Mephisto, German World War I tank at Queensland Museum, Australia
Mephisto is a German First World War tank distinguished by its rhomboid shape and thick armor plates that protected its crew. The vehicle carried multiple machine guns and was designed for trench warfare operations.
German forces abandoned this tank during the 1918 Battle of Villers-Bretonneux in France when it became trapped in a shell crater. British soldiers captured it afterward, making it the only surviving German tank of its type.
The tank's name references German folklore and follows a military tradition of naming vehicles after mythological figures. This naming practice shows how soldiers gave personality and meaning to their equipment.
The tank is displayed in the Anzac Legacy Gallery at Queensland Museum in Brisbane where visitors can view it in a climate-controlled space. You can examine the vehicle from multiple angles and walk around it to appreciate its construction.
British soldiers painted an Imperial Lion trampling a German tank on this vehicle to mark their victory after capturing the abandoned machine. This marking remains visible on the displayed tank and tells a story of war trophy and triumph.
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