Graf Spee's eagle rises from deep

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4702832.stm ^

[solitas]

Divers have salvaged a 2m (6ft) bronze imperial eagle from the German World War II battleship Graf Spee that was scuttled in the River Plate.

~snip~

Full article

[solitas]

ping

[somemoreequalthanothers]

Saw a good documentary on this ship a few years ago. Don't remember many of the details unfortunately.

[darkwing104]

Good Stuff. I believe in preserving history, good or bad, without PC revisionism.

[satchmodog9]

Surprised Chavez didn't want the eagle for his lawn ornament.

[solitas]

Notice they shrouded the swastika so as not to affect the "sensibilities" of some mushminds. IMO: bring it up and show it whole, for what it is.

[Oztrich Boy]

I believe in preserving history, good or bad, without PC revisionism

Too late 2m (6ft) bronze imperial eagle "imperial eagle"? The German Empire ended in 1919, The Graf Spee was built in the 1930s, there had been the Weimer Republic (and I thoink some other) govermrnt in between.

And what do you think was hidden under that yellow sheeting?

Here's a clue

[darkwing104]

Notice they shrouded the swastika so as not to affect the "sensibilities" of some mushminds. IMO: bring it up and show it whole, for what it is.

I am just glad they didn't cut it off.

[darkwing104]

You don't need to tell me what it was , I know...

I don't want the ugly side of history get tossed away but kept as a reminder of what can happen when bad people run things.

[Big Digger]

There was a movie made in the late 50's by the British filmmaker J. Arthur Rank entitled "The Pursuit of the Graf Spee" which was accurate and good. Royal Navy ships were in the starring roles and I think one of the original light cruisers, "Ajax" or "Achilles" was actually in the movie. The "HMS Exeter" was the heavy cruiser in on the chase. Anybody else remember this?

[A knight without armor]

"The barge brought the eagle back to port on Friday with a yellow tarpaulin covering the swastika at its base - out of consideration for those who still hold strong feelings against the symbol of Nazi Germany, Mr Bado said. "

I've never heard of archaeologists, and that is essentially what these people are IMO, covering up an artifact so as not to offend. Come on. This is a hard fact and a huge symbol of that era. Why don't they polish it up and give it to any of these increasing idiots who claim the holocaust never happened? I'm sure they would find it perfectly normal to have around the house.

[somemoreequalthanothers]

I've never heard of archaeologists, and that is essentially what these people are IMO, covering up an artifact so as not to offend.

I consider it an insult. It's their little way of saying we're too stupid to deal with it.

[martin_fierro]

I do! It's a pretty wild/interesting WWII story.

And to think it all took place off the coast of my boring little Montevideo. < |:)~

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks solitas for the ping. The reason the swastika is covered is, in most of Europe, display of the swastika is illegal.

[somemoreequalthanothers]

display of the swastika is illegal.

I wasn't aware of that. Still, for the sake of knowledge I would rather they don't censor history.

[Khurkris]

And this classic FR thread:

Divers Aim To Raise The Graf Spree

[Khurkris]

A follow-up to a thread you posted

[solitas]

The reason the swastika is covered is, in most of Europe, display of the swastika is illegal.

Yah; and the picture was taken in Uruguay. Let individual newspapers practice their own forms of censorship rather than having mindless european prejudices censoring what the rest of the world wants to see.

The barge brought the eagle back to port on Friday with a yellow tarpaulin covering the swastika at its base - out of consideration for those who still hold strong feelings against the symbol of Nazi Germany, Mr Bado said.

So, Bado: is it that you're so tender-minded about idiots who want to sanitize the past? Or, that you want the glory of recovering something like that without being principled-enough to acknowledge it's FULL history?

[solitas]

I don't think such nationalism would get anywhere IF those kids KNEW about their history and the consequences of hitler's actions. I've a feeling they're as ignorant of their history as American kids are of ours (thanks to idiot educators).

If they knew history, and understood what happened and why, then they wouldn't be so apt to 'discover' this 'hidden knowledge' that their countries are trying to supress/sanitize and run with it.