Did ‘Acoustic Shadows’ Play A Part On The Battlefield ?

[logan]

I’ve read a book on the subject of ‘acoustic shadows’ during a few battles in the American Civil War and how they may have influenced decision-making by commanders, misunderstanding sounds deflected off the surrounding terrain. May it also have affected any or all of Custer, Reno or Benteen ?

[tubman13]

Doubtful.

Regards,
Tom

[logan]

I felt it did, as even though some men heard gunfire in Custer’s direction, it did seem they didn’t know exactly where he was, else Benteen or Reno couldn’t say they didn’t know Custer’s location, which made me think that the terrain being uneven ground, a mixture of bluffs, dips in the ground, valley with likely echoes, could have distorted a specific point.

It is an interesting aspect

[tubman13]

Have you ever hunted, forest and hills can distort sound and direction.. Noise can also be funneled. The valley probably would have been the best funnel, unless firing took place on the other side of the ridge.

Regards,
Tom

[logan]

The effect of this even in everyday life shows sounds can be hard to place, as its likely happened to everyone at some stage, where there are many people around when noises are heard in the distance, but deflected off buildings, etc., you see the people looking in different directions, all sensing the direction they were looking was where it was from.

In a battlefield scenario this would be very disorientating, as you may want to find the source of the sounds, but don’t know where to go, either to fight or to get away