Settling to the bottom of the North Atlantic
Put to sea in 1944 in a Type XXI, which I'd never tried before. Trusting to its submerged speed, I drove into a very large, well guarded convoy. Bombed and badly damaged by fighters on my approach, made repairs and ran right past the attacking destroyers and struck. My attack left 5 large merchants sunk or sinking, including one Ceramic Type 15,000 tn vessel--lucky hit by a roaming FatI or II. Damaged again, and again by destroyers, finally dove to 160m to try to break off. Scared to dive deeper due to damaged hull. 160m is not safe in 1944--depth-charged to death while trying to sneak away. Bold apparently completely ineffective.
Lessons learned: even with a XXI, batteries run down quickly at flank speed. Battery upgrades would probably improve the sit. Enemy depth charge attacks later in the war are far more lethal. Need more depth maybe, like 200m. Don't attack without acoustic torpedoes loaded to deal with escorts. Maybe wait a patrol or two and upgrade the boat, even a XXI, before attacking large, well-defended convoys. Maybe 17Kts submerged, while great, does not render good attack position unnecessary. |
November 25 1939, U-49 (type VIIB) has just departed Kiel on her third patrol heading towards grid AM13 in the North Atlantic.There's a real chance of meeting some juicy targets on this one, what with all the convoys heading to Liverpool that converge in this region. We had some real success around here on our last outing, meeting a fat convoy guarded only by a solitary Flower Corvette, HMS Asphodel. She was despatched with a single torpedo and the heavy seas did the rest, taking her down in seconds. Such a sight is sobering.The convoy itself consisted mainly of smaller merchants with a couple of large cargos and a tanker in the centre, bravely hiding behind a wall of Americans. A Merchant and the tanker were easy prey but the C3 took three eels before she would even think about sliding under the waves.
Morale is high amongst the men as most of them have earned their U-boat war badges, but more importantly are all proudly wearing the Iron Cross, 2nd Class. This particular trinket was courtesy of our raid on Hartlepool docks in which we denied the English two of their V&W Destroyers (Witherington and Valentine), but intelligence reports that we also sent a shipment of aircraft to the bottom along with a tanker of crude oil. We're in our second day out of Kiel, heading across the North Sea towards our patrol zone via Scapa Flow, the infamous naval base of our new enemy. I'm considering taking us to the south of this dreaded harbour, then we can take a look inside if conditions and the opportunity present themselves. A daring move and perhaps foolhardy, but this crew have proven their skill and dilligence fighting in shallower waters than these. We encountered a lone C2 cargo ship in AN34 that provided easy pickings. Given the clear sky and calm conditions it was a perfect opportunity for Oberleutnant Kimmelmann to show off his gunnery prowess. Admittedly the lords were a tad disappointed, though I think that owes more to their desire to have a little more room. Providing that we encounter no major delays, we should reach Scapa Flow after nightfall tomorrow. |
U-1
Sometime in February, 1945. (Btw, first patrol did not make me lose renown, since GWX starts on Jan. 1st, you do not gain or lose renown on your first patrol. Thank goodness.) Morale is very high. Our radio is alive with all sorts of reports. Calls of distress from both enemy and friendly boats. News from the world. We are ordered to sink enemy merchant shipping, but not British warships. Der Fuhrer, does not wish to embarrass the British from coming to the peace table, according to a Bdu report. Fine with us. Just arrived at AN52, the grid we patrolled before. In a way, we now consider it our property, our patrol grid. No enemy ships want to come in here. This is our grid. But the sea belongs to no one. No one perhaps, except the dead. And tonight, in the blackest of the night, the sea tosses us around in a monster of a storm. The bow crashes into the waves, and lightning strikes from the sky. Beginning our twenty-four hour patrol. |
U-72 (Type VIIC) lost with all hands..... December, 1942 in BE36.
