GCHQ has unveiled previously unseen images of Colossus, the UK’s secret code-breaking computer that played a crucial role in the Allies’ victory in World War Two. The intelligence agency has released the images to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the device’s creation. Considered by many to be the first digital computer, Colossus was kept under wraps until the early 2000s. The newly published pictures provide fresh insights into the origins and workings of Colossus. The release also includes blueprints of its inner workings, a letter referencing intercepted German instructions, and an audio clip of the machine in action. By the end of the war, Colossus had decrypted 63 million characters of high-grade German messages, significantly shortening the war and saving lives.
Not for human consumption
