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[dramatic music]
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[Duchovny] Tonight on
"Secrets Declassified,"
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cracking secret codes that
win battles and save lives,
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from the Pacific,
where a U.S. codebreaker races
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to prevent another
Pearl Harbor...
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- This code is just about
impossible to break.
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To Vietnam, where U.S. airmens'
escape route is plotted
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with clues from
an unusual source...
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[Dan]
They're gonna use the layout
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of his favorite golf courses
as a code.
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- To a housewife in Virginia
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that reveals her husband
is selling
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top secret codes to the enemy.
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- Tucked away in the closet
is a grocery bag
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stuffed with classified
Navy documents.
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- These are the astonishing
and sometimes terrible things
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done by governments and
the people who work for them.
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It's time to bring them
to light.
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♪ ♪
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The first hole at
Tucson National Golf Course
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is 430 yards
and bends to the left.
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The fourth at Abilene
Country Club is 195 yards.
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They might sound
like trivial facts,
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but for one U.S. airman
shot down behind enemy lines
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in Vietnam,
they're the difference
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between life and death.
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♪ ♪
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[Don]
On Good Friday, 1972,
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the North Vietnamese
launch a massive
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surprise assault
into South Vietnam.
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The U.S. Air Force
scrambles to launch
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a series of
tactical air strikes
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to try and contain
this invasion.
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And many airmen
who've been looking forward
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to some leave suddenly find
themselves back on active duty.
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[Duchovny] One of the
unlucky men recalled from R&R
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is 53-year-old Gene Hambleton.
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- Gene Hambleton is a navigator
and an electronics specialist
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in the U.S. Air Force.
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[Duchovny] He seems old
to still be flying
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combat missions, but it's
his expertise in jamming
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enemy radar that puts him
back into the cockpit
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heading to North Vietnam.
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[Don] Just minutes
into his mission,
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his airplane is struck,
and he finds himself
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having to parachute
into enemy territory.
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[Duchovny]
For the U.S. military,
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Hambleton isn't just
another man down.
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- Because of his seniority,
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Hambleton has
an intimate knowledge
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of top secret strategic
air command operations.
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He cannot be allowed
to fall into enemy hands.
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[Duchovny] The race is on
to find Hambleton
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before the enemy does.
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- The Air Force manages to make
radio contact with Hambleton,
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and they launch one air evac
after another.
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But the rescue choppers
keep getting shot down.
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♪ ♪
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[Duchovny]
Then the Navy SEALs propose
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a different kind of rescue.
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- Their plan is to covertly
sail up the Mieu Giang River
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and pluck Hambleton
from an extraction point
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two miles away
from his current location.
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[Jack]
There's one big problem.
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The survival radio
that Hambleton has
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allows him to communicate
with American forces,
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but it also allows
the enemy to listen in
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on those transmissions.
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[Duchovny] They're going
to need a secret code,
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which only Hambleton
can understand.
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That's a lot easier said
than done.
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- The rescuers reach out
to Hambleton's squadron
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to find things out
about his personal life,
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so they can come up
with a coded language
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that he would understand
and the enemy wouldn't.
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[Sami]
They discover that Hambleton
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is an avid golfer,
but not only that,
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he has freakishly
encyclopedic knowledge
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about the world's most renowned
golf courses.
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- Maybe they can encode
a route to the extraction point
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using the layout
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of his favorite golf courses
as a code.
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[Duchovny] It's a crazy idea,
but it's the only hope
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the Air Force has of
getting their man back.
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- The rescue team
starts overlaying
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golf course plans over
aerial reconnaissance photos.
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And they start
plotting a route
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to the extraction point
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across farmland that
also stays away from roads
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and enemy positions,
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and they break that plan down
into nine stages.
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Each of those
stages corresponds
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to the individual length
and bearing of a hole
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from an iconic golf course.
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- Forget Whistling Straits,
Augusta, or the Ocean Course.
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This will be the toughest round
of golf anyone has ever played.
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♪ ♪
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[Jesse] On April 10th,
Hambleton's radio
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crackles to life.
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The voice on the other end
belongs to
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Air Force Captain Harold Ike.
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[Duchovny]
Hambleton's life depends
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on him being able to decode
what he hears next.
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[Don]
Ike tells him,
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you're going to play
nine holes,
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and you're going to get
in the Suwannee.
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The round starts at number one
at Tucson National.
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- Now, at first,
Hambleton's totally confused
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as would be any
of the North Vietnamese
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that are listening in.
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But then Hambleton realizes
that message
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is so strange,
it must be a code.
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The Suwannee
is a river in the U.S.,
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So he figures they must be
giving him coded directions
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to get to a nearby river.
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[Don]
Hambleton racks his brains
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trying to remember
everything he can
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about the course at Tucson.
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The first hole is 430 yards
running southeast.
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Suddenly, he realizes
that's his first direction.
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[Duchovny] Hambleton can hear
enemy activity all around,
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so he waits until the cover of
nightfall before teeing off.
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- As he starts moving,
it's tough going for Hambleton.
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He has to count his strides,
moving through darkness,
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navigating through
potential minefields,
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and avoiding enemy soldiers.
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- After 40 minutes,
he makes it to the first hole.
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That's one hole down.
Eight more to go.
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[Duchovny]
He makes it through four holes
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before dawn breaks
when he takes cover again.
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Next evening,
he moves on to hole 5,
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and this one comes
with a serious hazard.
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[Don] The fifth hole
is the number four
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at Abilene Country Club,
where Hambleton
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once hit a hole in one.
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This time it's not so easy.
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The route takes him right
through the outskirts
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of a Vietnamese village.
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As he's tiptoeing
through this village,
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suddenly,
from around a building,
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a man leaps out at him
brandishing a blade.
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Instinct takes over,
and Hambleton
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pulls out his own knife,
plunging it into his attacker
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before escaping onward
into the jungle.
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[Duchovny] Now his next round
is against the clock,
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because once
the body is discovered,
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the North Vietnamese
will be hot on his trail.
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- Over the final four holes,
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Hambleton grows
weaker and weaker.
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[Jesse]
After three days,
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Hambleton makes it to
the ninth and final hole.
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He locates his extraction
point and waits.
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It feels like his ordeal
is nearly over.
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[Duchovny]
Then Hambleton's heart sinks.
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[Don] He spots
a sampan boat heading upriver
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towards him, with a
Vietnamese man on the prowl,
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holding an AK-47.
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Days of surviving
in the jungle,
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only to get caught now.
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[Dan] But then someone else
emerges from the boat.
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It's an American.
