Question
In the scene from The Imitation Game, where they are able to crack engima, Alan convinces his teammates to not prevent the next attack.
He says something like:
Lie to somebody when they are expecting to be lied.
What does the above line mean?
And how is preventing this particular attack riskier than preventing any future attack?
Answer
How is preventing this particular attack riskier than preventing any future attack?
The answer is given at 2:05 in the video. If the British suddenly attack the U-boat:
"The Germans will know we have broken Enigma."
"They'll stop all radio communications by mid-day, and they will change the design of Enigma by week-end."
The Germans will quickly realize there was no other way that the British could have learned about the attack. They will realize that the British must have cracked the secret Enigma code.
The Germans would then cease all radio communications, and change Enigma within days. If they do that, the British will lose this incredible military advantage that they have. It could take years before they could crack the upgraded version of Enigma, and there's no guarantee that they actually could crack it. The value of being able to decipher the coded German messages, and thereby having an advantage in every future battle and probably the war, outweighs the value of preventing this one attack. It's tragic but logical.
Answered By - BrettFromLA
