'HERE IS A COPY OF A MASSAGE WHICH WAS TAKEN DOWN BY A OPERATOR WITH 110 SWS JUNE 1944 BEFORE THE BRAKE THOUGHT IN THE FALAISE AREA'.

A historic message taken by 110 SW Section during the Normandy campaign, which contributed to the defeat and capture of the bulk of the German 7^th Army in the Falaise Pocket.  The operator who intercepted it was awarded the B.E.M.

Text in the shape that it was translated and delivered by the appropriate SLU to our General Staff.

T.O.O 18.00z,  9^th August 1944.  Time of intercept, later that evening. Time decrypted and sent to Allied Commanders 03.49z  10^th august 1944b. In part 2 Hitler orders time of attack as 'probably on 11^th August. Text of part 1 of 2 parts:-

Orders to Seventh Army and General Der Panzer Truppen Eberbach £ Eberbach one eight hours ninth.  Attack on southern wing of seventh army will be conducted by panzer gruppe Eberbach £ Eberbach after regrouping and bringing up of decisive offensive arms. On its success depends the fate of battle of France £ France. Quote

I order unquote colon (one) command of attack colon General Eberbach £ Eberbach to whom a newly formed Fuehrungsstab is being brought up with Oberstleutnant Von Kluge £ Von Kluge as chief. For reasons of unified command (later participation of seventh army) and supply, Eberbach £ Eberbach is being subordinated to GOC £ GOC seventh army. (Two) objective of attack colon the sea at Avranches £ Avranches.

The German G.O.C commanding the Army Group, General Von Kluge, sent his son to Eberbach as Chief of Staff. He was killed in action. In the Enigma machine all figures had to be spelled out as there were no digits,  nor indeed any punctuation marks. The editors at Bletchley Park provided these

The a/n message was taken from the Public records Office and quoted by Peter Calvocoressi in his book "Top Secret Ultra