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It's the Navy SEAL
extraction team.
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[Duchovny]
News of Hambleton's rescue
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hits the headlines, but
something crucial is missing.
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All mention of the
Navy's clever code
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has been scrubbed
from the stories.
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The secret remains locked away
for nearly a decade,
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until 1980, when Hambleton
finally reveals
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the story of
his amazing escape
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and the world hears of one
of the U.S. military's
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most audacious codes.
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Improvising a code
to rescue a man
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behind enemy lines
is one thing.
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But during World War II,
the U.S. military
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needs something that can
save thousands
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and help turn the tide
of the war.
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So they turned to
an unlikely source,
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an ancient
Native American language.
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[gunfire, plane whirring]
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[Sami] After months
of Naval warfare,
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the U.S. military is prepping
to engage the Japanese
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on land for the first time,
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and their plan is to
island hop their way
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across the Pacific towards
the Japanese mainland.
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[Duchovny]
Radio communication will play
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a pivotal role
in the campaign,
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but it has a downside.
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- In the chaos of battle,
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there is no quick way
to encrypt
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or decrypt
battlefield commands.
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So Japanese forces
will be able to hear
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everything the U.S. is saying.
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[Duchovny]
In 1942, an engineer
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raised in a remote region
of Arizona
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has an idea which could
change all that.
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His name is Philip Johnston.
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[Sami]
Philip Johnston was
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actually raised by missionaries
on a Navajo reservation.
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And as such, he learned
the Navajo language.
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[Andrew] Johnston recommends
to the U.S. Army
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using Navajo speakers
as code talkers,
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communicating battlefield
orders in real time
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before the Japanese
can decipher them.
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It's estimated that less
than 30 non-Navajo
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speak the language in 1942,
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making the odds
of a Japanese soldier
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being able to understand
Navajo virtually zero.
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[Duchovny]
When the U.S. military hears
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00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:21,280
about Johnston's idea,
they take notice.
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He's asked to come in
and put his idea to the test.
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- In February 1942,
Johnston assembles
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00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:31,760
four Navajo men at
Camp Elliott in San Diego.
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Under the scrutiny
of the top brass,
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the Navajo sit
in separate offices
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and are made to relay
half a dozen simple messages
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to each other via telephone.
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- The Navajo test subjects
perform flawlessly.
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The messages are relayed
far faster
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than they could have been
encoded and decoded,
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and there's not a single
mistake among them.
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[Duchovny] Johnston's big idea
gets the green light.
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Now he needs to scale it up
for battle.
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Hundreds of Navajo
volunteer for service,
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and they're rapidly given
basic military training.
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But pretty soon,
a problem arises.
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- The Navajo language is
almost a thousand years old,
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but this language
doesn't contain
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00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:12,720
any words for modern warfare.
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To get around
the missing words,
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Johnston proposes
using everyday words
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that have military meanings.
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So for example,
"whale" became the word
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that was used for battleships.
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00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:24,520
♪ ♪
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- In November 1942,
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the first 13
Navajo code talkers
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are deployed to the Pacific.
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It's finally time
to put Johnston's idea
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to the ultimate test
in the heat of battle.
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[Jack]
Chester Nez and Roy Begay
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00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:42,680
are two of the first
Navajo code talkers
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who arrive in Guadalcanal.
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And they have
a literal trial by fire.
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- On the 7th of November,
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00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:50,880
Chester and Roy's platoon
comes under attack
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00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:52,880
as they try to take
an airfield.
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They are pinned down.
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00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:56,640
A runner comes with
an urgent message
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00:10:56,760 --> 00:10:58,320
to call in
an artillery strike.
250
00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,440
[Jack] While bullets and
mortar rounds whiz overhead,
251
00:11:01,560 --> 00:11:03,520
Chester begins
transmitting the message
252
00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:05,320
to call in the artillery strike
253
00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:08,440
in his native language
of Navajo.
254
00:11:08,560 --> 00:11:11,640
- Seconds later,
artillery buzz overhead,
255
00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:14,480
neutralizing the Japanese
machine gun nest
256
00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:15,480
holding them down.
257
00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:17,040
♪ ♪
258
00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:18,560
[Duchovny]
The entire message
259
00:11:18,680 --> 00:11:22,080
took just 20 seconds
to send and receive.
260
00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:24,560
If sent using standard
military code,
261
00:11:24,680 --> 00:11:26,480
it would have taken
30 minutes,
262
00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,240
by which time Roy
and Chester's company
263
00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:31,080
would have been annihilated.
264
00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:35,080
- Roy and Chester's commanding
general contacts his superiors,
265
00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:38,440
saying this Navajo code
is terrific.
266
00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:40,400
The enemy never understood it.
267
00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:42,960
We don't understand it either,
but it works.
268
00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:45,440
Send us more Navajos.
269
00:11:45,560 --> 00:11:48,200
[Sami] After the arrival
of the Navajo code talkers,
270
00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,160
the American forces
go on to win
271
00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:51,760
the Battle of Guadalcanal.
272
00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:53,320
It's a decisive point
in the fighting
273
00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:55,840
in the Southwest Pacific.
274
00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:57,280
[Duchovny]
The Navajo code talkers
275
00:11:57,400 --> 00:11:59,480
continued to play
a critical role,
276
00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:04,080
including in pivotal action
at Iwo Jima and Bougainville.
277
00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,720
And the Japanese
never managed to figure out
278
00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:08,800
their ancient language.
279
00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:10,520
- After the war is over,
code talkers
280
00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:13,080
don't get the official
recognition they deserve.
281
00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,920
While part of that is due
to race relations at the time,
282
00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,200
a larger part
is due to the oath
283
00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:20,120
that the code talkers took,
284
00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:22,080
promising to keep
their operations secret
285
00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,440
in case they were ever called
upon in time of need again.
286
00:12:25,560 --> 00:12:27,560
[Duchovny]
Only in 1968 is
287
00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:31,800
the service record of the
code talkers declassified.
288
00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:36,000
Then, in 2008,
President George W. Bush
289
00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:38,800
signs the Code Talkers
Recognition Act,
290
00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:41,119
and the hidden heroes
of the Pacific War
291
00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:42,320
are finally given their due.
292
00:12:47,680 --> 00:12:49,320
- After Pearl Harbor,
a U.S. codebreaker
293
00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:52,880
discovers Japan is planning an
even more devastating attack,
294
00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,080
only he doesn't know where.
295
00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,600
If he can't crack
the Japanese cipher,
296
00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:00,600
then the whole U.S. Pacific
Fleet could be destroyed.
