At 22.30 hrs another German attack was repelled. Their main problems proved to be the same miserable weather and terrain conditions that prompted the Ardennes counteroffensive in the first place. Öffnungszeiten Mo. Defense of St Vith (The following is excerpted from an interview given by Glenn to the Library of Congress.) That is a fact which cannot be denied. St. Vith is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège, and in the German speaking community in Belgium. As a result, Manteuffel's trap on the Schnee Eifel did not close until nightfall on 17 December. Posted 2 y ago Respond. One company command post took a direct hit from a German shell. School publication, The Battle at St. Vith, Belgium, 17-23 December 1944.) Vith, Tank Warfare, Battle of the Bulge, Ardennes, 7th Armored Division CCB(Combat Command 6), Defense, Clarke, Bruce C. IM. Under the watchful eye of Ridgeway—who only took cover when three rounds from a German 75mm assault gun passed close by—the armored infantrymen worked their way forward supported by tanks. If you like history too, this is the channel for you.Subscribe for more forgotten history: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4sEmXUuWIFlxRIFBRV6VXQ?sub_confirmation=1.Awesome The History Guy merchandise is available at:https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-guyThe episode is intended for educational purposes. Attacking after dark at 5 PM the Tiger tanks fired star shells into American positions, blinding the defenders, and followed up with armor-piercing shell, destroying all the American defending vehicles. The History Guy examines a tank duel during the Battle of the Bulge at St. Vith, Belgium. These units, which operated under the command of Generals Robert W. Hasbrouck (7th Armored) and Alan W. Jones (106th Infantry), successfully resisted the German attacks, thereby significantly slowing the German advance. This jam would be the first of many plaguing both sides in the paths of the German advance. Clarke saw his first task as getting his command into St. Vith, and proceeded to the traffic jams on the Rodt – St. Vith road to force his CCB into St. Vith. Attacks from the 1st SS Panzer Division had cut the Rodt – St. Vith road, and the advance of the LVIII Panzer Corps south of St. Vith threatened to close a pincer around the entire St. Vith salient at Vielsalm, eleven miles west of St. Vith, trapping most of the First Army. The situation was not improved by the appearance of a demoralized Colonel Devine with news that German Tiger tanks were right on his heels. It was neither as politically favored nor as well equipped as the 6th SS Panzer Army. A different grouping of scattered American soldiers under the command of Major Ouellette, numbering some 500 men surrendered later, but by 8 AM on 21 December, all organized resistance by American forces in the Schnee Eifel pocket ended. Supporting these mobile fighting forces were numerous artillery, antiaircraft, and rocket bombardment units. These losses had been made up from troops taken from disbanded small units, air cadets in training, and divisions not moving immediately to Europe. St. Vith is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège, and in the German speaking Community of Belgium. The Squadron was directed by Colonel Devine to take-up positions on a new defense line along the ridge running from Manderfeld to Andler, on the north side of the Our River. The American high command believed that the static nature of the Ardennes area would allow time for the 106th to correct its deficiencies. The Battle at St. Vith, Belgium, 17-23 December 1944: An Historical Example of Armor in the Defense Merriam Press , 1998 - Ardennes, Battle of the, 1944-1945 - 63 pages 0 Reviews While the two cavalry squadrons, the 14th and 18th, did not represent a lot of firepower, they did set up fortifications in small villages in the area. We have reviews of the best places to see in St Vith. These units came mainly from the 7th and 9th Armored Divisions, but included troops from the 424th Regiment of the 106th Division, and various supporting artillery, tank, and tank destroyer battalions. The 6th SS Panzer Army would be the strong right arm of the offensive, on the northern flank and was tasked with driving through Elsenborn Ridge along the Albert Canal on the most direct route to Antwerp. Of the two, the 18th Volksgrenadier Division had been in the area the longest, since October, and was composed for the most part of a Luftwaffe (German