The Waterline May 10, 2012
Vol. XXIX No.19
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NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
Cracking the code that would win a war By Benjamin Christensen NDW Waterline writer
By breaking a code, they unlocked victory. Station HYPO, also known as Fleet Radio Unit Pacific, won one of the greatest battles of the war: the battle of intelligence. Naval Intelligence has a long and proud history in the United States' armed forces, and they certainly proved their value during the days leading up to what would become one of the greatest naval victories of all time: the Battle of Midway. The Battle of Midway is being commemorated this year for its 70th anniversary. The battle, which took place from June 4-8 1942, was a turning point in the Pacific War and arguably set the stage for the United States to help win the Second World War. A ceremony will be taking place at the Navy Memorial located on Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 7th Street Northwest and 9th Street Northwest in downtown Washington on June 4. The battle is noted as being
the first real turning point in the war, and the first decisive victory by the United States in the war with Japan. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) had already made broad strokes in the Pacific, beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor, the invasion of the Philippines, Malaya and Singapore, the Battle of Wake Island and recently a tactical victory at Coral Sea. With these victories, however, came a sort of overconfidence of the Imperial Fleet, and they first started to show weakness with the breaking of JN-25, the naval cryptography used by the Japanese navy in 1942. Although it wasn't the first Japanese code to be broken by U.S. forces, nor the last, it was supremely important. JN-25, as it was called by American intelligence officers, was used for high-importance transmissions, such as ship movement and other commands. Preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor, JN-25 was sparsely used due to the lack of any large operations in the Pacific, which gave American cryptanalysts little to work with. Although the United
States had cracked the PURPLE code, used by the Japanese Foreign Office, ultra-nationalists in the armed forces did not trust the diplomatic service and did not transmit much for the U.S. to work with. JN-25 also had a tendency to change, and almost every adjustment lead to a new start for intelligence teams at HYPO. Also, leading up to Midway with sister intelligence stations being threatened by Japanese advance, HYPO was placed under extreme pressure to crack the code. Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Rochefort, the head of the HYPO station, pushed his team for 36-hour shifts, and has been reported to have worked in his bathrobe and shown up to briefings and meetings disheveled. "By the middle of March 1942, two viable naval radio intelligence centers existed in the Pacific: one in Melbourne, Australia [FRUMEL], and one, HYPO, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii... The center on Corregidor was no longer affiliated with a fleet command, and
See Code, Page 5
U.S. Navy photo courtesy Naval History and Heritage Command
Lt. Cmdr. Joseph J. Rochefort, who led and handpicked many of the key codebreakers at station HYPO who correctly deciphered Japanese intentions at Midway. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his crucial contribution to the victory at Midway.
Asian Americans in the Navy: Adm. Gordon Chung-Hoon Benjamin Christensen NDW Waterline writer
U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class Robert C. Foster Jr.
Sailors man the rails aboard the Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS ChungHoon (DDG 93), while passing the battleship USS Missouri in her homeport of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The ship is named in honor of Rear Adm. Gordon Paie'a Chung-Hoon, who was born and raised in Hawaii and awarded the Navy Cross and Silver Star for gallantry as Commanding Officer of USS Sigsbee during the Battle of Okinawa.
Becoming the first Asian-American flag officer is quite the accomplishment. Asians and Pacific Islanders have a proud tradition in the U.S. Navy and in the armed forces as a whole. Their influence has been felt far and wide in the Navy and has ultimately provided a strong effort in a global force for good. Rear Adm. Gordon Pai'ea Chung-Hoon was born on July 25, 1910, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The second youngest of five Chung-Hoon children, he attended the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated in May 1934. While at the Naval Academy, he was a valued member of the Navy Football team. Rear Adm. Chung-Hoon is a recipient of the Navy Cross and Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary
NSWC Carderock Division Participates in U.S. Science & Engineering Festival By Nicholas Malay NSWCCD PAO The all-encompassing 2nd Annual United States of America Science & Engineering Festival (USASEF) was the largest of its kind held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on April 28-29. The festival featured over 3,000 fun interactive exhibits, more than 100 stage shows and 33 author presentations. “The USA Science & Engineering Festival brings together families and teachers with scientist and engineers to practice hands-on activities,” said NSWC Carderock
See Asian, Page 6
See Festival, Page 2
Inside Link directly to the NDW Facebook page on your smart phone
Navy/Coast Guard Swims for Gold at Warrior Games, Page 3
Know the Dangers of Predatory Lenders, Page 7