297
00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:03,080
[tense music]
298
00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,360
- On December 7, 1941,
299
00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:08,160
the Japanese launch
a surprise attack
300
00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:10,160
on the U.S. fleet
at Pearl Harbor,
301
00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:14,400
claiming the lives of
over 2,400 Americans.
302
00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:18,560
- Pearl Harbor ranks with 9/11
as the worst
303
00:13:18,680 --> 00:13:21,440
intelligence failure
in American history.
304
00:13:21,560 --> 00:13:24,040
♪ ♪
305
00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:26,240
[Duchovny]
Captain Joseph Rochefort
306
00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:27,760
is the head of
the codebreaking unit
307
00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:29,440
at Pearl Harbor.
308
00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:32,120
Rochefort vows to make sure
the U.S. will never
309
00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:34,480
be ambushed like this again.
310
00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:36,440
- In the aftermath
of the attack,
311
00:13:36,560 --> 00:13:38,040
Rochefort and his
team are tasked
312
00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:42,840
with cracking the notorious
Japanese code JN-25.
313
00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,160
- The code uses a huge
codebook to translate
314
00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:49,280
common words and phrases into
individual five-digit numbers.
315
00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:50,800
[Greg]
From there, there's
316
00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:52,920
an additive codebook
that then scrambles
317
00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:54,960
those numbers yet again.
318
00:13:55,080 --> 00:14:00,440
This dual system makes it just
about impossible to break.
319
00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:02,000
[Don]
Rochefort and his team
320
00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:04,920
began studying the mass
of Japanese communications
321
00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:07,400
from the days leading up
to Pearl Harbor.
322
00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:10,960
Rochefort discovers that, in
the rush before Pearl Harbor,
323
00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:13,440
the Japanese coders
got careless.
324
00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:15,840
They began transmitting
codes using
325
00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:17,840
an additive book
that had already been
326
00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:20,080
partially cracked by the U.S.
327
00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:23,000
This allows Rochefort
to spot something else.
328
00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,160
It seems that when
the Japanese are discussing
329
00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:28,440
target locations,
they use the prefix A
330
00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,080
to represent U.S. interests
in the Pacific.
331
00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,480
AI seems to stand for Oahu.
332
00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:37,640
AH is Hawaii;
AK, Pearl Harbor.
333
00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:40,400
- Soon after Rochefort
has discovered these
334
00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:42,600
two-letter codes,
a fresh set of intercepts
335
00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:45,680
arrive mentioning a fourth
two-letter code location.
336
00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:49,600
Japanese air commanders
are inquiring about wind speed
337
00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:51,680
for an upcoming attack on AF.
338
00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:54,080
♪ ♪
339
00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,160
- What the Americans
don't want is to be caught
340
00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:59,600
in some kind of trap.
341
00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:04,000
It's so very important
to know exactly where AF is.
342
00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:05,720
[Sami]
Rochefort is reading
343
00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:09,320
the messages over and over,
and then it hits him.
344
00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:12,120
He looks at who
the message was sent to
345
00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:13,760
and who it wasn't sent to.
346
00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:15,920
And Rochefort
notices that there was
347
00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:18,960
one military branch that
didn't receive the message,
348
00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:21,440
submarine commanders.
349
00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:23,560
[Don] If submarines
are not included,
350
00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:25,840
this attack is likely
to be an air attack,
351
00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:29,400
meaning AF needs to be within
range of the Japanese base
352
00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:31,000
on the Marshall Islands,
where their
353
00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:33,120
aircraft carriers
are harbored.
354
00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,640
That narrows down AF to only
a few possible locations.
355
00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:38,240
- By process of elimination,
356
00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:40,680
he knows the attack can't be
on the Hawaiian Islands
357
00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:43,200
because they have a code name
assigned to them.
358
00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:45,480
And so, narrowing it down,
359
00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:47,720
he knows that AF
has to indicate
360
00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:51,080
the American bases on Midway.
361
00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:53,240
- Rochefort believes
he's cracked the code
362
00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:55,120
and knows where
the attack will happen.
363
00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:56,760
But it all counts
for nothing if he
364
00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:58,480
can't convince his commanders.
365
00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:00,800
The stakes couldn't be higher.
366
00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:02,280
[Greg] It's crucial
that the Americans
367
00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:03,960
hold on to Midway.
368
00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:05,520
After the losses already
suffered at Pearl Harbor,
369
00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:07,640
to lose Midway at this point
would kind of be like
370
00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:11,080
the 1-2 punch that
really makes the knockout.
371
00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:15,800
[Tim] Rochefort has this sense
that AF is Midway,
372
00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:17,840
but he can't prove it.
373
00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:21,640
And there's no way that he is
going to advise Admiral Nimitz,
374
00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,160
who commanded
the Pacific Fleet,
375
00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:27,320
to send out America's
remaining carriers
376
00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:32,120
to ambush the Japanese
on that kind of hunch.
377
00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:34,320
So he comes up with a plan.
378
00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:36,000
[Sami]
Rochefort arranges for
379
00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:38,360
Midway's garrison commander
to send a fake message,
380
00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:40,680
saying that they're low
on fresh water.
381
00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:42,440
Now, if the message
is sent uncoded,
382
00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:44,400
the Japanese will immediately
realize it's fake.
383
00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:46,600
So Rochefort gets
the message sent
384
00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,600
using a U.S. cipher that
he knows the Japanese
385
00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:51,400
have already cracked.
386
00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:54,160
[Duchovny]
Then Rochefort waits.
387
00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:58,360
48 hours later, he gets the
response he was banking on.
388
00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:00,320
- Rochefort's team
decodes a message
389
00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:02,640
about the imminent attack
on AF,
390
00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:06,040
and it specifically states
AF is low on water.
391
00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:08,440
This is the clincher
Admiral Nimitz needs.
392
00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,160
[Tim]
AF is Midway.
393
00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:13,160
This is the kind
of intelligence
394
00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:15,520
that commanders dream of.
395
00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:18,960
Nimitz understood that,
if he got it right,
396
00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:22,960
the Japanese Pacific fleet
would be devastated.
397
00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:26,080
Somebody was headed
for an ambush.
398
00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,000
Would it be the Americans
or the Japanese?
399
00:17:29,120 --> 00:17:30,240
♪ ♪
400
00:17:30,360 --> 00:17:31,760
[Greg]
Wasting no time,
401
00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:33,280
Admiral Nimitz sends
three aircraft carriers
402
00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:37,320
with 117 aircraft
to await the Japanese.