Crash dove to 60m while being chased by one fast destroyer during convoy surface attack. Managed to get to 200 meters and almost shook him by hooking back under. Then, the boat wouldn't keep it's depth unless over 1kt. Blow ballast and tried to reset depth to no avail. Destroyer hears boat and several others from the convoy arrive to join in the destruction. After jukin' and jivin' for forty five minutes, one very well placed spread opens up the rear crew quarters and engine room. Blow ballast! Heavy flooding and boat continues past 230m. Pressure hull rapidly imploding..... 338m and boat finally collapses.... no survivors. U-72 was the longest lasting career in a long time. :nope: Usually, I use the dive command, or just set the depth without giving any emergency dive order. The boat always comes to the correct depth and 1/2kt is enough to keep level. After testing with a new boat, it's unable to keep it's depth if a deeper one is commanded after the order to crash dive is given. So, I'm going to reset the crash dive depth to 200m (from 60m) and see if it keeps level then. :yep: |
February, 15th - 1941
BE37 had to retreat for the first time from a convoy-attack. tried twice to infiltrate the convoy in my well tried and tested advance (letting the leading escort sail by and then proceed at PD and silent running into the convoy between first and second column, when in good position releasing all 5eels and then going to 160m), but with now two side-escorts I had to break the run. was detected by ASDIC and escaped at 160m. I quit any further attacks because I have to think about new tactics ...... any helpful guesses? |
Not much you can do with that.
Haven't messed with a convoy yet.. But I've read somewhere about Russian sub tactics about being detected on the outside, then breaking off contact...towards the convoy. Supposedly, in this way, by the time the escorts, even with their superior speed, can come back into position, the sub makes its inside attack and breaks off contact again away from the escorts to safety. This was documented in a fictional book called "Red Storm Rising", by Tom Clancy. It rewards a nervy sub driver. |
1530h November 28 1939, U-49, AN16
We're just over 3 and a half hours from making landfall on the south-east of the Orkneys, headed directly towards the southern entrance to Scapa Flow. We've encountered a small merchant vessel en-route, spotted whilst it was still under the horizon by our eagle-eyed watchman,Conrad. He continues to impress me and I'll be keeping him under consideration for promotion at the soonest opportunity. Observation suggested she was steaming SSE, so an intercept was plotted and we closed with the merchant to engage her with the deck gun. The tommies were clearly asleep as we weren't spotted until we were within 1500m, an easy shot with the gun. Immediately they started taking evasive action, but after a shot straight into the bow the crew soon gave up and concentrated on abandoning ship. A few more rounds fired into her waterline and she quickly began settling in the water. I have no doubt that they got off an SOS and quite likely more, so given our proximity to the mainland I ordered the boat down to 20 metres, still following our intercept bearing for ten minutes so we were last seen to be heading SSW. Our main course was resumed and I kept the boat down for another 4 hours. At least if the Royal Navy go searching for us, we'll be keeping a low profile as they search empty sea in the opposite direction! The men at least seem glad of a rest, though they are joking that I'll be shooting ships with my pistol before we get rid of any torpedoes. The irony of course is that we might soon be getting rid of more than they expect. Now is the time for caution. |
End of February, 1939. U-1.
The mens morale is low. We have zigzagged along AN52 for days, much longer than 24 hours. No contacts. The thunderstorm that we met upon entering 'our' grid area. We've moved slowly, taking our time, changing speeds, searching every inch of our grid. No contacts. Frustrated, I send a status report to Bdu...again. Tersely, they reply to engage targets of opportunity at suspected areas of cargo travel. I crumple the message in my hands at look at the navigation chart. Lately, all of the action was up near Scapa Flow. Tons of cargo...and tons of enemy warships. I decide to stay near the coast and slowly work my way up North, not directly, but slowly weaving back and forth for a maximum search area. When we get a grid or three closer to Scapa Flow, I will reduce my speed even further and be especially adherent to silent running most of the time. This old dugboat can't dive deep... Not even supposed to drive past 100 meters. So we will rely on being cagey for now. We surface at the edge AN52, the sun is beginning to rise, the stormy weather is almost completely gone. The wind howls against the U-Boat, but the sun is beginning to rise, the waves are gently rocking out boat. She gurgles forward at 1/3rd speed, handling like a champ, her well oiled machinery not hardly making any noise at all. We consider it a good omen of things to come. |
Your storyline is growing on me Kaleun Terragon http://www.psionguild.org/forums/ima...s/thumbsup.gif
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New boat, U-94.....
