(SOLD) Own this important piece of WWII history!
Rare Relic M4 (U-boat) Kriegsmarine Enigma Rotor
This is an original Enigma rotor recovered from the Grober Segeberger See (Lake) near Bad Segeberg which is located 35 miles southeast of Kiel, Germany. Kiel was the location of a large U-boat base during WWII.
This Enigma rotor is the Beta rotor from an M4 Kriegsmarine U-boat Enigma. The Beta rotor is one of two thin fourth rotors used in the M4 Enigma machine. The rotor bears the serial number M10335. The M in the serial number tells us this rotor accompanied an M4 Kriegsmarine Enigma machine. The German navy used the special M4 4-rotor Enigma machine in their U-boats from 1942 to May 1945. This is one of two thin rotors (Beta and Gamma) that accompanied the M4 Kriegsmarine Enigma machine with the serial number M10335.
Rotors from M4 U-boat Enigma machines are exceedingly rare. Few of the M4 Enigma machines were manufactured compared to the 3-rotor Wehrmacht Enigma machines. In addition, most of the M4 Enigma machines were lost when U-boats were sunk in combat or intentionally sunk at the end of the war.
This rotor is accompanied by a hand-written paper tag that reads “Grober Segeberger See / Deutschland”
The Germans did not know that the Allies had broken the Enigma codes. Therefore, there were standing orders not to let these top secret cipher machines be captured by the Allies. As a German position was being overrun or preparing to surrender, any Enigma machines would be intentionally destroyed. The German soldiers would shoot, kick, run over with a vehicle, or even blow up with a hand grenade any Enigma machines at risk of capture. Some Enigma machines and their rotors would then be buried or thrown into lakes, rivers, or the ocean to further hide the machines from advancing Allied forces.
This is an original Enigma rotor. This rotor is in stable condition. There is corrosion on various metal surfaces and the letter wheel is cracked. All 54 of the spring-loaded contacts are present with 16 still moving and with the rest seized in place. This is not a working rotor. This rotor is for display. This rotor is sold AS IS and AS FOUND. Please see the pictures below.
This relic Enigma rotor is accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity from Enigma Museum as well as a signed Copy of Dr. Thomas Perera’s book, Inside Enigma.
History: The Enigma machine was the primary cipher machine for all branches of the German military from 1932 to the end of the war in May 1945. Successful code breaking by Polish mathematicians in the 1930s and the British and American efforts that followed allowed the Allies to read Enigma messages throughout the war. Breaking the Enigma codes significantly shortened the war and saved thousands of lives. In addition, the very first computers were developed to defeat German cipher machines. Breaking the Enigma codes contributed to the Allied success in World War II and the birth of the computer age.
Price $4,800 USD / Sorry – this item is sold.
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