Breaking the Codes

The beginning of modern code-breaking following the creation of a special unit by the British Royal Navy in 1914.

Using rare archive footage and exclusive interviews to document the rise of the code breakers, highlighting the war that involved the brilliant skills of mathematicians and chess players.

Cracking Japanese codes; Japan develops a code-making machine.

The Battle of Midway, fought in World War II, took place on June 5, 1942. The United States Navy defeated a Japanese attack against Midway Atoll, marking a turning point in the war in the Pacific theater, The American code breakers worked to decrypt the complex Japanese ciphers. It was a game of chess to anticipate the enemy's next move.

The German development of an almost unbreakable cypher machine known as Enigma; the machine became the backbone behind the blitzkrieg.

Efforts made by the code breakers who worked to break German codes and track U-boat movements to protect American and British troops during World War II.