,655 --> 00:27:08,694
♪
503
00:27:08,694 --> 00:27:14,366
in 1971 Welchman moved to the
new England town of Newburyport
504
00:27:14,366 --> 00:27:19,538
and married
his third wife, teeny.
505
00:27:19,538 --> 00:27:24,243
He was now 65 and still
at the peak of his powers.
506
00:27:24,243 --> 00:27:28,047
He had made a decisive impact
on both the second world war
507
00:27:28,047 --> 00:27:30,282
and now the cold war.
508
00:27:30,282 --> 00:27:32,418
Yet everything he had achieved
509
00:27:32,418 --> 00:27:36,322
was known only within
his clandestine world.
510
00:27:38,557 --> 00:27:41,894
Fighting an intelligence war
against the Soviet Union,
511
00:27:41,894 --> 00:27:43,562
the U.S. And British governments
512
00:27:43,562 --> 00:27:45,865
had kept the success
of Bletchley Park secret
513
00:27:45,865 --> 00:27:48,067
for two decades.
514
00:27:48,067 --> 00:27:52,504
Everyone who worked there
had been sworn to silence.
515
00:27:52,504 --> 00:27:55,941
But then, in 1974, came an event
516
00:27:55,941 --> 00:27:59,945
that had unexpectedly
far-reaching consequences.
517
00:28:02,314 --> 00:28:04,116
"The ultra secret,"
518
00:28:04,116 --> 00:28:07,953
a government-approved book
by an ex-MI6 officer,
519
00:28:07,953 --> 00:28:10,890
revealed for the first time
the role of codebreaking
520
00:28:10,890 --> 00:28:14,426
in winning the second world war.
521
00:28:14,426 --> 00:28:17,162
Suddenly daylight
was being let in
522
00:28:17,162 --> 00:28:20,065
on a hitherto secret world.
523
00:28:20,065 --> 00:28:23,369
It was a shocking moment
for all those like Welchman,
524
00:28:23,369 --> 00:28:27,640
who had taken their oath
of secrecy so seriously.
525
00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:29,275
Gordon Welchman:
For years and years
526
00:28:29,275 --> 00:28:32,344
I didn't even read
the histories of the war
527
00:28:32,344 --> 00:28:34,413
because I was afraid
that somehow or other
528
00:28:34,413 --> 00:28:40,386
I might reveal something
that I'd learned from ultra.
529
00:28:40,386 --> 00:28:42,288
Jennifer Welchman: I think
it was an enormous relief.
530
00:28:42,288 --> 00:28:45,157
He could tell these stories,
and could talk to us,
531
00:28:45,157 --> 00:28:47,326
and could share memories that
532
00:28:47,326 --> 00:28:50,162
he'd kept tamped
down for so long.
533
00:28:50,162 --> 00:28:53,399
Narrator: An idea began to form
in Welchman's mind--
534
00:28:53,399 --> 00:28:55,901
that he should write his story.
535
00:28:55,901 --> 00:28:57,069
Gordon Welchman:
I seemed to have
536
00:28:57,069 --> 00:28:59,672
a very special responsibility
537
00:28:59,672 --> 00:29:01,674
in that I was
the only person alive
538
00:29:01,674 --> 00:29:03,208
with inside knowledge
539
00:29:03,208 --> 00:29:07,212
of a very telling episode
in cryptologic history.
540
00:29:09,648 --> 00:29:13,552
Narrator: In 1977 he also took
the deliberate decision
541
00:29:13,552 --> 00:29:17,256
to appear on the BBC series
"The Secret War,"
542
00:29:17,256 --> 00:29:20,092
which dared to reveal
the still-classified story
543
00:29:20,092 --> 00:29:22,528
of ultra intelligence.
