SG 41 Cyphor Machine that superseded the Enigma

 

Buying medals and militaria directly from you online since 2001.

David Mattey of WW2 Buyer has specialised in vintage military firearms (deactivated and antique), uniforms, equipment, medals, badges, bayonets, swords and books for 40 years.

SG 41
Inventing startet in 1941 in the Wanderer-works in Chemnitz, Germany. Wanderer was known for bicycles as well as for typewriters and calculating machines.

An important circle of the German intelligence groups decided, that Enigma is not secure enough.

They wanted to get a better machine than Enigma. So the invention of SG 41 started.

As a result  of raw-material shortages the production of SG 41 started in 1944 and not earlier.

 

There was an order for 10 000 machines. But this was cut to 500 or 1000 machines some months later (material problems). Finally (this is an information from an historian from the british intelligence service) about 100 machines only were delivered to the German navy.

Today may exist up to 10 machines in working order. 2 of these are in private hands.

 

There are some more machines, what were dropped into the ocean by the german navy at the end of WW II. All these machines are badly corroded and overall rusty.
This machine was optically restored by an expert.

This expert is the restorer for several museums in Europe, as for Nixdorf Computer Museum in Paderborn, Germany or Mitterhofer Typewriter Museum in Parcines, Italy or for important auction houses.