After 5 patrols out of St. Nazaire, put in for a transfer to La Spezia. Approved! (went through the null rejection and alt tab out of the game routine on the fourth patrol) Had all kinds of plans to navigate the Strait, when low and behold... they put my crew and I on a train and shipped U-94 to La Spezia via Fed EX to the new port! :rotfl2: Not very realistic, but hey! :yeah: Also, it dawned on me why the boat wouldn't hold it's depth after crash diving and non-combat testing proved it. Crash diving to 210m without a command for silent running showed a loss of compressed air. While silent running, the CE isn't able to get rid of the excess ballast needed to dive so fast. So, if you go silent running before he's able to blow it out you're going down. Simple as that. |
February 1941
Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Schatz was promoted to commander of the 5th Flotilla. therefore my first career played in SH3 (GWX3) came to an end. in 14 war-patrols 541k tons could be sunk, no crew lost. started now a new career (Leutnant Artur Stein) in a IXB (U-110) and have to say that the fire-power this boat has is enormous! first patrol 10ships with 122k tons were sank by U-110, but there was a lucky shot responsible for: at the second convoy-attack I've aimed for a large tanker in the middle but due to former explosions this tanker started to zig-zag and so (with just one eel!) a troup-transport (SS Jill Juliet - Passagierdampfer - 45557BRT) behind this tanker was hit beneth the keel and sank within 5mins! I haven't seen this ship due to night and heavy rain ..... :D |
Late Oct. `39. After 4 days patrolling AM19 decided to patrol just S/E - S/S/E of Rockall Banks.
So far it's been the bore patrol :zzz: 13th. day outwater, no sighting, no reports. Burning fuel, down to 70%. Good weather for surface watch, usually at ahead slow. Considering 6 hour rotation of submerged patrol to conserve fuel oil. |
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Started over in a new career. Juggled the time so I could depart with 13 other boats on August 19, 1939. Irwin Baade, U-29. Had a leisurely sail through the English Channel and out to the Atlantic, Grid BF16. Hung around waiting to see what would happen, and on September 1 we got a message saying that Polish forces had attacked Germany's border and we were at war. Hung out for two more days and got a message saying that Britain, France and the rest of the British Empire had declared war on us!
Got lots of radio messages about ships being sunk, but no trade for us. Then one day we saw a ship in the distance. After a long wait it turned out to be a British Vosper Motor Torpedo Boat. We dove to 30 meters and waited until he was long gone, then surfaced again. A day or two later we came upon a small British freighter, about 2000 tons. We stopped her and allowed the crew to abandon ship, then sank her with a single torpedo. That night we sighted a ship in the darkness. When we approached it turned out to be a destroyer! We crash dived to 70 meters, and rode out his attack. A couple of depth charges were pretty close, but not enough to damage us. We stayed submerged until dawn. The next day we came across another British freighter, unescorted, this one about 4000 tons. We made a submerged attack, fired two torpedoes from about 800 metres' range, and she sank about 15 minutes later. It is now September 12. We have been at sea for three-and-a-half weeks, the war has been on for two weeks, and we have sunk two ships for about 6000 tons. |
23 May 1942: Returned to 1. U-Flottille base at Brest after a ridiculously lucky 2nd patrol, almost like the "Happy Days". Located a large, lightly-defended convoy at AM 79 and shadowed it for 3 days and nights, conducting surface attacks at night, and one submerged attack by day. Tons of wabos dropped on us, but no serious damage.