544
00:29:22,528 --> 00:29:25,230
Gordon Welchman: I don't know
whether I should say this,
545
00:29:25,230 --> 00:29:26,732
but it seems to me
546
00:29:26,732 --> 00:29:31,303
that some of the things really
547
00:29:31,303 --> 00:29:32,972
have been kept secret too long,
548
00:29:32,972 --> 00:29:34,840
that there is a point
549
00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:41,580
at which you do more damage
by deceiving your own people
550
00:29:41,580 --> 00:29:43,816
about the true history
of World War II
551
00:29:43,816 --> 00:29:45,384
than you could possibly do
552
00:29:45,384 --> 00:29:50,422
by telling now the story
as it actually happened.
553
00:29:50,422 --> 00:29:52,825
Narrator: Determined to set
the record straight,
554
00:29:52,825 --> 00:29:54,893
as well as to give
public recognition
555
00:29:54,893 --> 00:29:57,463
to those whose work
had been war-winning,
556
00:29:57,463 --> 00:30:00,733
Welchman had to write
from his own prodigious memory
557
00:30:00,733 --> 00:30:04,136
and discreet research
from former colleagues.
558
00:30:04,136 --> 00:30:06,572
He had no access
to official papers,
559
00:30:06,572 --> 00:30:09,942
which were still classified.
560
00:30:09,942 --> 00:30:12,845
It was seven years' work.
561
00:30:16,181 --> 00:30:17,216
Rosamund Welchman:
I think my father felt
562
00:30:17,216 --> 00:30:20,953
that he had
a very important insight
563
00:30:20,953 --> 00:30:24,823
on a particular piece of history
which very few other people had,
564
00:30:24,823 --> 00:30:27,526
and he just kept reading
the obituaries
565
00:30:27,526 --> 00:30:32,564
and realizing that there were
fewer and fewer people left.
566
00:30:32,564 --> 00:30:34,500
Narrator: But Gordon Welchman,
567
00:30:34,500 --> 00:30:37,770
after a life spent
in the secret world,
568
00:30:37,770 --> 00:30:42,207
didn't realize that world
was about to turn on him.
569
00:30:46,979 --> 00:30:49,915
Gordon Welchman's book,
"The Hut Six Story,"
570
00:30:49,915 --> 00:30:51,583
was published
in the united states
571
00:30:51,583 --> 00:30:53,686
in February 1982
572
00:30:53,686 --> 00:30:56,555
and in the UK the following may.
573
00:30:56,555 --> 00:30:58,424
For the first time in print,
574
00:30:58,424 --> 00:31:01,060
an insider's account
of the full secret history
575
00:31:01,060 --> 00:31:03,829
of codebreaking's role
in World War II
576
00:31:03,829 --> 00:31:06,465
was laid bare.
577
00:31:06,465 --> 00:31:09,334
Importantly, it incorporated
Welchman's use
578
00:31:09,334 --> 00:31:12,171
of traffic analysis.
579
00:31:12,171 --> 00:31:15,474
The book also included
a warning.
580
00:31:15,474 --> 00:31:19,678
Welchman believed lessons
from the war were being ignored.
581
00:31:19,678 --> 00:31:21,914
The Americans were making
the very same mistakes
582
00:31:21,914 --> 00:31:26,552
with their security
that the Germans had once made.
583
00:31:26,552 --> 00:31:27,920
Jennifer Welchman: He thought
he could talk about this
584
00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:30,489
in a way that would reach
the general public,
585
00:31:30,489 --> 00:31:32,624
that would not disclose
any secrets,
586
00:31:32,624 --> 00:31:34,860
it would not tell
tales you shouldn't.
587
00:31:34,860 --> 00:31:36,195
He hoped it would make
some money,
588
00:31:36,195 --> 00:31:41,033
but he really hoped it would
generate a conversation.
589
00:31:41,033 --> 00:31:45,304
Narrator: The secret world
didn't wait long to hit back.
590
00:31:48,307 --> 00:31:50,709
Skye Duncan Wentworth:
I was on my way to work,
591
00:31:50,709 --> 00:31:52,978
and this car speeded up
and stopped
592
00:31:52,978 --> 00:31:56,448
right smack in the, almost
in the middle of the road.
