# Purple

> Japanese diplomatic code named Purple by the US

**Wikidata**: [Q1197850](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1197850)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_B_Cipher_Machine)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/purple

## Summary
Purple was the US codename for the Japanese Type B Cipher Machine, an electromechanical encryption device used for diplomatic communications. This secure cryptoprocessor was a significant target for Allied codebreakers during World War II due to the sensitive nature of the information it protected.

## Key Facts
- **Designation:** Named "Purple" by US intelligence.
- **Official Name:** Type B Cipher Machine (九七式欧文印字機, Kyūnana-shiki Ōbun Insu-ki).
- **Classification:** Secure cryptoprocessor.
- **Image:** Available at [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Type_97_-_Purple.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Type_97_-_Purple.jpg).
- **Aliases:** Code POURPRE, Machine PURPLE, Code Purple, 九七式欧文印刷機, 紫色密碼, 紫色密码机, 九七式拉丁语密码机, 九七式拉丁語密碼機.
- **Freebase ID:** /m/0db1b.
- **Wikipedia Title:** Type B Cipher Machine.
- **Wikidata Description:** Japanese diplomatic code named Purple by the US.
- **Sitelink Count:** 17 (across Wikimedia projects).
- **Commons Category:** PURPLE cipher machine.

## FAQs
### Q: What was Purple?
A: Purple was the US codename for the Japanese Type B Cipher Machine, an electromechanical secure cryptoprocessor used for high-level diplomatic communications before and during World War II.

### Q: Who used Purple?
A: The Japanese government used the Type B Cipher Machine (Purple) exclusively for its diplomatic communications.

### Q: Why was Purple important historically?
A: Purple was critically important during World War II because breaking its encryption provided Allied intelligence (notably MAGIC) with significant insights into Japanese diplomatic strategy and intentions, such as plans for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

## Why It Matters
Purple represents a major milestone in the history of cryptanalysis and signal intelligence during World War II. The successful decryption of Purple-coded messages by the US and Allied codebreakers, primarily at the Signals Intelligence Service (SIS) and the US Army's Communications Branch, provided invaluable intelligence known as MAGIC. This intelligence directly influenced strategic decisions, including the warning signs prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent naval engagements in the Pacific. The effort to break Purple highlighted the profound impact of cryptography on modern warfare and established precedents for future intelligence operations, underscoring the constant technological arms race in securing communications versus breaking codes. Its study remains essential for understanding intelligence history and the evolution of encryption technologies.

## Notable For
- Being the Japanese diplomatic machine specifically targeted and broken by Allied cryptanalysts before and during World War II.
- Its complex electromechanical design, utilizing stepping switches and specialized wiring, which made it significantly harder to break than earlier Japanese diplomatic ciphers like Red.
- Its role in enabling the MAGIC decrypts, a source of high-level intelligence that gave the Allies a substantial advantage.
- Its official designation as the Type B Cipher Machine within the Japanese military and diplomatic systems.

## Body

### Technical Overview
- The Purple machine was classified as a **secure cryptoprocessor**.
- Its technical name was the **Type B Cipher Machine** (九七式欧文印字機, Kyūnana-shiki Ōbun Insu-ki).
- It was an **electromechanical encryption device**.

### Origins and Purpose
- It was developed and used by **Japanese diplomatic authorities**.
- Its sole purpose was the **encryption and decryption of high-level diplomatic communications**.
- The US intelligence community assigned the codename **Purple** to this Japanese diplomatic code system and machine.

### Significance and Impact
- The ability to decrypt Purple-coded messages provided the Allies with a critical intelligence source known as **MAGIC**.
- This intelligence was vital for **strategic military decisions**, including informing US policymakers about Japanese diplomatic intentions leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
- Breaking Purple was a major achievement in the **history of cryptanalysis** during World War II.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013