The AFU and Urban Legend Archive
                                   Death
              [Image]        sound as a weapon        [Image]


From: PAPAI@kcgl1.eng.ohio-state.edu (Jonathan Papai)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Nikola Tesla invented a dangerous machine
Date: 10 Jun 1994 15:27:28 GMT

In Message-ID: <2t7pi7$rke@beta.qmw.ac.uk> On or about 9 Jun 1994 19:12:07
GMT
mtaylor@dcs.qmw.ac.uk (Taylor) posted:
>
> On a similar subject,I heard a mister Vladimir Gavreau, of
Marseilles,France
> created some sort of Low frequency oscillator, the vibrations from which,
> instantly killed the technician operating the thing.

I have a related item from sci.military from four or five years ago, (back
when it was a moderated, noise-free environment.)

-Jon

..........ancient posting begins here............

From: griffenj%db1_pdx@ncube.com (Griffen)

  1. [monster sized kanonen deleted -jp]
  2. RE: Sound as a weapon.

Luftkanone. Developed at Talstation Lofer, Germany, during WWII. Developer:
Dr. Richard Wallauscheck.

Best quote here:

"...design consisted of a parabolic reflector, 3.2 meters in diameter,
having a short tube which was the combustion chamber or sound generator,
extending to the rear from the vertex of the parabola. The chamber was fed
at the rear by two coaxial nozzles, the outer nozzle emitting methane, and
the central nozzle oxygen. The length of the chamber was one-quarter the
wavelength of the sound in air. Upon initiation, the first shock wave was
reflected back from the openend of the chamber and initiated the second
explosion. The frequency was from 800 to 1500 impulses per second.

The main lobe of the sound intensity pattern had a 65 degree angle of
opening, and at 60 meters' distance on the axis a pressure of 1000
microbars had been measured. No physiological experiments were conducted,
but it was estimated that at such a pressure it would take from 30 to 40
seconds to kill a man. At greater ranges, perhaps up to 300 meters, the
effect, although not lethal, would be very painful and would probably
disable a man for an appreciable length of time. Vision would be affected,
and low-level exposures would cause point sources of light to appear as
lines." [1]

The device was not deployed, due to complexity and lack of range.

Also, a device that created vortices in the air, and a device that shot
'plugs' of air were developed at the same facility, primarily for low-level
anti-aircraft defence.

References:

[1] _Secret Weapons of the Third Reich_ by Leslie E. Simon (USA, ret)

WE, Inc., Publishers (c)1971 [great book!]

[2] _The Guns 1939-45_ by Ian V. Hogg

Ballentine Books Inc. (c)1970

[3] _Lost Victories_ by Erich von Manstein

(Ooops, no data)

[4] _German Secret Weapons of World War 2_ by I. V. Hogg

ARCO Publishing Company, Inc. (c)1970

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