The Secret Code-Breakers of Central Bureau
Description
A groundbreaking work of Australian military history, The Code-Breakers of Central Bureau tells the story of the country's significant code-breaking and signals-intelligence achievements during the Second World War. It reveals how Australians built a large and sophisticated intelligence network from scratch, how Australian code-breakers cracked Japanese army and air force codes, and how the code-breakers played a vital role in the battles of Midway, Milne Bay, the Coral Sea, Hollandia, and Leyte.
The book also reveals Australian involvement in the shooting down of Admiral Yamamoto near Bougainville in 1943, and how on 14 August 1945, following Japan's offer of surrender, an Australian intelligence officer established the Allies' first direct radio contact with Japan since the war had begun.
This is a rich historical account of a secret and little-understood side of the war, interwoven with lively personalities and personal stories. It is the story of Australia's version of Bletchley Park, of talented and dedicated individuals who significantly influenced the course of the Pacific War.
More details
Person
Content
Abbreviations
Prologue: Names in the dirt
1939
1. The fires of a distant war
2. Tropical sickness
1940
3. Code Club
4. Sailor Jack
1941
5. A wireless unit in Greece
6. A purple jacket on Crete
7. Mrs Mac and her girls in green
8. Fabian's tunnel
9. Stone frigates
10. The Special Intelligence Bureau
11. East wind, rain
12. East wind, clear
1942
13. Escape from Manila Bay
14. Beirut bookshops
15. The secrets of the Coral Sea
16. Cranleigh
17 Morse and Kana Code
18. Traffic
19. Leaks
20. Nyrambla
21. Wet boots
1943
22. Sausages and sandshoes
23. Planes in daylight
24. Computing machines
25. Killing Yamamoto
26. Noon positions
27. Kaindi
28. Joe Sherr's final flight
29. Cartwheels
1944
30. The Sio box
31. Pappy Clark goes to Washington
32. Hollandia
33. The Yoshimo Maru
34. Biak
35. A view of Humboldt Bay
36. The Battle of Morotai
37. Akin's secret unit
1945
38. Spies
39. Lingayan Gulf
40. The expanding web
41. The paper war over women
42. Tarlac
43. The Garage: a cryptological love story
44. All eyes on Kyushu
45. The mushroom cloud
46. A message for the emperor
47. Peace in the Pacific
48. Radio silence
1946 and beyond
49. Secret medals
50. Return to Nyrambla
Bibliography
Notes
Acknowledgements
Name Index
Subject Index