Station HYPO

5224 S. Annie Oakley Dr.
Las Vegas, Nevada 89120
8 March 1982

Mr. George G. Henriksen
Director, Security Division (G-12)
Headquarters, Naval Security Group

Dear George:

It has been some time since we have touched base. This brings back fond memories to ’63 when I first retired from twenty-nine years active duty and commenced my second career as a Security Specialist within G-12, thanks to your personal interest and sponsorship. Training and experience gained as a member of your staff served me well over the years and followed through to my final Federal retirement of over 44 years in 1978. I will always be grateful for your influence and support.

George, the enclosed letter of 5 Feb 1982 from a Michi WIGLYN finally reached me via NSA and the Naval History Division. This individual is unknown to me. In accordance with current NSGH policy I have not responded to this inquiry. I have no intention of conducting any direct communications or interviews with any media representatives writers, researchers, etc., concerning the Winds Code Execute episode. As in the case of John Toland’s initial inquiry they were and will be, referred to your office.

The probability of additional questions arising out of my released Testimony, i. e., John Costello’s “The Pacific War” suggests the need for advanced prepared answers/material. Some of WEGLYN’s questions are answered within the twenty-one pages of material, plus the three pages of footnotes, as submitted for John Toland’s treatise and cleared by NSGH after minor policy and security deletions. See Nick Ferro’s ltr 23 Jul 1981 and RADM P. W. Dillingham’s ltr of 29 Sep 1981 to Toland in your files.

I have tried to be as factual as possible in recalling the events that transpired over 40 years ago, although limited and impaired by the passage of time, events and age. The more I dwell on this matter the more certain that new questions arise that beg answers. It is indeed regrettable that Ray Schmidt failed to interview “DW” on this matter prior to his death. I felt certain then, and still do, that he might have opened up and revealed the truth and his role in this episode. He visited NSGH on several occasions and it would have been a simple matter to show him my testimony and record his comments.  See page nineteen of the twenty-one pages in which I made that specific recommendation while “DW” was still alive.

There are some additional recollections and explanations on my part that may clarify current and anticipated questions or challenges bound to surface:

Q: How was the critical information passed from Station M to OP-20G and if the traffic was copied 2 Dec 1941 why the long delay in acknowledgement on 5 or 6 Dec 1941?

A: Strategic, urgent or priority traffic was transmitted to OP-20G via a direct landline teletypewriter (page printer). If the message as first reported was intercepted on 4, Dec 1941 it would have arrived that same morning within seconds as Safford so testified.  If received on 2 Dec 1941 there is no accounting for the delay.

Q: Both Safford and Kramer initially testified that the Winds Code Execute was received on 4 Dec 1941, so why the reference to a possible receipt on 2 Dec 1941, what Proof?

A: Briggs states that in 1960-62, as Officer in Charge of the Naval Security Group Detachment at the depository for all U. S. Naval WWII Communication Intelligence (COMINT) archives, he conducted a search and reviewed all Station M intercept logs and traffic he could locate. He found nothing on the intercept of 4 Dec 1941.  He then proceeded to search through material prior to 4 Dec 1941.  Thus he discovered the “Orange” operators sign-on and sign-off log sheet for 2 Dec 1941, but no confirming intercepted traffic was located. This led Briggs to assume and conclude perhaps the Winds Code Execute might have been intercepted on 2 Dec and not the 4th. His conclusions were also based on: (1) the Japanese without warning executed a complete Navy-wide call sign and crypto change on 1 Dec 1941 and, based on past historical Japanese Fleet operations and doctrine this could be an additional alert that hostilities were about to be undertaken; and (2) he recalled that it was also on 1 Dec 1941 (2 Dec Tokyo date) that the code message “NIITAKA YAMA NOBORE” (Climb Mt. Niitaka) was transmitted to ADM NAGUMO’s Pearl Harbor Strike Force at the mid-way point, indicating there was no turning back and the attack was confirmed.

In retrospect Briggs now believes these conclusions on his part although the elements were true that he considered, were sufficiently speculative and hypothetical, and lacking in hard evidence. The only positive gain in recovery of the 2 Dec 1941 orange operators watch standers log is the reconstruction of the four-man Orange operators, assigned to the Winds Code Execute mission and proof of the TOYOHATA Press and Weather BC coverage during the period of 1 through 7 Dec 1941.

Q: Why is there no other confirming intercept of the Winds Code Execute message from at least one of the other Navy intercept stations?

A: There is no specific or satisfying answer to this one. Briggs states that when he first reported to Station M in mid-Sep 1941, the only Japanese coverage there consisted of the Tokyo-Washington Diplomatic circuits. With fresh field background he was assigned by the chief in charge to random search. The results revealed solid copy at station M of some Japanese circuits in which other field stations had encountered poor to fade out conditions during the same period. OP-20G evaluated these findings and made certain frequency assignments and, in one instance coverage of the TOYOHATA Press & Weather BC was assigned to Station M. This does not imply that the TOYOHATA coverage at the other field stations was cancelled. It does suggest that this BC frequency intercepted at Station M on 4 Dec 1941 may have experienced a fade out to poor (unreadable) reception on the west coast and in the Pacific areas.

Q: What happened to all the traffic copied at Station M on the dates of the reported intercept of 4 Dec 1941?  Did Station M keep copies of the logs and traffic up to a certain date then forward them to OP-20G?

A: It is believed that in the case of traffic intercepted on 4 Dec 1941, as soon as Safford confirmed he had a genuine advance teletype copy of the reported intercept he immediately contacted the station and requested back up of the complete logs and all traffic for that particular date and period on the TOYOHATA coverage. Later he is reported to have ordered a further search of all traffic for the entire week of 1 through 7 1941. This may account for the fact that no copies of the logs or intercepted traffic could be found in station M files. Those particular papers, logs and intercepts believed pertinent to the Winds Code Execute were bundled up and sent to the Congressional Hearings by Safford at a later date. He stated this was the last time he ever saw the Winds Code Execute. It is significant that none of this material ever found it’s way back to OP-20G or the depository for all WWII COMINT archives.

Some additional information may be found in copies of correspondence between Roy Shoals and the undersigned which passed via NSGH.  These are Shaol’s letter to Briggs dated 15 Aug 1981, and Briggs’s letter to Shoals dated 16 Sep 1981.  The last paragraph of my ltr reads: “OP-009C has my permission to reproduce this for their records if they so desire.” Shoals permission for release of his comments and information may be necessary.

Well George, I trust this will be of some assistance to you and your staff. Hopefully it will not burden you.