| OP-20-G | |
|---|---|
| Active | July 1, 1922 - July 10, 1946 |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Type | Code and Signal Section |
| Role | Signals intelligence Cryptanalysis |
| Garrison/HQ | Navy Department building, Washington, D.C. |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Captain Laurance Safford Captain Joseph Rochefort Captain John R. Redman |
OP-20-G or "Office of Chief Of Naval Operations (OPNAV), 20th Division of the Office of Naval Communications, G Section / Communications Security", was the U.S. Navy's signals intelligence and cryptanalysis group during World War II. Its mission was to intercept, decrypt, and analyze naval communications from Japanese, German, and Italian navies. In addition OP-20-G also copied diplomatic messages of many foreign governments. The majority of the section's effort was directed towards Japan and included breaking the early Japanese "Blue" book fleet code. This was made possible by intercept and High Frequency Direction Finder (HFDF) sites in the Pacific, Atlantic, and continental U.S., as well as a Japanese telegraphic code school for radio operators in Washington, D.C.