Death-trombone of Marseilles – fact or fiction?

[MaxHeadroom]

Here I am again, dear friends!

'Cause I'm not only building what-if projects, I'm not sooo very often here. But if I do what-if...

Rumours in the www are telling of an unknown german Wunderwaffe, called "The death-trombone of Marseilles".
This modern version of the "trumpets of Jericho" should have been placed in the hills above Marseilles short before the capitulation of the german troops ocupying the city until 28th of August 1944, to destroy the city and kill the aliied soldiers and the civilians after liberation by ultra-long sonic waves.
Smaller prototypes assembled and tested in the Reich must have been producing very good and very promising results, so a 1:1-scale version have been built and sent to the south of France.
Because of it's size and weight, the Nazis used a Panzer as a traktor. There were no offrad-ability, so they were forced to use ordinary roads.

I don't know anything about the Panzer and also nothing about a probably escort group, for example an anti-aircraft-unit with it's equipement, etc.
That's the reason, I simply use a disarmed StuG III (Sd.Kfz. 142) with it's 300 HP Maybach-engine as the traktor and create the sonic weapon and it's trailer by the poor informations I have and some fantasy. I will add a second trailer with a heavy-duty generator-unit and a petrol-tank, because electrical power is necessary to run the speaker.

Scale is 1:72, but I will use some parts from the modeltrain-scale H0 = 1:87. All things completely leftover from my youth.
All in all, my trombone-project is a recycling-projekt.
Next time -part 2 of my introduction- some first pics for you will come.

This thread will be shown here, at "beyondthesprues.com" and later, in the german version, at "dmmb.info" to make as many of my pals as possible smile. So, please: no jealousy!
Wish you fun!

Norbert

Btw.: merry christmas backwards and a happy new year!

[kerick]

This sounds like something out of Marvel comics! Can't wait to see this in progress!

[rickshaw]

This one?   I rather think Myth Busters in one of their episodes on the "brown note" pretty much disproved the theory behind it.   However, it makes an interesting sidenote on just how loony the Nazis were at times.

Its mentioned on this website, if anybody is interested.

[Hobbes]

The Mythbusters didn't take their experiments to the limit. They stopped around 130 dB, much louder than that isn't safe for humans to be around. The record for ordinary loudspeakers is 177 dB (in the cabin of a heavily-modified car). Rocket launches are even louder, and can reach volumes high enough to damage concrete at short range (~200 dB).

[McColm]

I think that the US Army have got the modern equivalent of that and that there's a ship mounted system as well. Either deployed or doing trials.

[zenrat]

Sonic Attack eh?
Sounds good (sic).

In case of sonic attack on your district, follow these rules;
If you are making love it is imperative to bring all bodies to orgasm simultaneously.
Do not waste time blocking your ears.
Do not waste time seeking a sound proofed shelter.
Try to get as far away from the sonic source as possible.
Do not panic.
Use your wheels it is what they are for.
Do not attempt to use your own limbs.
Small babies should be placed inside the special cocoons and should be left, if possible, in shelters.
If no wheels are available metal not organic limbs should be employed whenever practical.
Remember, in the case of sonic attack survival means every man for himself.
Statistically more people survive if they think only of themselves.
Do not attempt to rescue friends, relatives, loved ones you have only a few seconds to escape.
Use those seconds sensibly or you will inevitably die.
Do not panic, think only of yourself.
These are the first signs of sonic attack;
You will notice vibrations in your diaphragm.
You will hear a distant hissing in your ears.
You will feel the need to vomit.
You will feel dizzy.
You will have difficulty focussing.
You will need to breathe more rapidly.
There will be bleeding from orifices.
There will be an ache in the pelvic region.
You may be subject to fits of hysterical shouting or even laughter.
These are all sign of imminent sonic destruction.
Your only protection is flight.
If you are less than ten years old remain in your shelter and use your cocoon.
Remember - you can help no one else.

Michael Moorcock

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwRvWpsiM2w

[MaxHeadroom]

Thank you, rickshaw, for the link.
And thank you, zenrat, for Michael Moorcock's hints how to act in case of emergency!

My (german) source was: http://radioreinhard.de/Kuriositaeten/Posaune-von-Marseille.html

And this is a scetch, how I imagine such a sound-canon-unit:


Norbert

[Dizzyfugu]

AFAIK, the German experiments with a stationary "sound cannon" were very successful, but the overall effectiveness of this weapon were an are doubtful. In order to create the noise, a constant series of explosions had to be maintained, and the resulting air pressure directed through the parabolic dishes. I was not the kind of "stereo sound system" one would expect, rather a gigantic exhaust pipe.

One serious issue was that the sound beam's "killing power" was very limited, and range not very far (only several meters, IIRC). In order to actually kill someone, the target had to be exposed to the sound for some time, and fixed in the sound cone.  A rather impractical approach... nevertheless, a mobile device with all the stuff and staff in a convoy would certainly make a nice diorama scene. 

[JayBee]

The Death Trombone?
That was definitely me at age 14 trying to learn how to play the blasted thing. Not a pretty sound.

[Captain Canada]

Neat idea that is going to be a super-cool diorama ! Love the drawings. Looks forward to seeing this one.

[Rheged]

As also used by the Japanese

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_tuba#mediaviewer/File:Wartuba.jpg

[KJ_Lesnick]

An uncertain trumpet...

[Librarian]

This sounds like something out of Marvel comics! Can't wait to see this in progress!

Tintin..."The Calculus Affair". Thanks for the memory, just finished reading it after a break of some decades.

[wuzak]

As also used by the Japanese

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_tuba#mediaviewer/File:Wartuba.jpg

These ones are locators - used for detecting aircraft. The Germans and British also had sound locators.

[Rheged]

As also used by the Japanese

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_tuba#mediaviewer/File:Wartuba.jpg

These ones are locators - used for detecting aircraft. The Germans and British also had sound locators.

That might just have been a very intelligent cover story..........