Our final attack was in BF 12, in the Celtic Sea. Ordinarily I would avoid this shallow area, but the conditions were too perfect to resist. 6 merchants sunk, ~45 K tons. Only one aircraft sighted the whole week, and it was Irish. |
22 October 1944 - U-1099
15 days out of Bergen, have been operating submerged since the 14th. Now on station AM53. Weather cloudy with moderate seas. Detected hydrophone effect (HE) to the south west with slow bearing change indicating a merchant entering the North Channel. Set depth 35m and plotted intercept course for four knots based on assumed target course and speed. HE now bears west south-west and should pass within torpedo range. Battery 80+%. Periscope depth, up scope target in sight. Down scope steer 145. Speed 2 depth 25. Periscope depth, up scope. Target in sight, Liberty Ship 10000 tons AOB Port 35, speed 8, range 3500, down scope. 25 metres, speed 3 Steer 195. Speed 2, periscope depth. Up scope Target in sight bearing 055, AOB port 40 Range 2600 Speed 9. Open outer doors tubes 1 and 2. Down scope, 25 metres. Plan a double shot with electrics from tubes 1 and 2. Tube 3 is loaded with an air FAT and tubes 4 and 5 with Falke homing torpedoes. Periscope depth. Up scope. Target in sight bearing 029, AOB port 60, range 1400 speed 9. Tube 1 - shoot. Tube 2 - shoot. Down scope close outer doors. Torpedo impact. Up scope, target in sight bearing 008. Torpedo hit aft of superstructure. Second torpedo appears to have missed. Hear secondary explosions through hull, do a quick look around and see a twin-engine bomber attacking, maybe the explosions were rockets. Down scope, crash dive. Left full rudder, ahead full, steer 100. Head towards deeper water, ahead two-thirds, reverse course steer 290 depth 90 metres. Sound man reports breakup noises on target bearing followed by a series of four depth charges close enough to shake the boat. No damage. Sound man reports warship HE from the south-east and closing at high speed. Soon another is detected slightly left of the first. Bearing change insignificant over five minutes then moving right and increasing. Steer 305, 120 metres, set silent speed. Played cat and mouse with two escorts for the next three and a half hours but evaded further west without damage. Cruised generally west at 2 knots until dark then with no HE detected, snorkelled to air the boat and recharge the batteries. Charge complete, depth 30 metres, speed 2 course 110, back into the North Channel. Saved game at that point. This is basically how it went, have taken a few liberties with the narrative but not that many. |
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Being inside the convoy shooting can be a little difficult but if you time it right you can hit the ships on any colom, just work the angles a little. Plus if you miss chances are someone will catch that torpido for you. The extra added plus for this attack plan, or so I am told any way, is that the escorts will have a devil of a time finding you let alone trying to get to you if the convoy starts taking evasive manuvers and screws up the spacing. The guy who posted the instructions said it was so safe for him that he even was able to reload and fire a second volly whilst still inside the convoy formation. Aproaching head on like this is suposed to netralize the majoraty of the escorts, seeing as there is only one out front most of the time so this might work out for your situation. Personaly I take too long to aim to fire from inside convoys just now, haven't quite figurd out the snap shooting or the no solution shooting. Then again I haven't practiced it all that much eather. I have seen a simular method of aproach that puts you between one of the wing escorts and outer most colom of that side or off one of the leading corners of the convoy could work too. You still aproach from the front of the convoy and shoot, more or less at a 45 degree angle into the convoy to maximize the chances of geting a hit. I haven't tried that one eather just yet but I have heard good things about both forms; seems like an aproch from the front is an easy one due to only having one escort there. |
U-30 (Typ VIIC)
KptnLt Jung Attack on HMS Hood and escort Grid: CG95 Date: 23.06.1940 Target: HMS Hood and Illustrious class carrier with destroyer screen. Counter measures: screen 4+ destroyers/31+ depth charges/aircraft [swordfish] Report: Sailing from supply ship Thalia [Cadiz harbour] morning 22 June 1940 (previously patrolling CG94, gross tonnage claimed 73,000), intention was to head to CF64 on return to Wilhelmshaven via St George's Channel. At 10:05 22 June local a report was received from BdU stating Enemy Task Force in Grid CG81, Kurs OSO, 14kts. Assumed T.F heading for Gibraltar so plotted kurs SSO [CG95:7] then tracked Ost, 3 kts submerged to reconnoitre. Surfaced at 23:50 [seegang 0, sicht 15 - 20] to recharge batteries. Submerged at 0701. Contact made 0732 [Seegang 0, sicht 10 - 15]: 3+ destroyer vanguard, Hood