Air Force) field division with additional troops from the Kriegsmarine (German Navy). The Panzer Lehr Division (Armor Demonstration Division) and the Führer Begleit Brigade (Führer Escort Brigade) were to be held in reserve, with the Führer Begleit only usable with Model's express permission. They would then occupy the transportation center of Bastogne, before crossing the Meuse River at Namur. This attack did not do much damage to troops or fortifications, but did cut up most of the telephone wires the American army used for communications. [4]:311, 314, 323, 326, 337, 475, The 18th Volksgrenadiers captured the bridge at Schoenberg by 8:45, cutting off American artillery units attempting to withdraw west of the Our River. This was bad enough, but then the tanks of the Führer Begleit Brigade appeared behind them, on their way around the traffic jam at Schoenberg, it was the last straw. This transformed them into isolated strong points guarding road intersections. The History Guy examines a tank duel during the Battle of the Bulge at St. Vith, Belgium. Six paved or macadam roads converged at St. Vith, but none of these was considered by the Germans to be a major military trunk line. The headquarters group also brought with it a second cavalry squadron to screen the Losheim Gap, which was on the left flank of the 106th Division. Four Panzer Divisions and one Panzer Brigade were supported by five Volksgrenadier (People's Grenadier) divisions. It was named after Saint Vitus. They were also considering retaking Winterspelt, but Middleton ordered a general withdrawal behind the Our River. General Lucht of LXVI Corps was the first commander to waste his efforts clearing the jam at Andler, but not the last. CW5 Jack Cardwell. Fortunately for the Americans, the weather came to their assistance for the first time in the campaign. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions. 1944, inclusive, at St. Vitb. (Segment 1) How My Dad's Cancer Saved Our Relationship, (2) Chicken Soup: (Married Life) For Better Or Worse, (3) History Guy: The WWII Tank Duel at St. Vith, (4) This Jewelry Store Pr… Now as we were leaving for St. Vith a German tiger tank was coming down the hill, with his gun pointed directly at us. In addition, in order not to alert the Germans of the change in divisions, the 106th could not bring any equipment forward and had to rely on equipment left behind by the 2nd Division. The American positions east of the Our had become the Schnee Eifel Pocket. Here Manteuffel had found an undefended gap running between Weckerath to Kobscheid. This was bad news for Jones, who was hoping for a quick deliverance from his problems by the arrival of organized reinforcements. The high command did not spot the buildup of the German forces for the offensive, and made no preparations to deal with it. Meeting Manteuffel in the confusion, Model ordered him to capture St. Vith on the 18th, giving him control of the Fuhrer Begleit Brigade to make sure the objective would be met. Brigadier General Bruce Cooper Clarke, leader of Combat Command-B 7th Armored Division had arrived in the morning, with news that his command was on the road to St. Vith, but would probably not arrive until later that afternoon. Here, they held the village for the day; after dark, they destroyed their vehicles and abandoned their positions, withdrawing to St. Vith. There was also a counterattack by Colonel Charles C. Cavender of the 423d Regiment, which retook the village of Bleialf. Read "The Battle At St. Vith, Belgium, 17-23 December 1944: An Historical Example of Armor In the Defense" by U.S. Army Armor School available from Rakuten Kobo. Stadtgemeinde St. Vith, Rathaus, Dienste, Kultur, Tourismus. [4]:416–22, 478–9, The American commanders had hoped to use the St. Vith salient as the starting point of an attack towards Malmedy in Belgium. This marked the most extensive defeat suffered by American forces in the European Theatre. The 106th had also suffered significant personnel changes, since sixty percent of its troop strength had been used to make up for higher than expected losses in units already in Europe. [4]:314–5, 318, 320, Following the German attacks sweeping around their position, the two regiments of the 106th Division, the 422nd and 423rd had remained in place, since they had heard that the Germans would launch artillery and patrols against them as they would any new division taking a place on the line. This assault's goal was to pierce the thinly held lines of the U.S. First Army