593
00:31:56,448 --> 00:32:00,519
Nobody stops there, so I had to
see what was going on.
594
00:32:00,519 --> 00:32:02,121
Um...
595
00:32:02,121 --> 00:32:04,757
There's Gordon's house,
right there,
596
00:32:04,757 --> 00:32:08,861
and the two men jumped out
wearing black suit,
597
00:32:08,861 --> 00:32:12,631
black tie and black sunglasses.
598
00:32:12,631 --> 00:32:14,433
They looked like
the men in black,
599
00:32:14,433 --> 00:32:17,002
and they raced
across the street.
600
00:32:17,002 --> 00:32:23,242
Gordon answered the door, and
you could see them, you know,
601
00:32:23,242 --> 00:32:25,878
busily discussing something,
602
00:32:25,878 --> 00:32:30,783
and all of a sudden Gordon took
the door and he slammed it,
603
00:32:30,783 --> 00:32:32,351
almost in their faces.
604
00:32:32,351 --> 00:32:36,421
Later I found out that it was
the national security agency.
605
00:32:36,421 --> 00:32:39,992
Dave Hatch: There had been books
about the ultra secret
606
00:32:39,992 --> 00:32:42,761
prior to his publication.
607
00:32:42,761 --> 00:32:45,164
There was no putting the
toothpaste back in the tube--
608
00:32:45,164 --> 00:32:47,132
the secret was out--
609
00:32:47,132 --> 00:32:51,036
but Welchman's book was
the first about cryptanalysis
610
00:32:51,036 --> 00:32:54,273
by an actual insider
who had done it.
611
00:32:54,273 --> 00:32:58,043
Narrator: It was still
the height of the cold war.
612
00:32:58,043 --> 00:33:00,646
Film narrator:
If our continent were attacked,
613
00:33:00,646 --> 00:33:03,849
this red telephone would be
lifted from its cradle,
614
00:33:03,849 --> 00:33:06,752
and instantly the united states
would launch
615
00:33:06,752 --> 00:33:10,889
the greatest counter-attack
in history.
616
00:33:10,889 --> 00:33:14,960
Nigel west: Signals intelligence
remained, at that time,
617
00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:18,664
at the very heart
of the intelligence conflict
618
00:33:18,664 --> 00:33:21,066
that was being conducted
during the cold war.
619
00:33:21,066 --> 00:33:26,405
So this was as important
and as secret as it could get.
620
00:33:26,405 --> 00:33:31,476
Hatch: I think that people
who saw what he wrote
621
00:33:31,476 --> 00:33:36,548
felt he was imperiling
current operations.
622
00:33:36,548 --> 00:33:38,283
Narrator:
Welchman's World War II work
623
00:33:38,283 --> 00:33:39,985
in traffic analysis
624
00:33:39,985 --> 00:33:42,754
might have been
40 years earlier,
625
00:33:42,754 --> 00:33:44,122
but what he had discovered
626
00:33:44,122 --> 00:33:46,758
was still so vital
to the secret world
627
00:33:46,758 --> 00:33:52,264
that revealing it, even now,
was considered dangerous.
628
00:33:52,264 --> 00:33:58,170
On February 22, 1982, the men
in dark glasses returned.
629
00:33:58,170 --> 00:34:01,807
John Stevens: These two
young gentlemen came in;
630
00:34:01,807 --> 00:34:03,242
one from NSA and one from,
631
00:34:03,242 --> 00:34:06,712
I believe it was
air force intelligence.
632
00:34:06,712 --> 00:34:08,080
And they said, well,
this information
633
00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:10,716
has never been declassified,
634
00:34:10,716 --> 00:34:12,918
and therefore
is still in violation
635
00:34:12,918 --> 00:34:16,355
of the wartime secrets laws.
636
00:34:16,355 --> 00:34:17,389
Gordon was taken aback.
637
00:34:17,389 --> 00:34:21,860
He said, "This is,
this is absurd."
638
00:34:21,860 --> 00:34:24,363
they were delivering
a message to him,
639
00:34:24,363 --> 00:34:26,531
and it was an ominous message.
