C-52

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A combination of a C-52 cipher machine with a B-52 keyboard attachment, such as pictured here, was denoted the BC-52.

The (Hagelin) C-52 and CX-52 were cipher machines manufactured by Crypto AG starting 1951/1952. There seem to be several different variations of machines which use these names, but at least two separate mechanisms are identified with the CX-52 designation. The first is the pin-and-lug mechanism made famous in Hagelin machines, such as the C-38/M-209; see, for example, [link]. The second is a one-time tape mechanism that replaces the pinwheel system, e.g. [link].

The machine measures 8 1/2in × 5 3/8in × 4 3/8in. The device is mechanical, but when combined with an electric keyboard attachment, the B-52, the resultant system is termed the BC-52. The B-52 is larger, measuring 12 1/2in × 8 1/2in × 6 3/8in.

With pinwheels, six wheels are used. In some versions, these six are reportedly chosen from a possible set of 12, with the number of pins on each wheel being 25, 26, 29, 31, 34, 37, 38, 41, 42, 43, 46, and 47. The lug cage contains 32 bars: 27 of the bars have movable lugs, while the remaining 5 bars contain stationary lugs that act to control the stepping of the pinwheels [link]. One report states that the difference between the C-52 and the CX-52 was the transition to this more complex stepping mechanism [link]. Other reports suggest that the difference between the C-52 and CX-52 was the mechanism changing from pinwheels to a punched tape mechanism [link].

A Hell 54, a licensed German copy of the C-52

The Hell 54 was a licensed copy of the C-52 by German company Hell.

See also

• M-209
• C-36
• CD-57

References

• H. Paul Greenough, Cryptanalysis of the Hagelin C-52 and similar machines a known plaintext attack, Cryptologia, 23(2), July 1999, pp139–156.
• Louis Kruh, The Hagelin Cryptographer, Type C-52, Cryptologia 3(2), April 1979, pp78–82.

External links

• [The HAGELIN cryptographer CX-52] by Torbjorn Andersson — a write-up, photograph and a QBASIC simulator.
• [Jerry Proc's page on the CX-52] — also covers the B-52 keyboard unit.
• Photographs: [link], [link], [link], [link], [link], [link]
• [Jerry Proc's page on the Hell 54] — a licensed copy of the C-52 by Hell
• [Descriptions from sales of C-52 and CX-52 equipment]
• [CX-52 Cryptographic Machine & B-52 Motorized Base]

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