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What is the origin of the lake tank image that has become a meme? (2021)

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544 points napolux | 8 comments | 20 Nov 24 13:30 UTC | HN request time: 1.159s | source | bottom
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hermitcrab ◴[20 Nov 24 15:37 UTC] No.42194833[source]▶
Germans pioneers wore white uniforms? That sounds like the worst possible colour for digging ditches, recovering tanks or camouflage (if it isn't snowing). Why would they do that? Did Hugo Boss do the design?
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1. Retric ◴[20 Nov 24 16:06 UTC] No.42195235[source]▶
Edit: ops, that joke wasn’t clear.

A prisoner’s uniform needs to be cheap, distinctive, and easy to spot it doesn’t need to be clean.

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2. ◴[20 Nov 24 16:19 UTC] No.42195415[source]▶
3. jabl ◴[20 Nov 24 17:03 UTC] No.42195945[source]▶
If the person were a prisoner he wouldn't be carrying a rifle..
replies(1): >>42196730 #
4. Retric ◴[20 Nov 24 18:24 UTC] No.42196730[source]▶
Thus the joke…

It’s a play on words, and the involuntary nature of service in the German military at the time.

replies(2): >>42197231 #>>42197439 #
5. hermitcrab ◴[20 Nov 24 19:23 UTC] No.42197231{3}[source]▶
For some value of 'joke'.
replies(1): >>42197324 #
6. Retric ◴[20 Nov 24 19:35 UTC] No.42197324{4}[source]▶
Fair, but it’s a meme thread. My initial thought was.

Pioneer: O panzer of the lake, why are our uniforms white? Panther: They must be easy to spot.

But, I tried to reach past the pun and failed.

7. 1-more ◴[20 Nov 24 19:49 UTC] No.42197439{3}[source]▶
German Army had 1.3 million conscripts and 2.4 million volunteers in the period 1935-1939 so odds are he signed up to be there.
replies(1): >>42197748 #
8. Retric ◴[20 Nov 24 20:23 UTC] No.42197748{4}[source]▶
Those numbers aren’t independent of each other. People about to be drafted will often volunteer to be in a military as a volunteer rather than a draftee, to get the waiting over with, etc.