between Monschau and Wasserbillig with Army Group B commanded by Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) Walter Model, cross the Meuse between Liege and Dinant, seize Antwerp and the western bank of the Scheldt Estuary. The 183d Regiment now poured through the draw into St. Vith. The most significant aspect of the bombardment is where it did not fall. At 10 AM that morning, the breakout began with Colonel Cavender leading the attack with the 423d Infantry. As a technical expert, he still retained enough of a reputation to be trusted with a supporting role in the grand plan. The History Guy tells of the story during the Battle of St. Vith, Belgium, on 18 December 1944, where one of the most extraordinary David Vs.Goliath tank actions of the war took place between a little American M8 armored car and Hitler's enormous German King Tiger tank. [4]:327, 336–7, The final attack on St. Vith was belatedly launched on 21 December, but by then St. Vith had become more of a liability than an asset. Editor’s note: The U.S. Army marks the 70th anniversary of the Battle of St. Vith in mid-December 2014. was subjected to repeated tank and infantry attacks, which grew in intensity as the German forces attempted to destroy the stubborn defenses that were denying to them the use of the key communication center at St. Vith. The American commands in the rear found it difficult to abandon their own planned offensive in view of reacting to an unanticipated German attack. Germany could then make a separate peace with the Western Allies, and concentrate its armies for a successful drive against the Soviet Union. American soldiers, part of the 30th Infantry Division, move past a destroyed American M5A1 “Stuart” tank on their march to recapture the town of St. Vith. By midnight of the 17th, he had managed to set up the beginnings of what was called the “horseshoe defense” of St. Vith, a line of units to the north, east and south of town. Expert ski troops could have covered the 11 to 15 miles of snow covered forested ravines from the Schnee Eifel to St. Vith in one day, but the Volksgrenadiers simply did not have that kind of training or equipment. (Segment 1) How My Dad's Cancer Saved Our Relationship, (2) Chicken Soup: (Married Life) For Better Or Worse, (3) History Guy: The WWII Tank Duel at St. Vith, (4) This Jewelry Store Provides More Value Than Just Rings, (5-8) Bryan Dawson's Story: From Hell's Highway to the Valley of Vision Warfare, Tanks, Europe, World War ll.St. The German attack achieved limited success in the early days of the battle but failed to meet their objectives. They did not even have the training it took to take full advantage of the motorized assault guns they did have. Volksgrenadiers advanced from the flanks firing small arms. [4]:322–9, As Clarke was cursing and threatening his way through the traffic jams west of St. Vith, Model and Manteuffel were doing the same in the traffic jams east of Schoenberg. This veteran organization had fought its way across Europe from Normandy to the Schnee Eifel. [4]:35–6, While detailing the deployment of his forces along the Westwall opposite the American lines, Manteuffel performed an extensive reconnaissance of the positions on the German 5th Panzer army front. The mechanized combat engineer battalion of the 18th Volksgrenadiers, with a group from the 1st SS Panzer, did attack from the north, but were repelled by counterattacks from the 7th and 9th Armored. Though second in power to 6th SS Panzer Army, the 5th Panzer Army still represented considerable mobile strength. Click here to order on Amazon.com. By the Hitler contended that the alliance between England and the United States in Western Europe was unnatural and therefore fragile, and would shatter if subjected to a German drive that would place a wedge between the two nations. General Hoge of the 9th Armored Division even considered it unlikely that any escape from the area could be made. This was not enough to pull off a carefully timed series of sequential envelopments and advances through rough terrain. These defenders were led by the U.S. 7th Armored Division and included the 424th Infantry (the remaining regiment of the 106th U.S. Infantry Division), elements of the 9th Armored Division's Combat Command B and the 112th Infantry of the U.S. 28th Infantry Division. [4]:104–8, After the initial artillery strike, searchlights behind the German line lit up, reflecting an eerie illumination from the clouds and lighting up the front lines. The Americans were under fire from all sides and running low on ammunition. Under his banner was recreated a rebuilt Army Group B consisting of three armies, 6th SS Panzer, 5th Panzer and 7th Army. Supporting the 14th were the 820th Tank Destroyer Battalion, with twelve 3” towed anti-tank guns, and the 275th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, with 18 M7 Priest Self-Propelled Howitzers. 