403
00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:40,520
[Duchovny]
On June the 4th, 1942,
404
00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:43,920
they catch the Japanese fleet
entirely by surprise.
405
00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:45,600
[planes whirring]
406
00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:48,080
The Battle of Midway
is resounding naval victory
407
00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:50,320
for the United States.
408
00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:54,160
- The United States sends
to the bottom of the Pacific
409
00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:58,160
four Japanese
aircraft carriers,
410
00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:03,680
thus neutralizing the
Japanese threat in the Pacific.
411
00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:06,560
- Midway is such
an incredible triumph
412
00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,200
that everyone wants
a piece of the glory.
413
00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:11,600
And credit for
cracking JN-25 is
414
00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:14,360
ultimately claimed by the
Director of Naval Intelligence.
415
00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:17,600
And Rochefort's role
is basically
416
00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:19,920
forgotten from history.
417
00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:22,680
[Duchovny] Only in 1985,
when a book is published
418
00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:25,560
by a former colleague,
is Rochefort finally
419
00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:27,840
revealed as the unsung hero
420
00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:30,640
who stopped
a second Pearl Harbor.
421
00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:32,280
♪ ♪
422
00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:34,880
The following year, he is
posthumously awarded
423
00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,080
the Navy Distinguished
Service Medal.
424
00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:43,360
- When a U.S. POW in
North Vietnam's
425
00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:44,720
Hanoi Hilton wants
to reveal to the world
426
00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:46,400
that he's being tortured,
427
00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:49,080
he does it without
his captors noticing.
428
00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:51,400
Blink, and you'll miss it.
429
00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:56,080
♪ ♪
430
00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:57,840
[Jesse]
Commander Jeremiah Denton
431
00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,680
is an experienced
and respected career aviator
432
00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:03,280
in the U.S. Navy.
433
00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,800
In 1965, he's flying
a bombing mission
434
00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:10,640
when his airplane is struck
by anti-aircraft fire.
435
00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:12,920
- Denton manages to bail out
and parachute to safety,
436
00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:15,400
but he's quickly captured
by Vietnamese forces
437
00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:18,880
who take him to
the infamous prison Hoa Lo.
438
00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,600
[Duchovny] The prison is
better known among U.S. POWs
439
00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:25,080
by its nickname,
the Hanoi Hilton.
440
00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,640
But there's nothing luxurious
about the conditions
441
00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:29,360
Denton checks into.
442
00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:32,080
- Hoa Lo is a horrid situation
for the aviators
443
00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:33,400
that are held there.
444
00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,040
The Vietnamese classify
American aviators
445
00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:39,440
as air pirates, and they claim
that they are not protected
446
00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:41,320
by the Geneva Convention.
447
00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:43,400
They are kept in
a prison facility
448
00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:45,760
where they're often subjected
to harsh interrogation
449
00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:47,360
and torture.
450
00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:48,880
[Sami] They're not allowed
to communicate
451
00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:50,320
with one another,
452
00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:52,600
and any attempt to speak
to a fellow prisoner
453
00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:56,480
will probably result
in a pretty nasty beating.
454
00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:58,600
[Duchovny] Denton understands
keeping his sanity
455
00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:01,200
intact relies on one thing.
456
00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:05,400
He must find a way to connect
with his fellow inmates.
457
00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:07,600
- Denton discovers
that the POWs
458
00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:09,080
have already found
a way to communicate
459
00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:11,000
without using spoken words.
460
00:20:11,120 --> 00:20:14,080
They pass messages by
tapping on their cell walls
461
00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,600
in Morse code.
462
00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:18,240
- Through their
secret communications,
463
00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:21,240
Denton is able to incite
a campaign of resistance.
464
00:20:21,360 --> 00:20:24,800
But the guards identify
Denton as the ringleader.
465
00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,560
He is beaten and
brutally tortured.
466
00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:29,960
[Duchovny]
In October 1967,
467
00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:31,640
Denton is moved to
another prison unit
468
00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:35,440
reserved for the inmates
deemed to be troublemakers.
469
00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:39,280
This one has the less
ironic nickname, Alcatraz.
470
00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,120
Here, the tap code won't work.
471
00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:44,520
- Alcatraz is
a much harsher system,
472
00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:46,920
and the guards
will inflict punishment
473
00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:49,120
on any individual
who appears to be
474
00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,120
communicating via Morse code
or any other form
475
00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:54,920
of encryption system.
476
00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:56,920
- Denton is desperate
to communicate
477
00:20:57,040 --> 00:20:58,640
with any of
the other POWs there,
478
00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:01,840
but he's terrified
of any more torture.
479
00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:03,840
[David] So Denton starts
devising an entirely
480
00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,960
new code based on the sounds
he hears all around him,
481
00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:09,480
and that the guards would
never think twice about--
482
00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:11,240
coughs and sniffs.
483
00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:12,600
Due to the
terrible conditions,
484
00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:13,960
practically all the inmates
485
00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:15,960
have some sort of
respiratory problem.
486
00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:18,320
So coughs and sniffs
will easily
487
00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:20,840
fall under the cover
of the current
488
00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:22,200
environmental conditions.
489
00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:23,640
[inmates coughing]
490
00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:27,920
- With this new code,
a single cough means one,
491
00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:31,800
a cough or a sniff twice
means two,
492
00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:33,800
and so forth and so on.
493
00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:36,800
Using a standard
five by five grid,
494
00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,560
where each letter
is designated two numbers
495
00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:41,040
between one and five,
496
00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,720
the airmen are able to
spell out full messages
497
00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:48,360
to each other without
anyone ever detecting it.
498
00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:50,440
[Duchovny] Denton wants
to speak to more
499
00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:52,680
than his fellow prisoners.
500
00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:55,040
What he dreams of
is to be able to tell
501
00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:57,520
the outside world of
the brutal conditions
502
00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,360
being endured by POWs.
503
00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:02,840
One time out of the blue,
504
00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:06,120
Denton got
an incredible opportunity.
505
00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:07,920
- After nearly 10 months
of captivity,
506
00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:10,520
the guards informed Denton
that the following day
507
00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:13,320
he is to be interviewed
in front of a global audience.
508
00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:15,240
[Duchovny]
Denton is told that this
509
00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:17,160
media appearance
is very important,
510
00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:20,240
and he is warned to be
on his best behavior.
511
00:22:20,360 --> 00:22:22,600
- It's entirely likely that,
if he doesn't comply,
512
00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:23,600
he'll be killed.
513
00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:25,400
[tense music]
514
00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:27,480
- How can he tell the world
what's happening
515
00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:29,960
without his captors
finding out?
