Cipher Devices

Cipher Devices

 Cipher Devices are designed to make codes unreadable to anyone but the person meant to receive it. This is usually done by switching letters and numbers with other letters to making it look like a jumbled up mess of letters and numbers to anyone who reads it.

In 1934, a man named Boris Hegelian invented a cipher machine for the french secret service. During World War II, over 14,000 of the machines were made for the U.S.

Today, cipher devices are still being used. The most simple one used is made of two wheels, one inside another.

Others are more complicated, using 25 or more whhiles to make a cipher.

Invisible Ink Pen

Invisible Ink Pen

When you want to send a spy report without the enemy reading it you write in code. But if someone discovered the code, it will be pretty suspicious. If you want to write something that the enemy will not read, invisible ink is the way to go.

Invisible ink has been used for almost a century. It was first used by the Romans. It was made from milk of the thithymallus plant. In the Revolutionary war, they used sulfate and water to create invisible ink. Some wrote in lemon juice or vinegar. Today we use invisible ink that can be read under a blacklight.

Invisible ink is often written between the lines of letters, notes, and even music sheets. But people are always thinking of new ways to write with invisible ink. In world war I, a woman was discovered carrying an invisible ink message on her back! Once, invisible in was found written on the petals of a flower.

You can make your own invisible ink too.

Concealment devices

Concealment devices

A spy does not simply snap pictures of the enemy with their camera or carry their assassination weapon out in the open. They do not pass along secret codes as if they were simple pieces of paper. They hide them, conceal them. They do this depending on where they are and what they want to do.

For example, If you were working undercover in an office and you wanted to snap a picture of the man in charge without him knowing you would hide a camera in your coat button or perhaps your tie.

Spies have been using concealed cameras, codes, and weapons for a very long time. They have been using concealment devices for as far back as World War I when the first secret message was written on the back of a button; because one of the most important things about being a spy is making sure no one knows you're a spy. One of the first concealed cameras was hidden by a button. The camera lens was hidden behind a coat button. Later spies started putting listening devices and cameras inside the buttons.

Listening devices are often called “bugs” because they are so small (and often unwanted). Their size makes them perfect for concealment. They are often hidden in pens, coins, Jewelry, and other small objects. Once a man hid a listening device penny in the pocket of a someone he planned to spy on. The problem was, he spent it before the man could listen in on anything!

Cameras are slightly harder to conceal because they have to be out in the open to take pictures and videos while listening devices can be in a pocket or even in the next room. Cameras can be hidden inside walls, stuffed animals, figurines, clocks, household plants, paintings, or anything with holes.

Spies also use concealment to hide weapons. Since they usually have to carry weapons with them, they are concealed in everyday things things that you take everywhere with you like your umbrella, lipstick, ring, or even your shoes.

In 1978 Georgi Markov criticized the Bulgarian government and was assassinated. He was jabbed in the leg by a man with an umbrella- a poison umbrella! There have been cases of poison rings, poison tea, and in World War II, bombs disguised as lumps of coal. There are even shoes with hidden blades.

Ian Fleming

Ian Fleming

Ian Fleming is the writer of the popular spy novals, James Bond. In the book, James travles the world on Top Secret missions, useing spy gadgets and cetching bad guys.

But what few people know is Ian is a spy himself.

He began working for Navel Intellagance in 1939. He worked his way to the top, taking the rank of Lieutenant and than Commander. He soon began to work with one of britians best spymasters, Admiral John Godfrey. He was sent out on many dangrous missions. Some of his writing even relates to people he's known and exsperances he's had.

He was also veary good with words, he wrote many Memos and reports. Some said that he made reports with dry boring subjects almost enjoyeble to read. 14 years after he started spying, he published his first James Bond Noval. He published many more through the next 12 years. Sadly, he died August 12, 1964 at the age of 56 due to heart failier.

Juan Pujol

Juan Pujol

Juan Pujol was a man with no spying experience. He did not like the war and he wanted to do something about it. In World War II he offered to work as a spy for the British but was turned down. So he went to German counter intelligence . They recruited him right away. He told them he had set up a successful spy ring in London and that he was sending messages to Lisbon via, a courier who flew for KLM airlines. He made up names for all of the spies in his ring and stories to go along with them. They believed him.

The British, hearing this news, excepted his offer and became allies. He was taken to London were he worked with a man named Thomas Harris. Together, they made up spies and stories. They used these “spies” to feed the Germans false information. The Germans even sent the false spies of missions. Until after the war, the Germans never found out. He was even awarded an Iron Cross!

Mata Hari

Mata Hari

Margaretha Zelle is one of the most famous spies in the world. While some spies stayed hidden from the prying eyes of the enemy and collected their information in secret, others tried to lay low live among the enemy as best they could without being noticed. Margaretha had a different point of view. After she divorced her husband in 1905, she began spying for the Germans during World War I. She took the stage name Mata Hari meaning “eye of the dawn” and“sun”. She claimed to be a princess from Java and began dancing for French officers. Her dancing was a hit with the soldiers.

No one suspected her as a spy for many reasons. After all, if she was a spy she would hide, right? She wouldn't dance for everyone to see. Plus she was a woman! She was not German, she was Dutch and part Japanese. She was only based in Germany. Sometimes the best place to hide is out in the open. Being a “princess” she lived alongside high ranking military officers. This gave her a perfect way to collect information for the Germans. The Germans paid her to spy on the French but she was never devoted to the cause. In fact, when the French offered her a position spying on the Germans, she didn't refuse. Now Margaretha was a double agent.

Not for long. Soon after she was discovered by the French and was sentenced to death. On Oct. 15, 1917, the day of the shooting, she ordered a new dress and gloves. She refused a blindfold and blew a kiss at the firing squad.