The whistling of mortars/rockets/bombs

[MichaeltheGreat]

Practically speaking, it's hollywood bull****.

For all practical purposes, the velocity of the ordnance and sound are close enough that:

If it's short, you may hear it just before explosion, but most of what you'll hear is the detonation.

If it's long, you'll hear it.

If it's neither short nor long, you may hear it, but you won't have time to process what that sound is, or even bend over and kiss your ass goodbye.

[Dis]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat
Practically speaking, it's hollywood bull****.

For all practical purposes, the velocity of the ordnance and sound are close enough that:

If it's short, you may hear it just before explosion, but most of what you'll hear is the detonation.

If it's long, you'll hear it.

If it's neither short nor long, you may hear it, but you won't have time to process what that sound is, or even bend over and kiss your ass goodbye.

surely there have been enough vets to have their input.

And most bomb attacks aren't from the point of view (or sound) of the target. But from a 3rd person perspective.

I have no idea myself, but I'd love to get a vintage ww2 airplane and some real bombs and bomb **** out in the desert. I'd need a witness to record the sounds. I promise I won't bomb them.

[Straybow]

The dropping whistle sound, as I understand, is characteristic of artillery rounds going overhead. Partly doppler, partly shells slowing down. One friend said back in 'Nam he was stationed just far enough from the 8" arty that he could hear the sound, look up, and usually see the shell as it went over the visual horizon (since they were usually firing in one particular direction).