Station HYPO

The Advent of U.S. Naval Cryptology

Although my part in the Battle of Midway was very small, I appreciate this opportunity to relate to you some of the more important achievements of my contemporary naval cryptologists that made the success of the Battle of Midway possible. As a current member of the Naval Security Group, you can take pride in the great accomplishments of your predecessors, not only related to the Battle of Midway but long before World War II as well as throughout World War II. There are not many naval cryptologic veterans alive today that were involved in providing the communications intelligence information that gave our inferior forces on land, sea and especially in the air the equalizer of knowing the composition of enemy forces, and when and where those huge Japanese forces would attack U.S. territory under Admiral Yamamoto’s grandiose invasion plan.

The Rota facility became fully operational on May 31, 1963 and was disestablished on June 6, 2005.

Most of Commanding Officers:

CTR1 (EXW) Michael J. Strange, USN
June 6, 1986 – August 6, 2011

Cryptologic Technician (Collection) 1st Class (EXW) Michael J. Strange hailed from the historic city of Philadelphia. Many rightfully consider the city of Boston as the “cradle of liberty”, but it is also true that the city on the banks of the Schuylkill River played a critical role in securing the nation’s freedom. Today, the city of Philadelphia looks very different from the time when men like Franklin and Lafayette walked its streets, but despite the centuries that have passed, the city continues to produce patriots who are willing to defend the nation in times of peril.