A German warship passing through the UK capital of London caused a stir this week among locals. This wasn’t because it was a German warship passing along the Thames, as it’s not too uncommon to see military ships sailing in London. Instead, the uproar was caused by the ship’s choice of soundtrack for its sailing up the Thames. That’s because the crew decided the best way to soundtrack its voyage was to blast out Darth Vader’s march from “Star Wars.”
The ship in question was the FGS Braunschweig, a stealthy warship operated by the German navy. The vessel was in London as part of a training exercise and refueling stop off, which saw it sail up the Thames and under the iconic Tower Bridge where it parked up alongside historic British naval ship HMS Belfast.
However, the ship’s voyage up the Thames was far from stealthy, with its crew lining the decks in pristine shirts and pants while the captain blasted the ‘Imperial March’ from ‘Star Wars’ for all to hear, reports Ars Technica:
Coming eight decades after Londoners lived through the German “blitz” in World War II and then spent years waiting for a German naval invasion that never materialized, playing the Big Bad Guy’s theme from Star Wars films was certainly a bold choice. But a German naval spokesperson assured the BBC that the music had “no deeper message” and added that it was not some sort of commentary from the German naval staff. Rather, the boat’s commander “can choose the music freely.”
It must have been quite the spectacle for Londoners on their way to work thanks to the undertones evoked by the choice of music. However, military ships and enormous vessels floating up the Thames aren’t a new site for residents of the UK capital. Cruise ships have previously been spotted tied up alongside HMS Belfast and all kinds of superyachts have previously parked up in London for a few nights.