516
00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:33,320
Denton's solution is
ingenious and so sensitive,
517
00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:36,600
it remains secret
for years to come.
518
00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:38,800
[Yaya]
Morning comes, and Denton
519
00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,640
is taken out of his cell,
blindfolded,
520
00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,760
and driven away
from the prison.
521
00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:46,800
[Sami] He finds himself in
a nicely-appointed room,
522
00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:50,720
sitting in front of
a Japanese journalist and crew.
523
00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:52,600
[Yaya]
Denton has no idea how
524
00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:54,760
he can subvert this interview.
525
00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:56,560
But then it's action.
526
00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,640
The lights go on,
and he's temporarily blinded,
527
00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:02,040
and he squints and blinks
to try to avert
528
00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:03,920
the light from his eyes.
529
00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:06,520
And then the idea comes to him.
530
00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:12,600
- Denton is answering
the questions
531
00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:15,320
in the way that his captors
want him to.
532
00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:25,200
- But his eyes are telling
a completely different story.
533
00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:28,280
- Denton's blinking
is actually spelling out
534
00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:30,320
a message in Morse code.
535
00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:32,200
♪ ♪
536
00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:37,560
- The message spells out
one word, "torture."
537
00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:40,400
[Duchovny] In plain sight,
with the world watching,
538
00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:45,840
Denton spells out "torture"
in Morse code again and again,
539
00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:48,560
a single word
that says it all.
540
00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:51,840
- The North Vietnamese don't
notice what Denton is up to,
541
00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:55,440
and the broadcast is actually
transmitted worldwide.
542
00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:57,000
[Jesse]
This is big news.
543
00:23:57,120 --> 00:23:59,720
It's the first indication that
544
00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:02,840
the United States has
that North Vietnam
545
00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:05,040
is violating
the Geneva Convention.
546
00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:06,360
♪ ♪
547
00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:07,920
[Duchovny]
Denton has no idea
548
00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:10,240
if his message has been heard.
549
00:24:10,360 --> 00:24:12,000
[David] The U.S. authorities
never make public
550
00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:13,760
his blink code,
fearful that it would lead
551
00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:15,600
to more extreme consequences,
552
00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,040
like more beatings
or even execution.
553
00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:20,200
He doesn't find out
that his code
554
00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:23,400
was actually received
until 1973
555
00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:25,320
when he's finally released.
556
00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:27,280
[Duchovny] A year later,
Denton is awarded
557
00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:32,000
the Navy Cross for
his conduct during captivity.
558
00:24:32,120 --> 00:24:33,680
But the full story
of his ordeal
559
00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:37,240
remains unknown until 1975,
560
00:24:37,360 --> 00:24:40,720
when he publishes his memoir,
"When Hell Was In Session."
561
00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:43,320
♪ ♪
562
00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:46,000
And now the world finally
discovers the story
563
00:24:46,120 --> 00:24:48,600
of Denton's courageous
blinking code.
564
00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:54,600
- What if I told you that
a key part of beating
565
00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:56,720
the Nazi's unbreakable
Enigma code
566
00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:58,800
was a bunch of Ohio
factory workers
567
00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:00,600
who made cash registers?
568
00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,360
It's a wartime secret
so sensitive
569
00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,880
that it remains under wraps
for more than 50 years.
570
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,680
[soft dramatic music]
571
00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:11,000
♪ ♪
572
00:25:11,120 --> 00:25:12,800
[Don]
In the early 1940s,
573
00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:14,560
it's open season
in the North Atlantic
574
00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:16,520
for Nazi submarine wolfpacks.
575
00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:20,560
The German Navy is sinking
vast numbers of Allied ships.
576
00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:22,800
[David]
From the summer of 1940
577
00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:26,560
into the spring of 1941,
hundreds of allied ships
578
00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:29,880
are sent to the bottom of the
Atlantic by German U-boats.
579
00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:35,120
It's what the U-boat crews
gloatingly call the happy time.
580
00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:37,000
[Duchovny] The secret weapon
behind all this
581
00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:41,520
is the Enigma device,
a code machine the Nazis used
582
00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:44,520
to encrypt orders
to their submarine fleet.
583
00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:47,240
If the Allies are to escape
the U-boat attacks,
584
00:25:47,360 --> 00:25:50,560
this code needs breaking.
585
00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:52,640
But that's no easy task.
586
00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:55,520
[Hakeem] The Enigma machine
is a typewriter-like device
587
00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:59,960
that's used to encrypt messages
and then unencrypt them
588
00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:02,000
so they can be read normally.
589
00:26:02,120 --> 00:26:05,080
For the process to work,
both the sending and receiving
590
00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:07,080
Enigma machines
have three rotors
591
00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:09,480
that have to be set to
the same configurations.
592
00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:13,840
And those are determined by
using the key from a code book.
593
00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,120
[David]
Unless you had the code book
594
00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:17,920
and the setting sheets,
595
00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:22,840
it is impossible to solve this
by simple trial and error.
596
00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,680
[Duchovny]
Then, in 1941, the British
597
00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:27,520
have a major stroke of luck.
598
00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:29,680
Their Navy captures
an enemy U-boat
599
00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:34,040
with an intact Enigma machine
plus codebooks.
600
00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:37,440
Now they are able to use
their own decryption device,
601
00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:40,080
which they call the bombe.
602
00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:42,880
- Overnight, they can
now listen to encrypted
603
00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:46,320
German communications.
U-boat patrols are tracked.
604
00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:48,680
Thousands of lives are saved.
605
00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:50,320
[Duchovny]
But nine months later,
606
00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:54,360
the German Navy decides
to ramp up their security.
607
00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:57,840
- In February of 1942,
the Germans quietly
608
00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:00,560
roll out a new version
of the Enigma machine
609
00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:03,560
that has now
a new fourth rotor.
610
00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:07,080
Adding that single extra dial
results in the number
611
00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:09,840
of extra settings possible
for encrypting the codes
612
00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:11,680
increasing exponentially.
613
00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:15,400
- There are now 92
septillion different ways
614
00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:20,160
to set up a German 4-rotor
Naval Enigma machine.
615
00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:22,800
It's a complete disaster
for the Allies,
616
00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:24,720
and they are
completely locked out
617
00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:27,920
of German Naval-encrypted
communications.
618
00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:31,440
U-boats basically
go on the rampage again.
619
00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:33,240
♪ ♪
620
00:27:33,360 --> 00:27:34,840
[Don]
The British need a much faster
621
00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:37,160
version of the bombe.
