AN-M64 500 lb Bomb

[NineLine]

So does anyone know, based in fact, if the AN-M64 whistled when it was dropped?

[Nealius]

My purely speculative take on the whistling noise from "falling bombs" was a myth started by the Stuka dive-bombers. If I remember correctly the Stukas had a whistling device installed in the wings for psychological warfare and I guess people mistook the whistling noise as coming from the bomb instead of the aircraft.

[NineLine]

Some of the reading I am doing is saying that it was used as a psychological thing, on the Stuka of course with the siren but also on some bombs, but it sounds like most if not all US bombs did not whistle.

[Flagrum]

My purely speculative take on the whistling noise from "falling bombs" was a myth started by the Stuka dive-bombers. If I remember correctly the Stukas had a whistling device installed in the wings for psychological warfare and I guess people mistook the whistling noise as coming from the bomb instead of the aircraft.

Stukas had a siren for psychological purposes, yes. But falling bombs as such also make noises. That is at least what my parents told me when they were hiding in the cellars while the british and the americans dropped their payloads over the german cities, back then in 194x (yes, they are that old ;P). As my mother told me once, when rippled in a sequence, it were the ones that suddenly did not make any noise anymore that they were afraid of ... that were the ones that were going to (near) hit them.

 

I think one could imagine this effect as follows: if the bomb would fall with the speed of sound, one could hear it if the impact point is further away. He hears the (more or less) horizontally moving sound waves. But directly beneath, one could hear nothing unless it hits him. Not saying that bombs fall that fast, just exaggerated for the picture ... in reality, one could hear the bomb perhaps, too, but only much much less warning time.

[Flagrum]

Some of the reading I am doing is saying that it was used as a psychological thing, on the Stuka of course with the siren but also on some bombs, but it sounds like most if not all US bombs did not whistle.

From my reading I got the idea that modern US bombs sound more like ... *WHOOOOOSH*

 

But in WK II, bombs where not as stream lined designed as todays Mk-Series for example. They were often just barely "bomb shaped", but more oil barrel shaped (& sized) bombs that had probably way more edges and stuff that could produce a more whisteling sound.

[NineLine]

No, but it sounds like the Germans were more about the whistle sound than the Allies, that said someone on another forum stated that B-17 pilots carried 20-30lbs bombs they could through out, and would attach cans(?) to increase the sound as they dropped as a way to keep the Japanese awake ansd harass before a major assault.

[WildBillKelsoe]

there was no whistle.. the sound you hear was a stuka retrofitted with a Jericho Trompete... That was what whistled.. If the enemy knew the bombs whistled everytime they were dropped, they would have installed speakers to fool ground troops...