Greatest aviation myth this site “de-bunked”.

[GrauGeist]

The Allied pilots did however, nickname the Zero the "Sky Demon".

Never heard that term.
I do know they'd call out "Zeros", "Zekes" or (and my apologies for this term) "Japs". They were also known to use expletives (sometimes even on the radio) when referring to Japanese fighters.

My Uncle Jimmie was using the term "fork tail devil" before the alleged time the Germans were said to have started using it.
Also, the Germans typically used the aircraft's name: "Lightning", "Spitfire" or in the case of the B-17: "Boeing".

Rarely would an enemy glorify an adversary with glowing nicknames.

 

[pops-paolo]

Never heard that term.
I do know they'd call out "Zeros", "Zekes" or (and my apologies for this term) "Japs". They were also known to use expletives (sometimes even on the radio) when referring to Japanese fighters.

My Uncle Jimmie was using the term "fork tail devil" before the alleged time the Germans were said to have started using it.
Also, the Germans typically used the aircraft's name: "Lightning", "Spitfire" or in the case of the B-17: "Boeing".

Rarely would an enemy glorify an adversary with glowing nicknames.

also saying is so long like who would have a nick name that long "fork tail devil"

 

[GrauGeist]

also saying is so long like who would have a nick name that long "fork tail devil"

Americans were good for elaborate nicknames for things (their own, of course), like the seven ton milk bottle aka "Jug".
But these nicknames were used during bar-room banter, discussions and the like, never in official reports.

 

[SaparotRob]

If Caidin can make up stuff so can I.

 

[SaparotRob]

I wa going to call it Devine Death but it sounded too much like a cabaret act.

 

[MIflyer]

Allied pilots described Zeros, Bf-109's, and FW-190's as "Fokkers." Or at least that is what it sounded like over the radio, I am told.

 

[fastmongrel]

How many pilots had the time to radio with the exact model of aircraft that was attacking them. From what I have read a little black dot was all most pilots saw until it suddenly got much too close.

Why Forked Tail anyway the P38 hasn't got a forked tail.

 

[GrauGeist]

Why Forked Tail anyway the P38 hasn't got a forked tail.

Well, it sort of looks forkish, if you hold it up a certain way...besides, Caidin couldn't sell "Scheißkerl" as a glamorous name and had to go with something a bit more dramatic

 

[33k in the air]

I wa going to call it Devine Death bit it sounded too much like a cabaret act.

Didn't they used to open for The Aristocrats?

 

[pbehn]

For Japanese names, real or imagined, I spend 6 months in Japan and a year in China. Chinese characters are like synonyms in a thesaurus, their actual meaning is defined by inflections on the character and what goes before and after. I spent many a happy free hour trying to explain the difference with my Chinese translator between the words... attack, assault, fight, conflict, strike, invade, and so on. One character in Chinese can have a huge number of potential meanings. Chinee is not the same language as Japanese but one of the three alphabets the Japanese use is basically the same as Chinese and I know from my time in Japan it can be the same issue. "Whistling death" could also be "annoying danger"

 

[MIflyer]

Supposedly, the Whistling Death designation came from the airflow going though the intercooler. But I can't recall hearing an F4U make that noise. An F-105 sure as hell, does, though.

 

[GrauGeist]

I've heard the F4U make a whistling sound on a hot pass.
As it was lining up, the sound of the engine momentarily gave way to a whistling as it was coming in my direction. He then lined up with the runway and the intensity of the sound faded out over the sound if the radial.
So my guess is that the poor bastards on the receiving end of the Corsair's attack pass most likely heard the same thing (or anyone else in a similar circumstance).

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Americans were good for elaborate nicknames for things (their own, of course), like the seven ton milk bottle aka "Jug".
But these nicknames were used during bar-room banter, discussions and the like, never in official reports.

Nor radio chatter, where brevity was at a premium to avoid radio clutter.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

w
was it false or true?

100% false.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

P-51s whistled too

 

[wuzak]

Never heard that term.
I do know they'd call out "Zeros", "Zekes" or (and my apologies for this term) "Japs".

Was it Japs or Haps?

Hap being the Allied codeword for later model Zeroes, at least for a while.

 

[GrauGeist]

Was it Japs or Haps?

Hap being the Allied codeword for later model Zeroes, at least for a while.

I recall they changed Hap to Hamp because "Hap" Arnold didn't like the former

As far as the "Jap" phrase goes, they used that term more often than the assigned name of the type they were engaging.

 

[MIflyer]

They say my Ercoupe whistles, or did until I took the venturi off.

 

[Milosh]

Didn't the Beaufighter have a nick of "whispering death"?

 

[GrauGeist]

Didn't the Beaufighter have a nick of "whispering death"?

I beleive it did - which is far better than "Whistling Shitcan" (Douglas A3D)