Breaking the Code

Directions:

Read the explanation about the Navajo code talkers who helped win the campaign in the Pacific during WW2. Then do the work that follows.

During the period when the Dawes Act was in the force, the U.S. government discouraged the use of traditional Indian languages. Nevertheless, many Indians continued to speak these languages. In World War I the U.S. Army confused the Germans by using the Choctaw language to send coded messages. And in World War II another secret code—based on the Navajo language—helped save the lives of U.S. marines who had to capture Pacific Islands such as Guadalcanal, Tinian, Saipan, Bougainville, Iwo Jima, and Tarawa. Find out more real code words at the Navajo Code Talkers' Dictionary.

Here’s a coded message that was actually flashed from one Navajo code talker to another during the Pacific campaign: "A-woh Tkin Ts-a Yeh-hes Wola-chee A-chen Al-tah-je-jay Khut" See if you can decode this message, using the information below. Hints: This message consists of three words: only the first letter of the English meaning is used to spell out the names of places.

Coded Message

Navajo Words/English Meanings

A-woh _____________ A-chen: nose Khut: ready

Tkin _____________ Al-tah-je-jay: attack Tkin: ice

Ts-a _____________ Atsah-besh-gain: colonel Ts-a: needle

Yhe-hes _____________ A-woh: tooth Tsidi-ney-ye-hi: Aircraft carrier

Wola-chee _____________ Canaa: war Wola-chee: ant

A-chen _____________ Din-neh-ih: corps Yeh-hes: ant

Al-tah-je-jay _____________ Gina: dive bomber

Khut _____________

Write your own coded message here:
Have a friend decode it here:

Directions:

U.S. Naval Intelligence played a vital role in the war in the Pacific. By intercepting and decoding enemy messages, they learned that the Japanese intended to attack Midway Island. American carriers were then secretly sent to Midway. Instead of finding Midway relatively defenseless, the Japanese were surprised by a major sea battle and lost four carriers. Many feel that the Japanese defeat at Midway was the turning point of the war in the Pacific.

How did Naval Intelligence officers break the code, even when it was changed periodically? They intercepted and analyzed many messages. Once they identified certain often-used words and letters, the others became easier to figure out.

Would you like to try you hand at breaking a code? At the bottom of this page is a number-coded message about the Battle of Midway. A partly completed code key is just above the message. Fill in as much of the message as you can, using the given part of the key. Now guess the missing letters in the words that are almost complete. Add this information to your code key so you can use it to figure out more of the message. HINT: After filling in the given code letters, look for the word Midway. It will look like this: _ I _ _ A _.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M

5 2

N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

11 13

__	__	__	__	__	__		__	__	__	__		__	__		__	__	__	__	__	__	__	__
6	12	24	9	5	15		9	12	17	17		14	2		5	13	13	5	19	22	2	24

__	__		__	__	__	__		__	__	__	__	__		__	__	__	__	__	__		__	__
21	11		4	20	11	2		13	25	26	2	2		2	23	16	2	19	13		11	21

__	__	__	__	__	__	__	__		__	__	__	__	__	__	__	__		__	__		__	__	__
5	6	2	26	12	19	5	11		19	5	26	26	12	2	26	8		12	11		13	25	2

__	__	__	__		__		__	__	__	__		__	__	__	__	__	__	__		__	__	__
5	26	2	5		5		8	20	26	2		1	12	19	13	21	26	15		10	21	26

__	__	__	__	__
4	5	16	5	11