622
00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:38,840
And that means
not having to design
623
00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:40,760
a mechanical
decryption device,
624
00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:43,120
but an electronic one.
625
00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,760
The British are struggling
to produce these machines,
626
00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:47,640
so they turn to
the United States,
627
00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:49,640
and they ask for assistance.
628
00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:51,720
- Washington starts
looking for someone
629
00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:54,800
to build this new,
improved bombe.
630
00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:57,280
They need a visionary
engineer with a team
631
00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:02,840
of electronics experts in
a vast manufacturing space.
632
00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:04,880
They find all three
in Dayton, Ohio,
633
00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,480
at the National
Cash Register Company,
634
00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:10,120
or NCR.
635
00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:13,080
[Hakeem] The NCR is
a world leader in electronics,
636
00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:15,160
and they just
invented the world's first
637
00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:16,760
electronic accounting machine
638
00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:21,920
that runs at a million pulses
per second, a megahertz.
639
00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,080
[Paul]
NCR has an enormous
640
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,320
production facility in Dayton.
641
00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:29,080
They're led by Joseph Desch,
an engineer
642
00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:33,600
who has an intrinsic grasp of
the potential of electronics.
643
00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:34,840
♪ ♪
644
00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:36,560
[Don]
Desch designs a way
645
00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:38,280
of scaling up
the British bombe,
646
00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:41,280
utilizing the might of
American engineering.
647
00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:45,240
- The biggest issue is it comes
with an incredible price tag,
648
00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:48,320
around $4 million each.
649
00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:51,200
It also weighs
over 2 and 1/2 tons.
650
00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:55,160
So it needs to be built
in a special room of the NCR
651
00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:57,320
with one of the first
steel-reinforced
652
00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:00,320
concrete floors
in the United States.
653
00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:02,920
[Duchovny] The Navy
signs off on the costs,
654
00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:05,000
and Desch's team
gets building.
655
00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:06,800
[Don] The process
is relentless,
656
00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,000
with the team working
seven days a week.
657
00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:13,160
[Duchovny]
Finally, on May 28, 1943,
658
00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:17,280
after 11 long months,
Desch's super sized bombe
659
00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:20,000
gets its first test.
660
00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:21,880
[Hakeem]
Inside the NCR,
661
00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:23,560
Desch switches on the machine.
662
00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:25,120
[switch clanks]
663
00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:27,760
And he feeds it
an Enigma M4 message.
664
00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:30,600
The machine starts up.
665
00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:33,160
It begins to whine.
666
00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:34,680
[David]
And then the machine stops.
667
00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:36,760
It seems like
an electrical short circuit,
668
00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:39,000
and the teams are deflated.
669
00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:41,320
But suddenly
it springs back to life.
670
00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:44,520
And incredibly
the machine scores a hit.
671
00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:49,560
It prints out the precise key
used to encipher the message.
672
00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:52,360
- They then use that key
to set the rotors
673
00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:54,600
on their own Enigma machine.
674
00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:57,760
They can then decipher
the code and reveal
675
00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:00,040
the original message.
676
00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:01,840
[Duchovny]
Desch has done it.
677
00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:03,480
He sends the results direct
678
00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,400
to the codebreakers
in Washington.
679
00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:08,280
[Paul]
Soon, Desch's machines
680
00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:11,640
are being put to work
decrypting German messages.
681
00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:13,720
The Americans and
the British are actually
682
00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,040
decrypting Enigma
messages faster
683
00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,800
than the German recipients are.
684
00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:21,080
After NCR and its
decryption machines
685
00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:22,920
start going into action,
686
00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:26,200
the tide turns against
the German U-boat commanders.
687
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:28,280
It stops being a happy time,
688
00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:30,680
and it starts becoming
a Nazi-hunting time.
689
00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:33,280
♪ ♪
690
00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:34,800
[Duchovny]
For over 50 years,
691
00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:36,840
the Dayton codebreakers'
contribution
692
00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:39,960
to breaking Enigma
remains classified.
693
00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:43,000
Desch and the women
who made the U.S. bombe
694
00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:45,720
take their secrets
to the grave.
695
00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:47,880
♪ ♪
696
00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:52,400
Only in 1995, after a
campaign by Desch's daughter,
697
00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:54,840
is their role
finally acknowledged.
698
00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:00,600
- It's 1968.
699
00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:01,880
Someone is selling
the U.S. Navy's
700
00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:03,720
top secrets to the Soviets,
701
00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:06,680
and the Navy brass have
no idea it's even happening.
702
00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,880
When the truth is finally
revealed after two decades,
703
00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:13,000
it's not by the FBI or the CIA.
704
00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:15,000
It's by a disgruntled spouse.
705
00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:20,680
♪ ♪
706
00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:23,960
- Senior U.S. Naval officials
are a bit troubled.
707
00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:27,640
Time and again, their opponents
seem to gain the upper hand
708
00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:29,560
on them and
anticipate their moves
709
00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:31,600
with almost clairvoyant skill.
710
00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:33,000
[dramatic music]
711
00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:35,240
From tracking their subs
in the Atlantic
712
00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:38,360
to eventually dodging
bombing raids in Vietnam,
713
00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,560
they sense that
something is up.
714
00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:42,280
♪ ♪
715
00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:45,120
[Duchovny] The U.S. has
no idea how this is happening.
716
00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:49,360
It's as if the USSR has
cracked U.S. Naval codes.
717
00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:53,720
To U.S. commanders,
that's a ludicrous suggestion.
718
00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:55,960
- At this time,
the U.S. Navy uses
719
00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:58,320
one of the world's
most advanced coding machines,
720
00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:00,760
known as the KW7.
721
00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:04,080
It is one of the first fully
electronic coding machines,
722
00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:07,400
faster and more secure
than ever before.
723
00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:09,080
- In order to break this code,
724
00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:12,280
the enemy would have to get
their hands on a KW7 machine
725
00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:14,520
and have access
to the key cards
726
00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:16,600
that are necessary
to operate it.
727
00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:19,600
- Those key cards, however,
are changed out regularly,
728
00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:21,320
usually about once a month.
729
00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:23,880
And that means that even if
the Soviets get their hands
730
00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:25,480
on a machine, well,
they'd still have
731
00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:27,560
to have the latest
key card in order
732
00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:30,480
to figure out what
a coded message says.
733
00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:33,920
- The Soviets have got
their hands on some KW7s
734
00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:36,560
after a U.S. ship was
captured in North Korea.
735
00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:39,640
But because the captured
machines didn't have key cards
736
00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:42,040
with them, the U.S. Navy
believed that their code
737
00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:43,400
was still secure.
