Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels gave his infamous 'Total War' speech in 1943 following the crushing German military defeat at Stalingrad

Two German policemen have been carpeted and could face the sack for playing one of the most infamous of Nazi speeches given by wartime propaganda maestro Joseph Goebbels over their radios as they guarded world leaders at last weekend's G7 summit.

Bonn police admitted that disciplinary proceedings have been launched against the two officers who played Goebbels' 'Total War' speech which he made in 1943 following the crushing German military defeat at Stalingrad.

'We are shocked and disappointed,' said Robert Scholten, spokesman at Bonn police headquarters, confirming a report in the Der Spiegel magazine about the incident.

The young officers in question were part of a 17,000 strong police contingent assembled around Elmau in Bavaria to protect world leaders like David Cameron, President Obama and Chancellor Angela Merkel.

According to officials, they downloaded the Goebbels speech from the Internet and played it over short range devices.

It contains the infamous quote: 'Do you want Total War?' which Goebbels barked at the fevered Nazi audience in the Berlin Sportspalast as he exhorted them to make ever greater sacrifices for the conflict which was already lost.

Because all radio traffic in and around Elmau was being monitored by other units of the German police, eavesdropping to thwart potential terrorist plots, the officers' transmissions were instantly rumbled.

German police on patrol during the G7 summit. Two officers (though none of those pictured) have been suspended for playing a Joseph Goebbels speech over the radio

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister David Cameron at the summit in Elmau, Bavaria. Bonn police spokesman Robert Scholten said the force is 'shocked and disappointed' at the officers' actions

Whether they were larking about or harbour neo-Nazi tendencies was not immediately clear, although the police said they did not believe they were right wingers.

The two officers were sent home before the end of the summit. 'The reputation of the police of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia has been recognisably damaged,' added Scholten.

He said the man who played the tape to his colleague spoke of having a 'blackout' and apologised. The public broadcast of Nazi propaganda is a crime in Germany punishable by up to six months in jail for a first offence.