At the beginning of code-breaking training, women were taught the history of codes and ciphers. They had to be taught: math, science, and foreign languages, which included: Italian, Japanese, and German. Not only did these women have to be smart enough to break codes, but they also had to be smart enough to break the Axis Powers' codes which were in a foreign language.
Germany's ENIGMA Machine. Wikipedia, unkown
BOMBE machine demonstartion , youtube.
The German's used a powerful encryption generated from their Enigma machine. The code-breakers were trained to operate machines such as the Bombe and the Sigaba. The Sigaba machine was just like the Germans’ Enigma but less portable. These women would use the Sigaba to crack the encryption and generate a key. The Bombe machine then used the key to decipher the intercepted communications.
United States' SIGABA Machine. Crypto Museum, unknown.