and carrier line astern plus undetermined rear guard, 15kts, Kurs Ost. 0807-09 tubes 1-4 fired at Hood, angle 042. All hit. Turn to starboard at 1kts, stern torpedo shot at carrier with 27 degree deflection, range 1,200m. Hydrophone reported hit during dive to 155 metres Kurs 270. Hood stopped, taking on water. Sunk 0814. Carrier slowed to c.10 kts. Destroyer screen vigours attack above (presumed depth 100 metres) and astern till 0856 then all withdrew save one. Final sweep [12 depth charges] concluded 0927. Course maintained 270. No damage sustained during depth charge attack. Surfaced 1017. A/C [2+ swordfish] attacked 1018. Crash dive to 75 metres. Damage: Stern Batteries, stb diesel, attack periscope, stern torpedo, stern quarters, deck casing. Destroyed: flak gun, Port diesel engine, observation periscope, radio antenna. Took on water in command room (controlled and expelled in 22 minutes). Casualties (10 KIA, 0 WIA, 0 MIA): - Stabsoberbootsmann' Peter Weller Gustav Möllers Engelbert Dahne - Stabsbootsmann Hilmar Blaudow Manfred Eppen - Matrosenhauptgefreiter Willi Schroeter Klaus Bildstein Ernst Heldmann Jorg Bauer Eduard Geffe Crash dive revealed two contacts, bearing 337/339, long range. Once flooding contained investigated: two large merchants c.6,100tn each. Closed for attack. Both confirmed sunk. Attack 1117, kurs 261 angle on the bow 349/353. Two torpedoes each, impact fuse at 8m depth. Merchant one exploded on impact of first topedo. Second merchant floundered, taking on water. Stern torpedo fired, kurs 090, angle of attack 0. Ship sunk 1133. Dive depth hence forth restricted to 45 metres. Patrol aborted and making for Bordeaux. File for award Stabsoberbootsmann Gotthard Becker und Stabsbootsmann Reiner Richter both be awarded EK.I for efforts in damage control during flugzeug angriff. Tonnage Claim HMS Hood - sunk [48,360] 2x Large Merchants [2x 6,100] 60,560, Gross Tonnage 9 Torpedoes expended Tonnage Damaged Illustrious Class Carrier (23,000tns) ETA Bordeaux, 29 June 1940. |
So far, so good.
U-66, a type IXB put to sea from Wilhelmshaven on 8-1-1940. First patrol for the boat and most of the crew, including the Captain. We are bound for a point in the Atlantic roughly 2200 km west of the Strait of Gibralter. It being our first cruise, we didn't know what to expect, but, in any event, so far we have got much more than we bargained for.
We received periodic reports of British task forces operating in British coastal waters and paid them no heed. Too far away, in the wrong direction, in shallow water, and besides, I had no intention of engaging warships on my first cruise. Eight days into the patrol heading South well off the British coast, the watchman reported a British warship at long range. Further observation revealed a British Task Force. More accurately, The Task Force, composed of the Hood, the Warspite, an Illustrious Clas Carrier (HMS Illustrious herself, I think), two Heavy Cruisers, and at least two Destroyers. http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pict...&pictureid=995 Here was a group of targets I instantly judged worth all of our lives for even a chance of striking a blow. If we could get to within 2 km, we stood a chance to cripple or sink the flagship of the British Navy, and two other vessels of very high importance in terms of British naval power and prestige. The problem was position. The ships came into view pretty close, under 5 km, but crossing our bow from starboard to port. A scope measurement put their speed at just over 16 Kts. Far too fast to catch submerged, and not a sure thing at flank speed running on the surface, which would be sheer suicide in any event. The issue was soon decided for us. While trying to compute the enemy's course, we were beset by their Destroyer escort, which steamed up on us and began shooting as I squinted through the attack scope. We took minor damage and dove to 160m and went quiet to wait out the attack while the pride of the British navy sailed away unmolested toward Northern Ireland. We surfaced hours later. I reported the sighting to BDU, and we continued on course to our patrol grid. After such excitement, we expected things to return to normal, which is routine maintenance and boredom. Again, reality had something else in mind. Only two days later, now some South of the southern tip of Ireland, BDU reported a large enemy convoy to the West, right on top of us and heading straight for us. The weather was very bad. 1 km visibility, but the proximity of the convoy and its heading made an intercept well worth the attempt. I went to the map table. The convoy was reported as moving slow, which I rounded to a guess of 5kts. Plotted a course which made the their expected line of approach and our course equal in distance, and made our speed standard, which should have put us in position right in their path, awaiting their arrival. http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pict...