Just one of the great bits in this episode is the bit where Basil does the actions for the bar & the restraunt to someone he thinks is German but isn't.

This is certainly one of the finest half hours of comedy ever produced.

And yes, Basil did mention the war but I think he got away with it...

Is this the episode where a large nurse asks Basil "Are you still here?", to which he replies (after glancing down at himself) "Apparently!"
I always loved that response, and I think I owe Fawlty Towers some credit for my developing an appreciation of sarcasm.

Then later after the concussion from the moose head, he tells her, "Don't touch me, I don't know where you've been." Hilarious.

This is a great episode, arguably the finest, but it has a disturbing tendency not to stay on topic--the fire drill scene is a classic but should have been its own episode or something, and the major's monologue is pointless.

"I'm DOING IT!"

"You started it!"
"NO! YOU started it - you invaded Poland!!"

GREAT MOMENT: Basil (Cleese) goose-stepping in the hotel. It reminded me of "The Ministry of Silly Walks" sketch from Monty Python.

This is the only episode to not have the footage of the hotel shown during the opening credits.

This episode shows what a senile racist old codger the Major is. "Niggers are the West Indians. These people are WOGS! No no no, she said, all cricketers are niggers!" And if that wasn't bad enough, both the Major and Basil show an incredibly offensive misogynistic streak in this one as well!

At least the Germans got in a dig at the end. "However did they win?" HA!

Again... product of its times.