The Panzerlied is one of the best known Wehrmacht songs. It was composed in June 1933 by Oberleutnant Kurt Wiehle while on his way to Königsbrück. Wiehle adapted a German sailor's song, writing lyrics more appropriate to the Panzerwaffe. At the time, Germany was clandestinely developing an armored force in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles. The song could be considered as a reflection of the German re-armament, launched at in the same time frame as the song was written.
It has gained fame in the English-speaking world due to its usage in the 1965 film Battle of the Bulge.[1][2] While throughout that film German characters speak English, the song is sung in the original German.
The reference in the Fourth stanza to enemy cannons "hidden in yellow sand" is likely to have been added under the influence of Rommel's "Afrika Korps" campaign in North Africa, as in 1933 it could hardly have been predicted that German tanks would be involved in fighting in a desert environment.
The Panzerlied is still in use by Bundeswehr and Bundesheer today.
The song is also sung by the Chilean Military[3] and the tune is used for the French Foreign Legion song "Képi Blanc" and, unofficially, by some motorized and parachute units of the Italian army.
The song is also used by the South Korean Army sung in Korean as a Marching Song for its Tank and other Motorized units.
The tune of the Panzerlied is used as the unofficial anthem for the German community of Namibia, and the unofficial anthem of the then South African-ruled South-West Africa (present day Namibia). This song is known as "Das Südwesterlied" or "Hart wie Kameldornholz".
Contents |
Originally, the last three lines of every verse were repeated.
| German lyrics | Approximate translation |
|---|---|
| First stanza | |
|
Ob's stürmt oder schneit, ob die Sonne uns lacht,
Es braust unser Panzer im Sturmwind dahin. |
Whether it storms or snows, whether the sun smiles upon us,
Our tank rushes forward in the storm. |
| Second stanza | |
|
Mit donnerndem Motor, geschwind wie der Blitz,
So stoßen wir tief in die feindlichen Reih'n. |
With thundering engines, fast as lightning,
That's how we thrust deep into the enemy ranks. |
| Third stanza | |
|
Wenn vor uns ein feindlicher Panzer erscheint,
Für Deutschland zu sterben ist uns höchste Ehr'. |
When before us a hostile tank appears,
To die for Germany is our highest honour. |
| Fourth stanza | |
|
Mit Sperren und Minen hält der Gegner uns auf,
Wir suchen uns Wege, die keiner sonst fand. |
With barriers and mines the foe blocks our path,
We find ways that no one else has found. |
| Fifth stanza | |
|
Und läßt uns im Stich einst das treulose Glück,
Dann wird uns der Panzer ein ehernes Grab. |
If one day we're deserted by treacherous luck,
Then the tank shall become our honorable grave. |