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Heath Robinson was a machine used by British codebreaker
Codebreaker

Codebreaker can refer to:*A person who performs cryptanalysis.*David Kahn#The Codebreakers, a book on history of cryptography by David Kahn....
s at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park, also known as Station X, is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire. Since 1967, Bletchley has been part of Milton Keynes, England....
 during World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 to solve messages in a German teleprinter
Teleprinter

A teleprinter is a now largely obsolete electro-mechanical typewriter which can be used to communicate typed messages from Point-to-point and Point-to-multipoint communication over a variety of communications channels that range from a simple electrical connection, such as a pair of wires, to the use of radio and microwave as the transmi...
 cipher, the Lorenz SZ40/42. It was the predecessor to the Colossus computer
Colossus computer

The Colossus machines were electronics computing devices used by British Cryptanalysis to read encrypted Nazi Germany messages during World War II....
. It was dubbed "Heath Robinson" by the Wrens who operated it, after cartoonist William Heath Robinson.

The machine was designed by Max Newman
Max Newman

Maxwell Herman Alexander Newman was a United Kingdom mathematician and codebreaker....
. C. E. Wynn-Williams designed the electronic counters, and engineers at the Post Office Research Station
Post Office Research Station

The General Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill, London, was first established in 1921 and opened by Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald in 1933....
 engineered other parts of the machine.






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Heath Robinson was a machine used by British codebreaker
Codebreaker

Codebreaker can refer to:*A person who performs cryptanalysis.*David Kahn#The Codebreakers, a book on history of cryptography by David Kahn....
s at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park, also known as Station X, is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire. Since 1967, Bletchley has been part of Milton Keynes, England....
 during World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 to solve messages in a German teleprinter
Teleprinter

A teleprinter is a now largely obsolete electro-mechanical typewriter which can be used to communicate typed messages from Point-to-point and Point-to-multipoint communication over a variety of communications channels that range from a simple electrical connection, such as a pair of wires, to the use of radio and microwave as the transmi...
 cipher, the Lorenz SZ40/42. It was the predecessor to the Colossus computer
Colossus computer

The Colossus machines were electronics computing devices used by British Cryptanalysis to read encrypted Nazi Germany messages during World War II....
. It was dubbed "Heath Robinson" by the Wrens who operated it, after cartoonist William Heath Robinson.

The machine was designed by Max Newman
Max Newman

Maxwell Herman Alexander Newman was a United Kingdom mathematician and codebreaker....
. C. E. Wynn-Williams designed the electronic counters, and engineers at the Post Office Research Station
Post Office Research Station

The General Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill, London, was first established in 1921 and opened by Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald in 1933....
 engineered other parts of the machine. A prototype was operational by June 1943 .

External links

  • , part of "The Colossus: its purpose and operation" by Tony Sale