German whistle bombs

[Adler]

Similar in practice to the Ju 87 siren. Early on during WWII the Germans would attach whistles to the fins of some aerial bombs for psychological warfare. The bombs would make a distinct sound shortly before impact, intended to terrify anyone unfortunate enough to be in proximity.




Appears that it was only a handful of 50kg bombs that had this modification. Do we have any audio, and do we know if the whistles were active while the aircraft was in flight?

Sources:
https://emmasplanes.com/index.php/german-bombs/
http://www.letletlet-warplanes.com/2018/03/14/sc-50-bomb/

 

[martinbayer]

Gotta love that infectious, enthusiastic smile in the second picture - Oh! What a Lovely War Part Deux! But also, a most excellent early warning mechanism for any potential victims on the ground...

 

[xena]

You are very easy to become a victim of propaganda.

 

[Justo Miranda]

During the fall

 

[lastdingo]

I remember the sound of whistling arrows. It's very underwhelming.
Someone will dig up an audio file. Be prepared to be disappointed.

 

[klem]

Flugzeug Classic Jahrbuch 2025.

 

[Justo Miranda]

The psychological effect was achieved by combining the sound of the siren installed in the landing gear of the Stuka (that ceased at the end of the dive) and that of the bombs that increased with increasing the speed of the fall. As far as I know, the weapon was originally devised to scare horses away from Polish hypomobile units.

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-polish-cavalryman-lance-wielding-anachronism/

https://warhistory.org/@msw/article/stuka-in-poland