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Whalley Drive, MILTON KEYNES, MK3 6HS

Colossus was the world's first electronic digital computer that was at all programmable. The Colossus computers were used by British codebreakers during World War II to help in the cryptanalysis of the Lorenz cipher. Without them, the Allies would have been deprived of the very valuable intelligence that was obtained from reading the vast quantity of encrypted high-level telegraphic messages between the German High Command (OKW) and their army commands throughout occupied Europe. Colossus used thermionic valves (vacuum tubes) to perform Boolean operations and calculations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer

The museum houses a rebuilt Colossus computer alongside an exhibition of the most complex code cracking activities performed at the Park, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_National_Museum_of_Computing Website: http://www.tnmoc.org/

The Colossus machines were electronic computing devices used by British codebreakers to read encrypted German wireless messages during World War II. The original machine was designed during 1943-4 by a team led by Tommy Flowers at the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill - the machine's Post Office roots are plainly evident in the Strowger-type relays, uniselectors and equipment racks that were then much in evidence in the UK's automatic telephone exchanges. Colossus machines (eventually there were ten in all) were the world's first programmable, digital, electronic, computing devices. They used thermionic valves (vacuum tubes), the fastest switching devices then available, to perform calculations aimed at deciphering German wireless traffic that was encrypted using the Lorenz SZ40/42 machine. In the absence of magnetic disc or semi-conductor technology, encrypted messages were read by Colossus at high speed using punched paper tape for storage and an optical reader. Following the end of WWII., most of the machines were taken apart and their components recycled, but two survived at GCHQ Cheltenham where they were used for various purposes until 1960. The fully-functional replica of a Colossus Mark 2, shown here and now on display at the National Museum of Computing (in H Block) Bletchley Park, was reconstructed by a team under the direction of Tony Sale, and completed in November 2007. For more detailed information on Colossus, see . . . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer This view is of the machine's paper tape storage device. The tape is the thin white ribbon, which forms a continuous loop moving at high speed over an optical reader. The tape holds teleprinter code (rows of punched holes read by the optical reader) representing the massage being de-ciphered. For other views of Colossus, see: Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image See also . . . . Image and Image

The Colossus machines were electronic computing devices used by British codebreakers to read encrypted German wireless messages during World War II. The original machine was designed during 1943-4 by a team led by Tommy Flowers at the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill - the machine's Post Office roots are plainly evident in the Strowger-type relays, uniselectors and equipment racks that were then much in evidence in the UK's automatic telephone exchanges. Colossus machines (eventually there were ten in all) were the world's first programmable, digital, electronic, computing devices. They used thermionic valves (vacuum tubes), the fastest switching devices then available, to perform calculations aimed at deciphering German wireless traffic that was encrypted using the Lorenz SZ40/42 machine. In the absence of magnetic disc or semi-conductor technology, encrypted messages were read by Colossus at high speed using punched paper tape for storage and an optical reader. Following the end of WWII., most of the machines were taken apart and their components recycled, but two survived at GCHQ Cheltenham where they were used for various purposes until 1960. The fully-functional replica of a Colossus Mark 2, shown here and now on display at the National Museum of Computing (in H Block) Bletchley Park, was reconstructed by a team under the direction of Tony Sale, and completed in November 2007. For more detailed information on Colossus, see . . . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer Banks of thermionic valves - the Mark 2 Colossus was equipped with over 2,400 valves - used for high-speed switching, are much in evidence on this equipment rack. For other views of Colossus, see: Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image See also . . . . Image and Image

The Colossus machines were electronic computing devices used by British codebreakers to read encrypted German wireless messages during World War II. The original machine was designed during 1943-4 by a team led by Tommy Flowers at the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill - the machine's Post Office roots are plainly evident in the Strowger-type relays, uniselectors and equipment racks that were then much in evidence in the UK's automatic telephone exchanges. Colossus machines (eventually there were ten in all) were the world's first programmable, digital, electronic, computing devices. They used thermionic valves (vacuum tubes), the fastest switching devices then available, to perform calculations aimed at deciphering German wireless traffic that was encrypted using the Lorenz SZ40/42 machine. In the absence of magnetic disc or semi-conductor technology, encrypted messages were read by Colossus at high speed using punched paper tape for storage and an optical reader. Following the end of WWII., most of the machines were taken apart and their components recycled, but two survived at GCHQ Cheltenham where they were used for various purposes until 1960. The fully-functional replica of a Colossus Mark 2, shown here and now on display at the National Museum of Computing (in H Block) Bletchley Park, was reconstructed by a team under the direction of Tony Sale, and completed in November 2007. For more detailed information on Colossus, see . . . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer A general view of the front of the machine. On the left-hand equipment rack are electro-mechanical components, the metal covers housing banks of Post-Office type relays, while near the top of the rack are a couple of banks of "uniselectors" (rotary switching devices). The centre rack appears to house manual switches and indicator lamps, while the right-hand rack is mostly taken up with banks of thermionic valves - the Mark 2 Colossus was equipped with over 2,400 valves - the fastest switching devices then available. For other views of Colossus, see: Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image See also . . . . Image and Image