640
00:34:31,937 --> 00:34:35,340
Hatch: I believe they had
conversations with Mr. Welchman.
641
00:34:35,340 --> 00:34:37,876
Beyond that, I'm not sure
that I can talk
642
00:34:37,876 --> 00:34:40,779
about anything meaningful.
643
00:34:40,779 --> 00:34:42,080
Jennifer Welchman:
And it became clear
644
00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:45,984
the American authorities
were not going to back off.
645
00:34:45,984 --> 00:34:48,453
It was really quite devastating;
646
00:34:48,453 --> 00:34:50,989
he was quite unprepared
for that.
647
00:34:53,592 --> 00:34:56,228
Narrator: Welchman enlisted
the help of another writer
648
00:34:56,228 --> 00:34:59,564
who had fallen afoul of the NSA.
649
00:34:59,564 --> 00:35:01,266
James Bamford:
We lived in the same area,
650
00:35:01,266 --> 00:35:03,602
so we could actually
get together physically
651
00:35:03,602 --> 00:35:05,003
and as far--the kind of things
652
00:35:05,003 --> 00:35:06,905
that you don't want to talk
over the telephone--
653
00:35:06,905 --> 00:35:09,441
especially when you're dealing
with NSA.
654
00:35:09,441 --> 00:35:10,976
He couldn't do any publicity,
655
00:35:10,976 --> 00:35:13,045
he couldn't answer questions
from reporters,
656
00:35:13,045 --> 00:35:17,883
he couldn't appear on
television shows and so forth,
657
00:35:17,883 --> 00:35:21,687
and that was
a really big problem.
658
00:35:21,687 --> 00:35:23,789
Narrator:
The NSA threatened Welchman
659
00:35:23,789 --> 00:35:25,590
with an obscure legal clause
660
00:35:25,590 --> 00:35:28,360
dealing with the sharing
of cryptology.
661
00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:30,095
This same law is now being used
662
00:35:30,095 --> 00:35:33,932
on NSA whistleblower
Edward Snowden's.
663
00:35:33,932 --> 00:35:35,734
Bamford: The part
of the espionage act.
664
00:35:35,734 --> 00:35:39,571
I think it's ten years
in prison and a heavy fine.
665
00:35:39,571 --> 00:35:42,975
So these were very,
very serious charges.
666
00:35:42,975 --> 00:35:44,843
I could see he was nervous,
667
00:35:44,843 --> 00:35:46,878
I could see
the physical effects
668
00:35:46,878 --> 00:35:50,816
that the NSA was having on him.
669
00:35:50,816 --> 00:35:53,518
That devastates somebody
that's spent their entire life
670
00:35:53,518 --> 00:35:57,889
trying to protect U.S.
And British governments,
671
00:35:57,889 --> 00:36:01,126
and now they're told
that they're going to be charged
672
00:36:01,126 --> 00:36:06,098
with a crime possibly
of giving secrets to the enemy.
673
00:36:06,098 --> 00:36:09,668
He'll be prosecuted
as maybe being a spy or a--
674
00:36:09,668 --> 00:36:13,372
not a spy, but a leaker.
675
00:36:13,372 --> 00:36:15,007
Narrator: There was
one final act
676
00:36:15,007 --> 00:36:17,476
with devastating consequences.
677
00:36:17,476 --> 00:36:20,312
On the April 29, 1982,
678
00:36:20,312 --> 00:36:24,383
Welchman's security clearance
was withdrawn.
679
00:36:24,383 --> 00:36:27,953
Ellingson: All of a sudden
he disappeared.
680
00:36:27,953 --> 00:36:29,621
Jennifer Welchman:
"Dear Mr. Welchman,
681
00:36:29,621 --> 00:36:32,524
the Mitre corporation believes
it would be mutually beneficial
682
00:36:32,524 --> 00:36:37,863
to temporarily suspend your
access to classified materials.
683
00:36:37,863 --> 00:36:41,466
This suspension
is effective this date.