738
00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:45,440
- A series of security
breaches followed,
739
00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:50,200
but the Navy is sure that this
is just a run of bad luck.
740
00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:51,680
- It's not just bad luck.
741
00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:53,840
It's something far worse.
742
00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:56,840
Their top secret code
is no longer secret.
743
00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:58,280
The truth is
first discovered
744
00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:00,240
not by a cryptography
specialist,
745
00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:02,640
but by a housewife in Virginia.
746
00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:06,160
[Don] Barbara Walker
is the wife of John Walker,
747
00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:08,040
a radioman in the U.S. Navy.
748
00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:10,920
From the outside, they have
a happy life with four kids.
749
00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:13,240
They'd had money troubles
before,
750
00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:15,760
but now they live
a very comfortable life,
751
00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:19,560
a fact she puts down
to John's rising career.
752
00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:23,240
- One day, Barbara Walker
comes across something strange.
753
00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:25,880
Tucked away in a closet
is a grocery bag
754
00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:28,880
stuffed with classified
Navy documents.
755
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,200
And they've been hidden away
there by John.
756
00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:35,600
[Duchovny] When confronted,
Walker comes clean.
757
00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:38,040
He's been stealing
top secret information
758
00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:40,120
and passing it
to the Soviets in exchange
759
00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:41,720
for millions of dollars.
760
00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:43,960
- Among John Walker's
responsibilities
761
00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:46,480
is taking care of these
KW7 seven cards.
762
00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,400
It's his duty
and responsibility
763
00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:52,640
to destroy the old ones
and to safeguard the new ones.
764
00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:54,240
But instead of doing that,
765
00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:56,800
he's sending them
to the Soviets.
766
00:33:56,920 --> 00:33:58,480
- Once they have the keycards,
767
00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:01,200
the Soviets can decode
the American messages
768
00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:04,240
that they recorded
over the previous month.
769
00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:05,880
[Don]
The Soviets then tunnel
770
00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:08,040
their way into at least
a million
771
00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:10,080
encrypted Naval messages.
772
00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:11,680
[Duchovny]
It's the most damaging
773
00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:13,760
code breach in U.S. history,
774
00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:16,280
and the Americans don't
even know it's happening.
775
00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:17,960
[Hakeem]
For over ten years,
776
00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:20,480
John is able
to intimidate Barbara
777
00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:22,000
into keeping his secret.
778
00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:25,120
Barbara is terrified
of her husband's temper.
779
00:34:25,240 --> 00:34:27,720
And she fears that,
if she goes to the authorities,
780
00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:29,560
she might lose her kids.
781
00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:33,440
Over the years, John secretly
drags more family members
782
00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:36,240
into his twisted spy world,
including
783
00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:38,760
one of their adult sons.
784
00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:41,280
[Duchovny] Then in 1984,
Barbara finally
785
00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:44,120
breaks John's hold over her.
786
00:34:44,240 --> 00:34:46,440
Barbara learns that
John recently attempted
787
00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:48,640
to pull their daughter in.
788
00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:50,560
Even though
the daughter refused,
789
00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:55,080
she picks up the phone
and calls the FBI.
790
00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:57,040
[Greg] She tells them
about the drops,
791
00:34:57,160 --> 00:34:59,520
what he's doing,
how this all works.
792
00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:04,240
As they listen, they see
the KGB patterns at play.
793
00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:07,000
Furthermore,
as they investigate Walker,
794
00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:09,160
it becomes clear that
he has a little more cash
795
00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:10,720
than one should
for his station.
796
00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:15,320
And he's taking some
rather odd trips at odd times.
797
00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:17,040
[Duchovny]
But they need more than
798
00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:18,920
just circumstantial evidence.
799
00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:22,680
So they attempt to
catch John in the act.
800
00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:26,560
- In May 1985,
the FBI trails Walker
801
00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:28,960
to a wooded area
near Washington, DC,
802
00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:32,200
and watches him hide
a package before leaving,
803
00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:33,720
a classic dead drop.
804
00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:36,000
- Agents move in
and retrieve the documents.
805
00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:37,920
It's a goldmine.
806
00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:43,480
Inside, they find 129 pages
of classified material.
807
00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:46,960
John is arrested at his hotel
room just a few hours later.
808
00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:48,880
♪ ♪
809
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,360
[Duchovny] Faced with the
prospect of life in prison,
810
00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:54,000
Walker does
the only thing he can.
811
00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:55,520
He makes a deal.
812
00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:57,800
In exchange for
his full confession,
813
00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:02,160
he negotiates a more lenient
sentence for his son, Michael.
814
00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:06,960
John Walker is sentenced
to life in prison.
815
00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:08,160
- For the Russians,
this has been
816
00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:09,880
a brilliantly simple strategy.
817
00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:12,240
Their code breakers haven't
had to crack anything.
818
00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:15,640
All they had to do was
crack open the checkbook.
819
00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:18,200
[Don] The story explodes
across the media,
820
00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:20,440
along with Walker's
stinging comment
821
00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:23,400
that Kmart has better security
than the Navy.
822
00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:25,200
♪ ♪
823
00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:27,440
[Duchovny] When the story
of this domestic spy ring
824
00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:30,440
goes public,
it reveals huge flaws
825
00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:33,800
in U.S. Naval security,
826
00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:36,920
leading to the implementation
of new security measures
827
00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:38,840
to ensure
this won't happen again.
828
00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:45,640
[Duchovny]
It's New York in 1919.
829
00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:48,200
A poker prodigy
is lying in bed.
830
00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:50,000
He's about to doze off
when he's
831
00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:52,320
struck by a flash
of inspiration,
832
00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:54,360
one that will help him
crack a notoriously
833
00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:56,400
difficult Japanese code.
834
00:36:56,520 --> 00:36:59,520
♪ ♪
835
00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:01,600
- In the aftermath
of World War I,
836
00:37:01,720 --> 00:37:03,840
American leaders have
learned a hard lesson.
837
00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:06,560
Information is power.
838
00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:09,160
So if you can read
other nations codes,
839
00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:13,000
you can know what your
enemies and even your friends
840
00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:15,040
are really thinking.
841
00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:16,880
[Duchovny]
Even in peacetime,
842
00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:18,800
Washington doesn't want to
rely on what other governments
843
00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:20,800
choose to tell them,
844
00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:23,240
so they decide
to start cracking
845
00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:25,520
other countries' codes.
846
00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:27,960
- The U.S. turns to an
unlikely establishment
847
00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:31,400
that publishes puzzle books
from a nondescript brownstone
848
00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:33,160
in New York City.
