Tony Ring Posted 29 September , 2009 Share Posted 29 September , 2009 Pals I have been reading several books on WW1 concerning actions involving New Zealand & Australian troops. The term "Whizz Bang" appears in them and I am guessing it describes German ? artillery shells heading your way. Is this correct ?? Was this expression a universal one and also used by British Troops or only restricted to Anzacs. Just curious. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David B Posted 29 September , 2009 Share Posted 29 September , 2009 Universal. A general term for a high velocity flat trajectory shell. Could be either Allied or German Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 29 September , 2009 Share Posted 29 September , 2009 Found this quote on the forum, but can't see who said it... Although the term was used widely by Allied (most often British and Commonwealth) servicemen to describe any form of German field artillery shells, the 'whizz bang' was originally attributed to the noise made by shells from German 77mm field guns. In all cases however the name was derived from the fact that shells fired from light or field artillery travelled faster than the speed of sound. Thus soldiers heard the typical "whizz" noise of a travelling shell before the "bang" issued by the gun itself. Whizz bangs consequently much feared since the net result was that defending infantrymen were given virtually no warning of incoming high-velocity artillery fire as they were from enemy howitzers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josquin Posted 29 September , 2009 Share Posted 29 September , 2009 Seconding IPT, I also read years ago (in more than one book) that "whiz bang" originally referred to the incoming shells from German 77 mm. field guns for the reason described. The term was in common use by the AEF, as well, not exclusively British and Commonwealth servicemen. Regards Trelawney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony N Posted 29 September , 2009 Share Posted 29 September , 2009 My father-in-law, a German, also knew of the term whiz bang. He remembered his father (a Great War German infantryman) mentioning it and also said it came from a 77mm. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 29 September , 2009 Share Posted 29 September , 2009 In all cases however the name was derived from the fact that shells fired from light or field artillery travelled faster than the speed of sound. I'm struggling to understand this. (Nothing new there then ) Surely, if a shell is travelling faster than the speed of sound then you would hear the bang of the exploding shell first and then the sound it made when travelling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 29 September , 2009 Share Posted 29 September , 2009 The bang referred to the explosion of the shell rather than the sound of the gun hence gas shells and duds fired from the same gun had a different name as they made a different sound on arrival. This suggests that they were traveling slower than sound at least at the end of their flight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Marshall Posted 29 September , 2009 Share Posted 29 September , 2009 I have at least one English infantry battalion war diary which refers to Whiz (sic) Bang in an operation order. Cheers, Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMoorhouse Posted 29 September , 2009 Share Posted 29 September , 2009 In my reading it was widely used by all British and Commonwealth forces. Whizz bangs (high velocity rounds) being contrasted with Jack Johnson's - that were heavier (15cm rounds) which created black clouds of smoke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 29 September , 2009 Share Posted 29 September , 2009 In my reading it was widely used by all British and Commonwealth forces. Whizz bangs (high velocity rounds) being contrasted with Jack Johnson's - that were heavier (15cm rounds) which created black clouds of smoke. Almost any shell producing black smoke was a Jack Johnson or a Coal Box. Gas shells were Pip Squeeks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 29 September , 2009 Share Posted 29 September , 2009 I have at least one English infantry battalion war diary which refers to Whiz (sic) Bang in an operation order. Cheers, Nigel There is also the WW1 soldier's song "Hush here comes a whizz bang" and the one beginning "Far far from wipers I long to be, where German snipers can't get at me" ending with with the line "waiting for whizz bangs to send me to sleep" neither of these are ANZAC in origin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMoorhouse Posted 29 September , 2009 Share Posted 29 September , 2009 Does anyone know when the earliest (recorded) reference to Whizz bang is? I am absolutely sure that others will have earlier dates - a quick look shows it in use in October 1915. (Lt Andrews, 7th Somersets) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Ring Posted 29 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 29 September , 2009 Does anyone know when the earliest (recorded) reference to Whizz bang is? I am absolutely sure that others will have earlier dates - a quick look shows it in use in October 1915. (Lt Andrews, 7th Somersets) Thank you one & all. Unable to claim the term as an Anzac one. I think there is an expression - "you do not hear the one that hits you" - But then if you are dead how can you know this !!! As an aside - Currently we have a tidal wave racing towards us after an 8.3 Earthquake in the Pacific. Happy days. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Bailey Posted 30 September , 2009 Share Posted 30 September , 2009 Yes Tony I've read many accounts/ books of the war and the term was in general usage by British and Commonwealth forces from the start of the war i.e. as soon as they faced the 77mm cannon. The expression has a very 'music hall' feel about it so I expect the origin was British - possible London based troops (sticking neck out with that guess!). John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1st_east_yorks Posted 30 September , 2009 Share Posted 30 September , 2009 the 'whizz bang' was originally attributed to the noise made by shells from German 77mm field guns. Thus soldiers heard the typical "whizz" noise of a travelling shell before the "bang" issued by the gun itself. ...............and so onomatopoeia was born...................!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Ring Posted 1 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2009 ...............and so onomatopoeia was born...................!!! And they all lived happily ever after. Thank you. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Sheldon Posted 1 October , 2009 Share Posted 1 October , 2009 There was clearly a need for soldiers' expressions to describe this type of shell. The Germans had umpteen slang terms for the various types of shell or mortar bomb. The most common whizz-bang equivalent is Ratsch-Bumm, equally onamatapoeic. I suspect that there must be French, Italian, Turkish and Russian equivalents too but, alas, I do not know them. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Sheldon Posted 1 October , 2009 Share Posted 1 October , 2009 Here is the French equivalent: Zim-Boum. It did not take much finding. The power of the internet! Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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