A German Navy spokesperson said the choice of music had "no deeper message." The ship's commander personally chose the music.
Given the history between the two countries, it was perceived as a poor choice.[a]
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[a] In particular, think of the elderly in the UK who lived through the Nazi bombing raids and their aftermath:
Though it is not quite flashy enough, hmmm...
>Speedbird 206: Frankfurt, Speedbird 206 clear of active runway.
>ATC: Speedbird 206. Taxi to gate Alpha One-Seven.
>BA 747 pulled onto the main taxiway and slowed to a stop.
>ATC: Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?
>Speedbird 206: Stand by, Ground, I’m looking up our gate location now.
>ATC (annoyed): Speedbird 206, have you not been to Frankfurt before?
>Speedbird 206 (nonchalantly): “Yes, twice in 1944, but it was dark ... and I didn't land.”.
https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=391043
Or perhaps this is more apt:
>Lufthansa (in German): "Ground, what is our start clearance time?"
>Ground (in English): "If you want an answer you must speak in English."
>Lufthansa (in English): "I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany. Why must I speak English?"
>Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent): "Because you lost the bloody war."
He joked over the radio, "the last time the Germans shot at me it was during the war".
The reply came back "And zis time I vill not miss".
I have never been to Germany or the UK, so my thoughts are probably uneducated a touch, I really love this response. Instead of somehow becoming offended, find the humor and plan a counter-prank. Make some fun headlines, get a smile out of people reading the news, this is the way.
But the swiss get rid of the rubbish, cleaned the train, put flowers and food in it and sent it back to Germany with a giant banner saying something along the lines of "Each one gives the best of themselves"
I, sadly, did not partake in either option. I shall return.
[1]: https://fawltytowerswestend.com/
[2]: https://www.westendtheatre.com/56131/shows/faulty-towers-the...
I read John Cleese’s autobiography long ago and he mentioned the very different economics of TV in the UK vs the US.
I think it was either the lack of money going into UK TV shows or the lack of a profit motive that led to ridiculously short runs like that.
Fawlty Towers and Yes Minister are top quality shows that should’ve run for 10 seasons.
Luckily their system did better with this when Jeremy Clarkson’s Top Gear came around and we got a lot of that.
Many years ago I met someone that related his travels to Germany. When visiting anything left over from WWII (e.g. old bunkers), or referencing anything that happened back then, they took to mentioning "Smurfs" and "Papa Smurf" to get around angering the locals. This was, of course, after nearly causing an international incident during casual conversation.
I realized I don't know why they would do that, but regardless of why, my first thought was hotheaded stereotype: how quickly an 'escort' could arrive, of boats/aircraft capable of sinking them.
My second thought was that the escort boats could play Queen's "We Are the Champions" [1] over loudspeakers. If it can be many sailors impromptu singing it, all the better.
I was on a theatre tour (as Technical Director), the show had ended, it was late and night and everyone was tired after a long day and packing everything away. The German host gathered us together and stood on a chair to tell us about accommodation arrangements.
He was clearly your stereotypical, humourless, German. He introduced himself - "Hi, my name is Hans. As you can see, I am German". Short pause, then in a loud stage whisper "Don't mention the war!".
It was SO unexpected to have any humour at all, let alone self-referential Fawlty Towers reference. There was a pause while all the tired people processed what they'd just heard and then absolutely dissolved in laughter.
> German Navy blasts out Darth Vader theme on Thames Londoners spotted this ship on the Thames near Tower Bridge, playing the iconic Imperial March theme from the Star Wars trilogies, otherwise recognisable as the Darth Vader music. But it wasn’t coming from a galaxy far, far away - it was a German Navy ship, in London for training and a supply stop. A spokesperson from the German Navy told the BBC the music had "no deeper message" and "the commander can choose the music freely".
Someone who has still memories of the bombing will be in their 90s. I don’t want to complete minify that – my late German grandmother had bad memories of the allied bombing her teenage years – but witnesses who lived through WWII are very few still alive. Time flies. The release of Star Wars and the Imperial March (Ep V, 1980) is closer to WWII than to our times.
Don't be daft! It was a damn good choice.
Though I for one, won't be happy until we have extracted our revenge; sending a 00 agent undercover to retune the Kraut Kapitans musical cocktail cabinet to play 'God Save the King'.
(But put me on team “it’s funny”—oh no, ze Germans!)
[edit] I just watched the video and it’s even funnier than I thought, because the lines of that vessel call to mind a star destroyer more effectively than most non-battleships do.
I don't recall any of them sounding Welsh or Scottish! A "British accent" is something I've yet to hear anywhere in Blighty.