849
00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:35,560
[Don] It's the secret
headquarters of the U.S.'s
850
00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:37,600
most advanced
code-breaking operation,
851
00:37:37,720 --> 00:37:39,840
called the Cipher Bureau,
852
00:37:39,960 --> 00:37:41,960
an outfit so secret
that it doesn't
853
00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:43,800
even officially exist--
854
00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:46,280
essentially,
a U.S. government black op.
855
00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:47,960
[dramatic music]
856
00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:49,520
[Greg]
The young man who runs this
857
00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:52,080
is Herbert Yardley,
a prodigy with a flair
858
00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:53,560
for numbers and puzzles.
859
00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:55,720
In fact,
he funded his education
860
00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:58,280
through poker winnings.
861
00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:00,120
[Don] Working for
the State Department,
862
00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:02,280
he secretly cracked
a coded message,
863
00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:05,480
meant only for the president
in just two hours.
864
00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:09,280
From there, Yardley's skills
land him his own gig,
865
00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:12,320
running the secret codebreaking
team for the U.S. government
866
00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,240
under its cover as
a puzzle publisher.
867
00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:17,240
♪ ♪
868
00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:19,560
[Duchovny] Yardley
and his Cipher Bureau
869
00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:22,760
break all kinds of codes
for the U.S. government.
870
00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:25,120
Around 20 countries
have their messages
871
00:38:25,240 --> 00:38:28,560
cracked by Yardley's outfit.
872
00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:30,960
- The Cipher Bureau's
most fiendish challenge
873
00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:34,760
is cracking Japanese
coded telegrams.
874
00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:39,120
These are concerned with
Japanese and U.S. negotiations
875
00:38:39,240 --> 00:38:41,520
over a Naval Arms
Limitation Treaty.
876
00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:43,600
♪ ♪
877
00:38:43,720 --> 00:38:45,600
- Yardley's Cipher
Bureau is given
878
00:38:45,720 --> 00:38:48,160
a collection of diplomatic
cables from Japan to decode.
879
00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:50,400
And this is
a monumental challenge
880
00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:53,560
because, even before
you consider any encryption,
881
00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:56,640
Japanese is
incredibly complicated.
882
00:38:56,760 --> 00:38:58,760
Instead of
a 26-letter alphabet
883
00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:01,320
like we have in English,
they have the kana,
884
00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:04,680
which is a collection of
every possible syllable sound,
885
00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:06,960
and there are 73 of those.
886
00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:08,600
♪ ♪
887
00:39:08,720 --> 00:39:10,840
[Duchovny] Despite the scale
of the challenge,
888
00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:12,760
Yardley vows that
if he doesn't break the code
889
00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:16,000
within a year, he will resign.
890
00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:18,320
- But after half a year,
Yardley still can't
891
00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:19,760
discern any real patterns.
892
00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:21,760
- He's really starting
to wish he hadn't been
893
00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:24,680
so hasty offering to resign.
894
00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:28,120
- Yardley dedicates so much of
his time to breaking the codes
895
00:39:28,240 --> 00:39:30,960
that he even starts
dreaming about them.
896
00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:34,200
And one night,
inspiration strikes.
897
00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:36,240
[Sami] Suddenly,
he's able to pick out
898
00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:40,120
the Japanese word for Ireland
in the telegrams.
899
00:39:40,240 --> 00:39:42,160
Irish independence is
in the news right now,
900
00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:43,680
and the Japanese
are discussing it
901
00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:45,360
in their diplomatic telegrams.
902
00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:48,600
Now it's like he has
the corner of a jigsaw puzzle,
903
00:39:48,720 --> 00:39:50,080
and he builds out from this,
904
00:39:50,200 --> 00:39:52,640
cracking one syllable
and then another.
905
00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:54,880
[Hakeem] And finally,
after six months,
906
00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:57,400
Yardley and his team have
the Japanese code
907
00:39:57,520 --> 00:39:59,640
completely defeated.
908
00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:01,200
[Duchovny]
Yardley's work helped
909
00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:04,400
secure a historic peace deal
on U.S. terms,
910
00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:08,400
and Yardley is rewarded with
a Distinguished Service Medal.
911
00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:10,280
But this becomes
the high point
912
00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:13,040
of his code-breaking career.
913
00:40:13,160 --> 00:40:15,800
- By 1929,
after a series of funding cuts,
914
00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:18,560
Yardley's Cipher Bureau
is closed for good.
915
00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:20,760
But because it didn't
officially exist,
916
00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:23,160
he's not able to draw
a civil service pension.
917
00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:25,960
So in the end,
he ends up broke.
918
00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:27,800
[Greg]
Feeling betrayed,
919
00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:29,720
Yardley decides to publish
a tell-all book
920
00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:32,360
called "The American Black Chamber."
921
00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:34,600
This effectively makes him
the Edward Snowden of his time,
922
00:40:34,720 --> 00:40:36,920
but it also makes him
a small fortune.
923
00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:39,360
He rakes in the equivalent
of half a million dollars
924
00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:41,040
in today's currency.
925
00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:43,880
- The U.S. government
is outraged by Yardley
926
00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:45,960
having gone from
their secret puzzle nerd
927
00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:48,240
to a rogue operator.
928
00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:51,160
Yardley's book is
an embarrassment
929
00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:54,240
to the U.S. government.
930
00:40:54,360 --> 00:40:57,320
Because of it,
some 19 nations are alerted
931
00:40:57,440 --> 00:40:59,440
that their codes
have been broken
932
00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:01,480
by the United States.
933
00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:05,760
- They can't throw him in jail
because only limited laws exist
934
00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:08,720
on spilling state secrets.
935
00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:10,200
[Sami]
In March of 1933,
936
00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:12,240
Congress amends
the Espionage Act
937
00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:14,680
by passing an act
for the protection
938
00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:16,280
of government records.
939
00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:19,200
This prohibits the disclosure
of anything sent in code.
940
00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:21,360
[Duchovny] These laws
Yardley inspired
941
00:41:21,480 --> 00:41:25,200
become informally known as
the Official Secrets Act,
942
00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:28,240
and they still bind
government officials today.
943
00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:31,160
♪ ♪
944
00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:33,600
From a prison cell
to battlefields,
945
00:41:33,720 --> 00:41:37,040
secret codes are a vital way
nations hide information
946
00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:39,080
from their enemies.
947
00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:41,680
But for every locked door,
there is a key,
948
00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:43,680
and for every code,
949
00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:46,200
a genius mind
trying to crack it.
950
00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:48,320
♪ ♪