&pictureid=997 Away we went. We arrived at our planned interception point and I scanned the immediate vicinity with binoculars...and was troubled to discover a Frigate looming in the rain and fog within shouting distance off the port bow. Periscope depth! Hmmm. How did that happen? Submerged we continued to observe--we had not been spotted. God bless the awful weather. SO reported the merchants still at long range to the Starboard. Thinking they might slip by in the gloom, we set course to intercept angled to their hypothetical bearing. I kept speed to slow,but nonetheless, the night lit up with a search light from the Frigate. Spotted, detected by hydrophone, no telling. I ordered flank speed toward the convoy, hoping the bad visibility would keep the Frigate off of us. In the probable event this did not happen, I readied an aft torpedo to shove down his throat when the time came. The first enemy came into sight. An Old Comp Merchant, 5000+ tons. I fired my two forward TI torpedoes, set for under the keel detonation (seas relatively calm, no time to plot the perfect angle of attack). I fired at point blank range and both torpedoes struck home. I turned from the sinking ship and sought another target.http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pict...pictureid=1003 http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=153 Running from the Frigate, its sonar ringing in our ears, we found a 10,000 tn Large Cargo. Same proceedure. Two torpedoes at under 500 m fired from astern, snap shooting with the att periscope. Two hits, well amidships. Locate the Frigate, turn and search for another target, my torpedomen sweating to reload the tubes. I find a Small Freighter at point blank range and waste precious time indecisive as to whether it is worth a torpedo. Now the Frigate has me locked in and is barreling up my rear (perhaps an unfortunate way to put it, but, there you have it). I know many are of the opinion that locking horns with escorts is dumb, but I say No Guts, No Glory. The range was as close to right as it would ever be, I fired my aft torpedo and waited anxiously. Boom! Hit, with secondary explosions. He sank almost instantly. Very good for morale.http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pict...pictureid=1000 Relatively certain of having already tallied over 15,000 tns of Merchant shipping, and with the convoy leaving me behind, I determined to kill anything that came into my scope. It helped that the IXB carries 22 torpedoes. I closed on the Small Freighter and shot him, then turned my scope around to figure out what all that pinging was about.http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pict...pictureid=1004 A Flower Class escort is in perfect position to the rear, closing. I dial in the depth, and fire. Boom, a hit. Lucky us, so far. No fire, but the Flower slows and the maddening pinging goes quiet. He sinks slowly and quietly as we hunt another target. http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pict...pictureid=1005 Pickings are getting slim now. We find a Coastal Freighter and blast it using our same under-the-keel, close range, hip-shooting technique. He exlpodes into flame as, unbelievably, the pinging starts up again.http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pict...pictureid=1006 Another Black Swan? This is too much. We crash dive to 160 m, and go silent while the depth charges explode harmlessly all around, and the groans of sinking, exploding ships come over the hydrophone. Eventually, the last Frigate gives up, and we surface and send in our report to BDU. 20,000 tns including two sub-killing escorts. Not too shabby for our first patrol. War Badges for the whole crew. An Iron Cross for my Weapons Officer. http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pict...pictureid=1001 And we still have 15 torpedoes and are 2000 km from our patrol grid. We'll be heroes, if we make it back to port alive. Which is no sure thing. I plan to play it safe for the rest of the patrol, but knowing me...?http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pict...pictureid=1007 ... http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pict...p?albumid=153& http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=153 http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=153 U-66 Returned safely after a 40 day patrol to a new home port at Lorient France, the German Army having beaten the Frenchies into submission while U-66 was sinking British ships. Total tonnage for the cruise was 27,179 tons. The Captain was promoted, but not decorated. Bastards. http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=153 |
some great and thrilling stories lately, well done, mates! :up:
and thx to dissaray for this dangerous but promising method of approaching a convoy with a lot of escorts. I will try this manoeuvre first in a single mission ...... will tell about the results! :salute: |
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