14 14 0 Posted in these groups: WWII Military History World History Tanks Armor. This division was commanded by Colonel Hoffman-Schonborn and had been formed in Denmark in September. The History Guy examines a tank duel during the Battle of the Bulge at St. Vith, Belgium. The Battle of St. Vith was an engagement in Belgium fought during the Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine in World War II. [7], German preparations: 15 September to 16 December 1944, American deployment and fortifications: 24 October to 15 December 1944, The Battle of St. Vith, 16–22 December 1944. The 106th Division came out worse in this deal, for the 2nd had picked up extra communications gear, weapons, and vehicles in the course of its travels across Europe for which the 106th had no equivalent, so the 2nd took most of their equipment with them. [4]:101–2, In planning for the actual attack, Manteuffel had divided his 5th Panzer Army into three corps composed of infantry, tanks, and supporting artillery. General Jones had given the troops east of the Our River permission to withdraw at 9:45 AM, but it was too late to organize an orderly withdrawal by that time. The Battle of St. Vith was an engagement in Belgium fought during the Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine in World War II. [4]:83, The 106th Division began replacing the 2nd Infantry Division in the area of St. Vith and the Schnee Eifel on 10 December 1944. These changes involved limiting or eliminating the artillery bombardment in areas where American forces were in the habit of withdrawing for the night, or where they were so widely spaced as to allow German troops to advance around them during the night before the attack. All events are described for educational purposes and are presented in historical context.The History Guy uses images that are in the Public Domain. He was aware that Montgomery had already decided to withdraw from the St. Vith area. Montgomery had seen the threat of a larger encirclement of American forces, and hoped to gather a reserve west of the Meuse River to finally block the German advance while also eliminating vulnerable salients in the allied lines. General Alan Walter Jones, commander of the 106th had also sent reinforcements to Winterspelt and Schoenberg around noon. That same night we were surrounded by the Germans! The total area is 146.93 square kilometers, giving a population density of 62 inhabitants per square kilometers. Manteuffel referred to this plan as the “little slam”, a title from his love of contract bridge, as opposed to Hitler's “grand slam” plan for the occupation of Antwerp. It was only at 2:15 AM on 18 December that they received an order from Jones to break out to the west along the Bleialf - Schoenberg – St. Vith road, clearing the area of Germans in the process. His analysis did not make much of the grand strategies however. Manteuffel also made it clear that LXVI Corps's advance would depend on what the Germans called Stoßtrupptaktik (thrust troop tactics). From there, LXVI Corps would cross the Our river and occupy St. Vith on the first day of the attack. Click here to order on Amazon.com. [4]:117–29, On the American side, the significant events were decisions from General Courtney Hodges, commander of First Army, and General Middleton of VIII Corps, committing combat commands of the 7th and 9th Armored Divisions to support the 106th Division defense. The German attack began at 3 PM with a heavy artillery barrage. St. Vith is built on a low hill surrounded on all sides by slightly higher rises. However, the 5th Panzer Army did have an edge in leadership as it was under the command of General der Panzertruppen (General of Armored Forces) Hasso Eccard von Manteuffel, who was an expert in mechanized warfare from the Eastern Front. In the other villages, the cavalry troops were forced to withdraw earlier in the day so as to avoid being surrounded and cut off. [4]:26–32, 310–21, 374, Under orders from Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, Brigadier General Bruce Cooper Clarke, leader of Combat Command-B 7th Armored Division, gave