684
00:36:41,466 --> 00:36:43,368
Please acknowledge receipt
of this letter
685
00:36:43,368 --> 00:36:47,272
by signing in the space
provided below."
686
00:36:47,272 --> 00:36:49,374
and he signed below.
687
00:36:52,644 --> 00:36:54,746
Narrator:
Rather than stay silent,
688
00:36:54,746 --> 00:36:58,483
Welchman went on the offensive,
writing letters and articles,
689
00:36:58,483 --> 00:37:00,952
which he hoped
would exonerate him,
690
00:37:00,952 --> 00:37:04,723
including a recently discovered
unpublished paper:
691
00:37:04,723 --> 00:37:09,995
"Ultra revisited--
a tale of two contributors."
692
00:37:09,995 --> 00:37:13,165
Gordon Welchman: The stories
of Alan Turing's life and mine
693
00:37:13,165 --> 00:37:15,901
have two things in common.
694
00:37:15,901 --> 00:37:18,837
First, we were regarded
by our boss
695
00:37:18,837 --> 00:37:20,939
as the two greatest contributors
696
00:37:20,939 --> 00:37:24,376
to the wartime success
of Bletchley Park.
697
00:37:24,376 --> 00:37:29,448
Second, we have been branded
as security risks.
698
00:37:29,448 --> 00:37:31,183
What has happened to me
699
00:37:31,183 --> 00:37:34,519
can be compared with
what happened to Turing.
700
00:37:36,721 --> 00:37:39,157
Narrator: For many
in the intelligence community,
701
00:37:39,157 --> 00:37:40,926
Welchman was being naive
702
00:37:40,926 --> 00:37:44,062
to imagine he could reveal
the secrets of Hut 6
703
00:37:44,062 --> 00:37:46,531
with impunity.
704
00:37:46,531 --> 00:37:48,533
But he never lost his belief
705
00:37:48,533 --> 00:37:52,204
that this was information
the public needed to know.
706
00:37:55,140 --> 00:37:58,276
With Welchman gagged
by the security services,
707
00:37:58,276 --> 00:38:00,145
his book flopped.
708
00:38:00,145 --> 00:38:02,714
He sold only 900 copies.
709
00:38:02,714 --> 00:38:04,816
The rest were pulped.
710
00:38:04,816 --> 00:38:06,218
Bamford: He suffered a lot,
711
00:38:06,218 --> 00:38:11,022
he went through a great deal
to put "Hut Six Story" out.
712
00:38:11,022 --> 00:38:13,258
Jennifer Welchman: The strain
was, was also coming
713
00:38:13,258 --> 00:38:15,560
at a very difficult time.
714
00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:20,031
He'd had some more
medical problems.
715
00:38:20,031 --> 00:38:22,901
Narrator: It was a cruel irony
that Gordon Welchman,
716
00:38:22,901 --> 00:38:25,403
a master
of the clandestine world,
717
00:38:25,403 --> 00:38:28,907
who helped win World War II
by breaking enemy codes
718
00:38:28,907 --> 00:38:31,209
and also helped the west
win the cold war
719
00:38:31,209 --> 00:38:33,645
by keeping
their communications secret,
720
00:38:33,645 --> 00:38:36,648
would himself fall afoul
of the secret state.
721
00:38:36,648 --> 00:38:41,019
Hatch: I believe
that the rules at the time
722
00:38:41,019 --> 00:38:44,456
about secrecy
were really inflexible.
723
00:38:44,456 --> 00:38:47,759
The people who administered
inflexible rules
724
00:38:47,759 --> 00:38:49,861
themselves had spent
a full career
725
00:38:49,861 --> 00:38:55,333
being indoctrinated with the
idea that secrecy was the base.
726
00:38:55,333 --> 00:38:59,404
I am today glad
that the book is out.
727
00:39:01,673 --> 00:39:06,478
Narrator: By now Welchman
was seriously ill with cancer.
