Colossus: The World's First Large-Scale Electronic Digital Computer - Part 1 | Bletchley Park

On 18 January 1944, Bletchley Park took receipt of a machine so big, it was rightly called Colossus. This was the world's first large-scale electronic digital computer.

These machines were designed and built to help the Codebreakers at Bletchley Park in their work on Lorenz, the German's most fiendish cipher.

In this video, the first part of our series on Colossus, Research Officer Dr Thomas Chetham explains how Lorenz worked and why a computer was needed to solve it.

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About Bletchley Park - Bletchley Park is a vibrant heritage attraction and museum, open daily to visitors. It was the home of British World War Two codebreaking; a place where technological innovation and human endeavour came together to make ground-breaking achievements that have helped shape the world we live in today.

This unique site was previously a vast Victorian estate, where parts including the Mansion still survive, expanding during wartime to accommodate Codebreakers' Huts and Blocks. During World War Two, the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS), now known as the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), was based at Bletchley Park.

It grew from a small team of specialists to a vast intelligence factory of thousands of dedicated women and men. This extraordinary combination of brilliant and determined people and cutting-edge technology contributed significantly to Allied victory. In tough conditions, they provided vital intelligence and developed pioneering technological innovations that had a direct and profound influence on the outcome of the war.

The site continues to reveal secrets and tell fascinating stories of our national legacy. The Bletchley Park Trust - Bletchley Park Trust is a registered charity, heritage attraction and independent museum. As an independent charity, we rely on income from our visitors, Friends and supporters to secure the long-term future of the site.

Registered charity number: 1012743

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