Colossus

What is Colossus?
Colossus is the giant computer used to break the German Enigma code during World War II. Colossus was used in a top secret operation in Bletchley Park in England. The invention gave the Allies a major advantage over the Nazis.


Accomplishments of Colossus
Colossus used binary arithmetic, had 1,800 vacuum tubes, and could read input at 5,000 characters per second. Colossus deciphered the codes and gave inside enemy information to the Allies.


What is Enigma?
Enigma is a machine used by Germans to encipher and decipher codes. One way the enigma was broken is that no letter can be itself. The message is put into the machine and the enigma machine scrambles or unscrambles the message.