The German Enigma machine is the most famous example of the battle between code-makers and code-breakers. Never before has one machine affected the fate of so many lives as did the Enigma during the Second World War. The large scale breaking of German communications was one of the best kept secrets of the War.
In 1918, Engineer Arthur Scherbius patented an electro-mechanical cipher machine using rotors. This original machine evolved into a family of similar machines collectively known as "Enigma". Simply stated, the Enigma uses a poly-alphabetic substitution cypher, where the letters were re-ordered with each keystroke, and the substitution pattern was changed daily. As there are an astronomical number of substitution patterns possible, the belief was that Enigma was so secure, it was simply indecipherable.
However, several procedural flaws exposed the Enigma to cryptanalysis. In 1932, Poland's Biuro Szyfrow (Cipher Bureau) became convinced that mathematics could exploit these flaws and they eventually succeeded in breaking some of the early Enigma messages. Just before Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Poland passed its knowledge to the baffled French and British intelligence bureaus. The work of the Poles was vital, not only because of their pioneering work in mathematics, but also because it convinced other countries that it was actually possible to break the Enigma.
Armed with this new information, the British Government Code and Cipher School at Bletchley Park, employing over 7,000 people, eventually succeeded at breaking many of the Enigma machines and their coded messages. To keep their own work secret, the information contained in decoded messages was never used unless it could be confirmed by a second source. This information often played a decisive role during the war. Experts estimate that the breaking of Enigma shortened the war by at least two years. So successful were the Allies at decoding the Enigma, and then keeping it a secret, that German armed forces kept on using it during the entire war without any suspicion that their "indecipherable" machine had been solved.
The above information is from the operations manual for an Enigma simulator created by Dirk Rijmenants (Visit Link) which contains a more thorough history of the Enigma machine, and is likely a helpful resource to solve this puzzle, although there are others. It is hoped that, as you learn the inner workings of the Enigma machine while solving this puzzle, you gain an appreciation for its ingenuity, and the incredible amount of effort that went into breaking the Enigma codes, given the relatively limited tools of the time.
As the cache is (not) located in water, we'll use the infamous Kriegsmarine M4, the same version used by U-Boats in the Battle of the Atlantic, and one of the most difficult versions of the Enigma to solve. Attention to detail will be crucial here. Once you decipher the message and find the cache, you may be able to watch the comings and goings of die Boote.
Umkehrwalze (Select Machine)
UKW = B
Walzenlage (rotors)
Beta VI III V
Ringstellung (ringsetting)
10 02 14 23
Steckerverbindungen (Plug Connections)
AL CR DI FS HQ JV MT NX OZ PY
Grundstellung (Start Position)
L D P Y
SBDP IRVR DVSU XNFJ
OSWF AGYQ QJFP HEOS
RSGR ECNV ATIV CBXK
MAZI SOCU RBAW FURR
EDKQ TYKG OCMJ ZJIB
NOJR CDHJ BQPG ZZZQ
GTAD OZHB TIRD RRXM
KTPN PMKU GFIZ APCZ
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com. The cache is placed with Corps of Engineers and Kansas Dept. of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism permit at approximately 1140 feet. A fee is required to enter the park. The road is open to foot traffic, even if the gate is seasonally closed. A very obvious parking spot is near the gate and is included. A knowledge of local trails may be helpful.
***Congratulations to ADK-MamaDawn for First To Find!!***