728
00:39:06,478 --> 00:39:08,313
West: I'm not saying
that he was blameless,
729
00:39:08,313 --> 00:39:10,849
but he had broken
the procedures,
730
00:39:10,849 --> 00:39:14,853
and the law was never invoked,
731
00:39:14,853 --> 00:39:18,423
but he lost his job
and his livelihood
732
00:39:18,423 --> 00:39:20,358
without ever appearing in court
733
00:39:20,358 --> 00:39:23,028
or ever facing
any criminal charge.
734
00:39:23,028 --> 00:39:26,031
Jennifer Welchman: And finally,
you know, I think he realized
735
00:39:26,031 --> 00:39:29,234
that it, it wasn't
going to go away.
736
00:39:29,234 --> 00:39:31,703
They probably couldn't
successfully prosecute him,
737
00:39:31,703 --> 00:39:35,941
but they would break him
financially.
738
00:39:35,941 --> 00:39:38,843
Narrator: Gordon Welchman
never redeemed himself.
739
00:39:38,843 --> 00:39:42,280
On October 8, 1985, he died.
740
00:39:45,850 --> 00:39:48,820
Jennifer Welchman:
It made two of the last
three years of his life
741
00:39:48,820 --> 00:39:51,323
really quite hellish.
742
00:39:51,323 --> 00:39:54,125
Narrator: But his legacy
would continue.
743
00:39:54,125 --> 00:39:56,995
After his death
his methods and insights
744
00:39:56,995 --> 00:40:00,465
not only became part
of the west's military thinking,
745
00:40:00,465 --> 00:40:02,367
they also became the very heart
746
00:40:02,367 --> 00:40:04,502
of the new intelligence
networks,
747
00:40:04,502 --> 00:40:09,608
as the world became more and
more connected, via computer.
748
00:40:09,608 --> 00:40:11,509
Only in 2013
749
00:40:11,509 --> 00:40:14,879
would the significance
of that legacy become clear.
750
00:40:18,617 --> 00:40:22,621
It's been 30 years
since Gordon Welchman died,
751
00:40:22,621 --> 00:40:26,358
and yet the true legacy of
his work is only now emerging.
752
00:40:28,493 --> 00:40:31,196
In June 2013, Edward Snowden's
753
00:40:31,196 --> 00:40:35,367
leaked tens of thousands
of highly classified files.
754
00:40:35,367 --> 00:40:38,804
Our intelligence agencies
were harvesting metadata--
755
00:40:38,804 --> 00:40:42,374
our phone numbers,
our computers' IP addresses,
756
00:40:42,374 --> 00:40:46,144
the websites we visit,
those we message or call
757
00:40:46,144 --> 00:40:48,880
and where we are
at any given moment.
758
00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:50,248
Naughton:
It suddenly occurred to me
759
00:40:50,248 --> 00:40:53,018
that actually what we do,
now do with metadata,
760
00:40:53,018 --> 00:40:55,554
is in a sense
a highly developed version
761
00:40:55,554 --> 00:40:59,324
of what Welchman started
with traffic analysis.
762
00:40:59,324 --> 00:41:03,829
That's what it is, metadata and
analytics now in a digital world
763
00:41:03,829 --> 00:41:06,198
are essentially our way
of doing traffic analysis,
764
00:41:06,198 --> 00:41:08,967
and it can be
very, very revealing.
765
00:41:08,967 --> 00:41:11,570
Narrator: Metadata analysis
is today's version
766
00:41:11,570 --> 00:41:13,538
of Welchman's own
traffic analysis
767
00:41:13,538 --> 00:41:15,407
during World War II.
768
00:41:15,407 --> 00:41:17,809
Bamford: One of the things that
Gordon Welchman discovered
769
00:41:17,809 --> 00:41:19,511
was how important it is
770
00:41:19,511 --> 00:41:23,715
to not just to read
what's in a message
771
00:41:23,715 --> 00:41:29,755
but to derive intelligence
by the activities of messages,
772
00:41:29,755 --> 00:41:32,524
how many are being sent,
where, message--
773
00:41:32,524 --> 00:41:34,126
where they're being sent,
774
00:41:34,126 --> 00:41:36,928
how many are being sent
from one place to another.
