Aircraft nicknames

[gumbyk]

While discussing the nickname "Whispering Death" and which aircraft it belonged to, I did some dredging and came across this article:
Whistling, whispering, fork-tailed Death from Above! The BS Historian
and to me, it made sense.
Why would the Japanese (or any) military build on the mystery surrounding an enemy aircraft?

Anyone else got any thoughts on this?

 

[Airframes]

Apparently the 'Fork Tailed Devil' for the P38 was never used by the Luftwaffe,being a 'Press' invention. The title 'Whispering Death' was, apparently, bestowed upon the Beaufighter, by the Japanerse, due to the sound made by the sleeve valved Bristol Hercules engines, only heard at the final moment, and on departure, at low level.
Although it's true about the sound made by the Corsair, whether the title was ever actually used by the japanese is questionable - I'm guessing another media invention.

 

[comiso90]

British troops called the stuka "Asthmatic Whore"

 

[gumbyk]

British troops called the stuka "Asthmatic Whore"

And that's more of the type of nick-name that I would expect troops to refer to the enemy's planes with, one that tears them down in their eyes, not one that builds them up.

 

[MikeGazdik]

And that's more of the type of nick-name that I would expect troops to refer to the enemy's planes with, one that tears them down in their eyes, not one that builds them up.

Exactly. I recall the Japanese had the "Ohka" which was the manned suicide jet dropped from a Betty Bomber. I have read our pilots called it "Baka" which translated to: Dumb.