The Colossus machines were electronic computing devices used by British codebreakers to read encrypted German wireless messages during World War II. The original machine was designed during 1943-4 by a team led by Tommy Flowers at the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill - the machine's Post Office roots are plainly evident in the Strowger-type relays, uniselectors and equipment racks that were then much in evidence in the UK's automatic telephone exchanges. Colossus machines (eventually there were ten in all) were the world's first programmable, digital, electronic, computing devices. They used thermionic valves (vacuum tubes), the fastest switching devices then available, to perform calculations aimed at deciphering German wireless traffic that was encrypted using the Lorenz SZ40/42 machine. In the absence of magnetic disc or semi-conductor technology, encrypted messages were read by Colossus at high speed using punched paper tape for storage and an optical reader. Following the end of WWII., most of the machines were taken apart and their components recycled, but two survived at GCHQ Cheltenham where they were used for various purposes until 1960. The fully-functional replica of a Colossus Mark 2, shown here and now on display at the National Museum of Computing (in H Block) Bletchley Park, was reconstructed by a team under the direction of Tony Sale, and completed in November 2007. For more detailed information on Colossus, see . . . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer This view is of the machine's paper tape storage device. The tape is the thin white ribbon, which forms a continuous loop moving at high speed over an optical reader. The tape holds teleprinter code (rows of punched holes read by the optical reader) representing the massage being de-ciphered. For other views of Colossus, see: Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image See also . . . . Image and Image

The Colossus machines were electronic computing devices used by British codebreakers to read encrypted German wireless messages during World War II. The original machine was designed during 1943-4 by a team led by Tommy Flowers at the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill - the machine's Post Office roots are plainly evident in the Strowger-type relays, uniselectors and equipment racks that were then much in evidence in the UK's automatic telephone exchanges. Colossus machines (eventually there were ten in all) were the world's first programmable, digital, electronic, computing devices. They used thermionic valves (vacuum tubes), the fastest switching devices then available, to perform calculations aimed at deciphering German wireless traffic that was encrypted using the Lorenz SZ40/42 machine. In the absence of magnetic disc or semi-conductor technology, encrypted messages were read by Colossus at high speed using punched paper tape for storage and an optical reader. Following the end of WWII., most of the machines were taken apart and their components recycled, but two survived at GCHQ Cheltenham where they were used for various purposes until 1960. The fully-functional replica of a Colossus Mark 2, shown here and now on display at the National Museum of Computing (in H Block) Bletchley Park, was reconstructed by a team under the direction of Tony Sale, and completed in November 2007. For more detailed information on Colossus, see . . . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer This view is of one of the equipment racks housing some of the computer's electro-mechanical components. Electro-mechanical relays are housed under the banks of covers; between them are manual switches, plug boards and indicator lamps; also some "uniselectors", a type of rotary switching device. For other views of Colossus, see: Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image See also . . . . Image and Image

The Colossus machines were electronic computing devices used by British codebreakers to read encrypted German wireless messages during World War II. The original machine was designed during 1943-4 by a team led by Tommy Flowers at the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill - the machine's Post Office roots are plainly evident in the Strowger-type relays, uniselectors and equipment racks that were then much in evidence in the UK's automatic telephone exchanges. Colossus machines (eventually there were ten in all) were the world's first programmable, digital, electronic, computing devices. They used thermionic valves (vacuum tubes), the fastest switching devices then available, to perform calculations aimed at deciphering German wireless traffic that was encrypted using the Lorenz SZ40/42 machine. In the absence of magnetic disc or semi-conductor technology, encrypted messages were read by Colossus at high speed using punched paper tape for storage and an optical reader. Following the end of WWII., most of the machines were taken apart and their components recycled, but two survived at GCHQ Cheltenham where they were used for various purposes until 1960. The fully-functional replica of a Colossus Mark 2, shown here and now on display at the National Museum of Computing (in H Block) Bletchley Park, was reconstructed by a team under the direction of Tony Sale, and completed in November 2007. For more detailed information on Colossus, see . . . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer A general view of the machine from the front. To the left is a teleprinter-type keyboard, behind which is an equipment rack housing banks of thermionic valves (shielded by the red covers) - The Mark 2 Colossus was equipped with over 2,400 valves - and a panel of rotary selectors. The central rack houses banks of relays (behind the metal covers) and a couple of motor "uniselectors" (a high-speed electro-mechanical rotary selector). The nearest rack houses yet more electro-mechanical switches, manual switches, plug-boards and indicator lamps. For other views of Colossus, see: Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image See also . . . . Image and Image

The Colossus machines were electronic computing devices used by British codebreakers to read encrypted German wireless messages during World War II. The original machine was designed during 1943-4 by a team led by Tommy Flowers at the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill - the machine's Post Office roots are plainly evident in the Strowger-type relays, uniselectors and equipment racks that were then much in evidence in the UK's automatic telephone exchanges. Colossus machines (eventually there were ten in all) were the world's first programmable, digital, electronic, computing devices. They used thermionic valves (vacuum tubes), the fastest switching devices then available, to perform calculations aimed at deciphering German wireless traffic that was encrypted using the Lorenz SZ40/42 machine. In the absence of magnetic disc or semi-conductor technology, encrypted messages were read by Colossus at high speed using punched paper tape for storage and an optical reader. Following the end of WWII., most of the machines were taken apart and their components recycled, but two survived at GCHQ Cheltenham where they were used for various purposes until 1960. The fully-functional replica of a Colossus Mark 2, shown here and now on display at the National Museum of Computing (in H Block) Bletchley Park, was reconstructed by a team under the direction of Tony Sale, and completed in November 2007. For more detailed information on Colossus, see . . . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer A close-up of some of the computer's thermionic valves - the Mark 2 Colossus was equipped with over 2,400 valves; in the days before solid-state integrated circuits, valves were the fastest switching devices available and their use continued into the early generations of commercial programmable computers. Today the circuitry shown here could be accommodated easily on a micro-chip. For other views of Colossus, see: Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image; Image See also . . . . Image and Image