775
00:41:36,928 --> 00:41:39,865
These are what's called
the externals--
776
00:41:39,865 --> 00:41:42,134
not the content,
but the externals--
777
00:41:42,134 --> 00:41:44,002
and today
that's extremely important.
778
00:41:44,002 --> 00:41:47,205
Today we call it metadata,
basically,
779
00:41:47,205 --> 00:41:50,509
and the NSA uses this
enormously.
780
00:41:52,844 --> 00:41:55,614
Narrator: For many,
what Snowden's was revealing
781
00:41:55,614 --> 00:41:58,450
was that we live
in a surveillance state,
782
00:41:58,450 --> 00:42:00,919
that the NSA have turned
Welchman's legacy
783
00:42:00,919 --> 00:42:05,524
against their own citizens,
destroying our privacy.
784
00:42:05,524 --> 00:42:10,262
But for others, traffic analysis
is keeping us safe.
785
00:42:14,566 --> 00:42:18,170
Narrator: After 9/11,
CIA analysts were on the hunt
786
00:42:18,170 --> 00:42:19,971
for Osama Bin Laden,
787
00:42:19,971 --> 00:42:22,340
the most wanted man
on the planet.
788
00:42:22,340 --> 00:42:23,842
They turned to a technique
789
00:42:23,842 --> 00:42:27,813
Gordon Welchman had developed
so powerfully in World War II.
790
00:42:27,813 --> 00:42:33,185
Traffic analysis, now known
as metadata analysis.
791
00:42:33,185 --> 00:42:34,920
Cynthia Storer:
If I want to understand
792
00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:38,523
how to destroy
this terrorist organization,
793
00:42:38,523 --> 00:42:40,992
if I want to take them down
as an organization,
794
00:42:40,992 --> 00:42:42,661
then I have to look
for their vulnerabilities,
795
00:42:42,661 --> 00:42:43,895
and to look for their
vulnerabilities,
796
00:42:43,895 --> 00:42:45,397
I have to understand
their network.
797
00:42:45,397 --> 00:42:47,899
I found a lot of similarities
in Welchman's work.
798
00:42:47,899 --> 00:42:52,204
I have this mass of information,
799
00:42:52,204 --> 00:42:55,107
and it doesn't necessarily
make a lot of sense,
800
00:42:55,107 --> 00:42:58,710
and what I have to do is I have
to look for patterns in that.
801
00:42:58,710 --> 00:43:00,979
Narrator: In an ever more
connected world,
802
00:43:00,979 --> 00:43:03,682
with more data, more patterns,
803
00:43:03,682 --> 00:43:07,018
traffic analysis is only
becoming more powerful
804
00:43:07,018 --> 00:43:09,020
as an intelligence tool.
805
00:43:09,020 --> 00:43:11,556
Storer:
What we call link analysis
or network analysis--
806
00:43:11,556 --> 00:43:13,325
the more sophisticated
version of that--
807
00:43:13,325 --> 00:43:18,296
is the absolutely critical tool
in finding covert networks,
808
00:43:18,296 --> 00:43:22,134
whether it's terrorists
or crime networks,
809
00:43:22,134 --> 00:43:23,468
because they're trying to hide
810
00:43:23,468 --> 00:43:26,438
their entire
organizational structure.
811
00:43:26,438 --> 00:43:28,240
Narrator:
With modern encryption,
812
00:43:28,240 --> 00:43:31,676
today's codes seem
genuinely unbreakable,
813
00:43:31,676 --> 00:43:33,512
and so traffic analysis
814
00:43:33,512 --> 00:43:37,082
is all security agencies have
to work with.
815
00:43:37,082 --> 00:43:38,884
Bamford: We were able
to find out a great deal
816
00:43:38,884 --> 00:43:41,052
about what Al-Qaeda was doing
and Bin Laden
817
00:43:41,052 --> 00:43:42,788
by a looking at the metadata,
818
00:43:42,788 --> 00:43:47,192
what the externals
of the messages were--
819
00:43:47,192 --> 00:43:48,660
where are they going?
