PC Bruno
Encyclopedia
PC Bruno was a Polish
-French
intelligence
station that operated outside Paris
during World War II
, from October 1939 until June 9, 1940. It decrypted German ciphers, most notably messages enciphered on the Enigma machine
.
, from October 1939 until June 9, 1940, well into the German
invasion of France (May-June 1940). Bruno was headed by French Army radio-intelligence officer, Major Gustave Bertrand
. Its personnel included 15 Poles, 50 Frenchmen, and 7 anti-fascist Spaniards who worked on Spanish and Italian ciphers.
In July 1939, the Polish General Staff
's Cipher Bureau
had turned over to French and British intelligence representatives information about the Polish achievements in breaking German military Enigma
traffic. The British, working at Bletchley Park
outside London, put considerable effort into mastering the reading of German Wehrmacht
and Luftwaffe
Enigma as World War II began in Poland, and during the "Phony War
" before the Germans invaded France.
Most of the Polish Cipher Bureau's key personnel had managed to reach France by October 1939 and had been assigned to PC Bruno.
As late as December 1939, when the Cipher Bureau's chief, Lt. Col. Gwido Langer
, and French Air Force Capt. Henri Braquenié
were (December 3-7) visiting London
and Bletchley Park
, the British asked that the Polish cryptologists be turned over to them. Langer, however, took the position that they must remain where the Polish armed forces were being formed — on French soil.
Bletchley Park
and PC Bruno worked together against the German message traffic with considerable success. In the interest of security, they themselves corresponded using the "unbreakable" Enigma cipher. Messages decrypted at Bruno included some that gave advance notice of planned German invasions of Denmark, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands.
During the ensuing German invasion of France, Bertrand evacuated the Bruno personnel from Gretz-Armainvillers just after midnight on June 10, 1940. Two weeks later, on June 24, two days after the French-German armistice, he flew the 15 Poles and seven Spaniards in three planes to Algeria
.
A couple of months later, in September 1940, Bertrand would secretly return them to southern (Vichy
) France (France's unoccupied "Free Zone"), to Uzès
on the Mediterranean coast. There, at a facility codenamed "Cadix
," they would work at breaking ciphers for over two years until November 9, 1942.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
-French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
intelligence
Intelligence (information gathering)
Intelligence assessment is the development of forecasts of behaviour or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organization, based on a wide range of available information sources both overt and covert. Assessments are developed in response to requirements declared by the leadership...
station that operated outside Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, from October 1939 until June 9, 1940. It decrypted German ciphers, most notably messages enciphered on the Enigma machine
Enigma machine
An Enigma machine is any of a family of related electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines used for the encryption and decryption of secret messages. Enigma was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I...
.
History
PC Bruno operated at the Chateau de Vignolles in Gretz-Armainvillers, some 40 kilometers northeast of ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, from October 1939 until June 9, 1940, well into the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
invasion of France (May-June 1940). Bruno was headed by French Army radio-intelligence officer, Major Gustave Bertrand
Gustave Bertrand
Gustave Bertrand was a French military intelligence officer who made a vital contribution to the decryption, by Poland's Cipher Bureau, of German Enigma ciphers, beginning in December 1932...
. Its personnel included 15 Poles, 50 Frenchmen, and 7 anti-fascist Spaniards who worked on Spanish and Italian ciphers.
In July 1939, the Polish General Staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
's Cipher Bureau
Biuro Szyfrów
The Biuro Szyfrów was the interwar Polish General Staff's agency charged with both cryptography and cryptology ....
had turned over to French and British intelligence representatives information about the Polish achievements in breaking German military Enigma
Enigma machine
An Enigma machine is any of a family of related electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines used for the encryption and decryption of secret messages. Enigma was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I...
traffic. The British, working at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
outside London, put considerable effort into mastering the reading of German Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
and Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
Enigma as World War II began in Poland, and during the "Phony War
Phony War
The Phoney War was a phase early in World War II – in the months following Britain and France's declaration of war on Germany in September 1939 and preceding the Battle of France in May 1940 – that was marked by a lack of major military operations by the Western Allies against the German Reich...
" before the Germans invaded France.
As late as December 1939, when the Cipher Bureau's chief, Lt. Col. Gwido Langer
Gwido Langer
Lt. Col. Karol Gwido Langer was chief of the Polish General Staff's Cipher Bureau from at least mid-1931.-Life:...
, and French Air Force Capt. Henri Braquenié
Henri Braquenié
Henri Braquenié was an interbellum and World War II French Air Force officer and cryptanalyst.Captain Braquenié attended, with French Major Gustave Bertrand and another French Army officer, the January 9-10, 1939, Paris meeting of French, Polish and British military intelligence officers convened...
were (December 3-7) visiting London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
, the British asked that the Polish cryptologists be turned over to them. Langer, however, took the position that they must remain where the Polish armed forces were being formed — on French soil.
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
and PC Bruno worked together against the German message traffic with considerable success. In the interest of security, they themselves corresponded using the "unbreakable" Enigma cipher. Messages decrypted at Bruno included some that gave advance notice of planned German invasions of Denmark, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands.
During the ensuing German invasion of France, Bertrand evacuated the Bruno personnel from Gretz-Armainvillers just after midnight on June 10, 1940. Two weeks later, on June 24, two days after the French-German armistice, he flew the 15 Poles and seven Spaniards in three planes to Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
.
A couple of months later, in September 1940, Bertrand would secretly return them to southern (Vichy
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
) France (France's unoccupied "Free Zone"), to Uzès
Uzès
Uzès is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.It lies about 25 km north-northeast of Nîmes.-History:Originally Ucetia, Uzès was a small Gallo-Roman oppidum, or administrative settlement. The town lies at the source of the Eure, from where a Roman aqueduct was built in the first...
on the Mediterranean coast. There, at a facility codenamed "Cadix
Cadix
Cadix was the codename of a World War II clandestine Polish-French intelligence center that operated at Uzès, on the Mediterranean coast in southern, Vichy France, for over two years from September 1940 to November 9, 1942.-History:...
," they would work at breaking ciphers for over two years until November 9, 1942.