Nov 23, 2024 10:00:00

What is the true identity of the mysterious internet meme 'Tank sinking in the lake'?

'

Panzer of the Lake' is a meme image that has spread mainly on the Internet overseas. A comment explaining the origin of this mysterious image was posted on the history Q&A site 'History Stack Exchange'.

sources - What is the origin of the lake tank image that has become a meme? - History Stack Exchange
https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/57033/what-is-the-origin-of-the-lake-tank-image-that-has-become-a-meme

Below is the image of the 'Tank Sinking in the Lake.' The tank is submerged in the water, leaving only the gun turret, and a person with a gun is staring at the tank.

Here's an example of the image: 'Oh, Panzer of the Lake. Give me your wisdom.' A lot of images are circulating, with the tank responding to the call.

According to Schwern , who commented on History Stack Exchange, the image was taken not on a lake but on the River Meuse in the Walloon region of Belgium. The coordinates of the location where the image was taken are '50.29092467073664, 4.893099128823844'.


Below is a photo taken from a different angle (left) and a Google Street View image (right).

The tank was German and was recorded as having fallen into the water while attempting to cross the Meuse River on a ferry on May 13, 1940. Below is a photo of the tank being loaded onto the boat.

There are also photographs of the area after the collapse. The tank remained in the water until 1941, when it was salvaged when the bridge was rebuilt.

Furthermore, the tank's true identity can be inferred to be a

Panzer IV Ausf. D based on the shape of the turret and the presence or absence of a periscope.

There are also several 'tank sinking in a lake' meme image generators available on the Internet. For example, the following link allows you to freely customize the text in the top and bottom halves of the image.

Panzer of the lake Meme Generator
https://imageresizer.com/meme-generator/edit/panzer-of-the-lake