In “Wig Wag” signaling, it is rare that a message would be sent “in the clear” as you did in class today. Most messages were encrypted for secrecy. The main encipher/decipher system used by the Confederate government and military was based on the centuries old system known as the “Vigenere System”, developed by a Frenchmen by the same name in the 1570’s. It was sometimes called the “Vicksburg system” by the Confederate States of America. The pocket sized cipher disc was developed for the use by signalers to encipher and decipher messages for the military. The discs were likely designed by E. P. Alexander who established the Confederate Signal Corps in 1861.
The discs consisted of two discs that rotated on each other and looked like the image above. By rotating the discs the signalman could use one portion of the disc to assign another "secret letter" to each letter in his message.
This can be confusing. So, Go Slow.
For Individual reward...by Thursday. Use the directions in the attached file, along with the working encryption discs in the other attached file to decode the secret message below. Write me a one word response IN CODE using the same Key Phrase. DO NOT USE "CHUCK NORRIS" as your Key Phrase as it is only used as a teaching example.
working_virtual_encryption_discs_2.docx |
encrypt_-_decrypt_improved.doc |
alphabet_start_position.doc |
The puzzle you are going to complete is in the file below. Print it. Complete it before your class period on Thursday and receive a reward.
encryption_puzzle_for_website.docx |