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Cryptologic Aspects of German Intelligence Activities in South America during World War II
The Menzer Device
When Chief Inspector Menzer had been tasked
by Admiral Canaris with testing the security of the
Abwehr cryptosystems in 1942, he found them
depressingly inadequate. In addition to the ABC
Key, Procedure 40, and Procedure 62, he intro-
duced the cipher plate and the cipher wheel as field
agent cipher devices, and Cipher Device 41 for use
by Abwehr nets within Germany.
1
The cipher plate was designed by Menzer spe-
cifically for agent use. It consisted of a circular
box about the size of a shoe polish can containing
three resettable notched ...