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How Allies Used Math Against German Tanks

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the tanks-for-the-memories dept.

Pepebuho writes "This an article about how the allies were able to estimate the number of German tanks produced in World War 2 based on the serial numbers of the tanks. Neat! Godwin does not apply."

2 of 330 comments (clear)

  1. Don't start counting at 1 by ZipK · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have an uncle with a small lighting business. He has one truck, proudly labeled #6. I guess the German's didn't think about their tanks as an advertising canvas.

  2. Re:Note for world domination: encrypt serial no.'s by DerekLyons · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That's exactly why the Soviet Navy gave their ships non-sequential pennant (hull) numbers, and frequently re-assigned them. They would also sometimes paint one number on one side of the bow, and different on the other.
     
    Security is a difficult business.
     
    Intelligence can also be a weird business... I once read an account of how the CIA broke into a warehouse rented by the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City in order to examine (very closeup and very clandestinely) a high fidelity mock-up/prototype of a satellite the Soviets had on tour. The idea was to gather information on any real cable, connectors, or other hardware on the bird - as well as to collect any serial numbers, drawing numbers, etc.. that they could find. (It's not uncommon for such to contain 'real' items that have been discarded from production or operational use.)
     
    You'd be surprised what a trained and knowledgeable analyst can derive from just a few seemingly unconnected bits of information.