Sure, the German Navy blasting the ominous Imperial March from one of their warships as it casually sailed down the River Thames in London might seem a bit concerning, but don't worry — they assure us Darth Vader's theme song was playing just for fun!

The song choice sparked a mix of amusement and confusion across Europe. Germany later clarified that the ship was simply in town for training and a routine supply stop (with no galactic conquest planned).
In a public statement, the German Navy explained that the commander can "choose the music freely."
The choice of music has no deeper message.

Apparently, enough Englishmen were upset that a spokesperson for the German Embassy in London had to chime in.
The commander of the corvette FGS Braunschweig is a big Star Wars fan and an admirer of the legendary musical scores of John Williams.
He chooses a different Williams tune whenever his ship is visiting a foreign harbour.
Bold move, Germans. Very bold move.

P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