820
00:43:48,660 --> 00:43:51,930
How frequently
are they being sent?
821
00:43:51,930 --> 00:43:54,166
Narrator:
It was bin laden's courier
822
00:43:54,166 --> 00:43:57,536
who unwittingly led navy seals
to his compound--
823
00:43:57,536 --> 00:44:01,139
and traffic analysis
that found the courier.
824
00:44:01,139 --> 00:44:05,010
Welchman's legacy in action.
825
00:44:05,010 --> 00:44:09,080
Today, Edward Snowden's
is branded by many a traitor
826
00:44:09,080 --> 00:44:13,852
for revealing the secrets
of modern traffic analysis.
827
00:44:13,852 --> 00:44:15,787
Gordon Welchman also went public
828
00:44:15,787 --> 00:44:18,290
for something
he truly believed in.
829
00:44:18,290 --> 00:44:20,592
But after a glittering career,
830
00:44:20,592 --> 00:44:23,929
he spent the last three years
of his life fighting illness,
831
00:44:23,929 --> 00:44:26,031
fighting for his reputation,
832
00:44:26,031 --> 00:44:27,465
and feeling outcast
833
00:44:27,465 --> 00:44:30,202
from the very world
he had helped to build.
834
00:44:33,138 --> 00:44:36,341
Alan Turing's brilliant work
at Bletchley Park
835
00:44:36,341 --> 00:44:39,778
has made him an iconic figure
in our history.
836
00:44:39,778 --> 00:44:43,248
His pioneering spirit sparked
the computer revolution
837
00:44:43,248 --> 00:44:46,184
and is now part
of all our lives.
838
00:44:46,184 --> 00:44:48,887
It was Gordon Welchman's
misfortune
839
00:44:48,887 --> 00:44:50,789
that his equally
brilliantly work
840
00:44:50,789 --> 00:44:55,193
has not earned him the public
accolades it deserves.
841
00:44:55,193 --> 00:44:58,597
His top secret work impacts
on every one of us
842
00:44:58,597 --> 00:45:00,732
as much as Turing's.
843
00:45:00,732 --> 00:45:02,801
But this very secrecy
844
00:45:02,801 --> 00:45:06,571
denies him his rightful place
in our history.
845
00:45:11,676 --> 00:45:15,146
Ellingson:
99.9% of the people in the world
846
00:45:15,146 --> 00:45:17,349
have never heard
of Gordon Welchman,
847
00:45:17,349 --> 00:45:18,917
and you say the name
"Gordon Welchman"
848
00:45:18,917 --> 00:45:20,652
and they just kind of
stare back at you--
849
00:45:20,652 --> 00:45:23,788
and yet he contributed so much.
850
00:45:23,788 --> 00:45:27,325
Shortening the war by two years?
Good heavens.
851
00:45:27,325 --> 00:45:30,161
Saving thousands of lives?
852
00:45:30,161 --> 00:45:33,932
And yet nobody knows who he is.
853
00:45:33,932 --> 00:45:37,302
I have no qualms
about saying he was a genius.
854
00:45:37,302 --> 00:45:40,839
Jennifer Welchman:
I'm enormously proud
of my grandfather.
855
00:45:40,839 --> 00:45:44,342
Still sometimes distressed
about...
856
00:45:44,342 --> 00:45:46,378
What happened after
he published his book
857
00:45:46,378 --> 00:45:49,281
and how much that meant to him.
858
00:45:49,281 --> 00:45:51,917
Rosamund Welchman:
He was certainly proud
of what he'd done.
859
00:45:51,917 --> 00:45:53,285
There's always an element
860
00:45:53,285 --> 00:45:55,887
that it was a pity
he didn't get recognized, but...
861
00:45:55,887 --> 00:45:58,790
It's too bad he couldn't
be here today.
64960
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.