up St. Vith on 21 December 1944; U.S. troops fell back to positions supported by the 82nd Airborne Division to the west, presenting an imposing obstacle to a successful German advance. General der Artillerie Walter Lucht, commander of LXVI Corps, regarded the 18th Volksgrenadier as the more reliable of the two, due to its familiarity with the local terrain, and its German composition. St Vith Tourism: Tripadvisor has 152 reviews of St Vith Hotels, Attractions, and Restaurants making it your best St Vith resource. [4]:130, LXVI Corps comprised two Volksgrenadier divisions. Belgium. We then proceeded to St. Vith and arrived at our headquarters. LXVI Corps was the weakest of the three corps, with no attached tank division or motor transport, but did include an attached assault gun battalion. Winterspelt fell to the 62nd Volksgrenadiers early in the day. The attack on the critical dams would be made by the 2nd Infantry Division. This northernmost, or right wing, element would flank and begin an envelopment of the American forces occupying fortifications on the Schnee Eifel and then converge on the town of Winterspelt. Moving forward with the glow, the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division advanced through Elgelscheid toward Winterspelt. What the Americans called a “Russian High” began blowing on 23 December. This movement, combined with the advance of a southern column of the 18th Volksgrenadiers through Grosslangenfeld to meet the 62nd at Winterspelt and combine for a capture of Steinebruck, with its bridge over the Our River. [4]:104, 137, 314, 321, 469, While Manteuffel's LXVI Corps was gathering for the drive west, the U.S. 1st Army was preparing an attack of its own. Opposing this drive were units of the U.S. VIII Corps. American forces were able to escape to the southwest, cross country to Crombach, Beho, Bovigny, and Vielsalm west of the Salm River. Manteuffel also set up a special mechanized combat engineer battalion using halftracks and self-propelled assault guns to clear road blocks and allow for fast flanking attacks. However, Hitler would not hear of any abbreviation of his goals, so Antwerp remained the official objective, and Manteuffel had to content himself with minor tactical changes. The southern pincer of the 18th, advancing from Bleialf against scattered American resistance, was slower than the northern group. At this point Colonel Descheneaux, commander of the 422 decided to surrender the American forces in the pocket. It was one of several battles on December 16, 1944 constituting the opening of Germany's Ardennes counteroffensive (more commonly known as the "Battle of the Bulge"). It is my hope that this site may bring together the families of these men to celebrate their accomplishments during WWII and in life. Two of the American tank destroyers reached St. Vith and here blocked the main street until nearly midnight, when one was destroyed by a bazooka round. The northern arm of the 18th struck at Andler, receiving unexpected help from the 6th SS Panzer Army. 7. He also suggested using searchlights reflecting light indirectly from the clouds to illuminate the advance in the winter darkness preceding the dawn. By 23 December, as the Germans shattered their flanks, the defenders’ position became untenable and U.S. troops were ordered to retreat west of the Salm River. As German troops were massing on the opposite bank, the 9th Armored would blow up the bridge on 18 December, and fall back to a defensive line with the 7th Armored Division on the left and the remaining 424th Regiment of the 106th Division on the right. [4]:116–7, The 106th Division did have supporting units on its flanks and the area of the Losheim Gap to the north. From there, the troops of the 18th Volksgrenadiers swept onward toward Schoenberg. The town of St. Vith, a vital road junction, was close to the boundary between the 5th and Sepp Dietrich’s Sixth Panzer Army, the two strongest units of the attack. It was named after Saint Vitus. After many requests from General Robertson, the headquarters of the 14th Cavalry Group, commanded by Colonel Mark A. Devine, Jr., was moved into the area. As photographs of actual events are often not available, I will sometimes use photographs of similar events or objects for illustration. [4]:101–2, 644–8, After being informed of the nature of the offensive in a meeting with Hitler, von Rundstedt, and Model on 27 October 1944, Manteuffel proceeded to place his personal imprint on the grand plan. The capture of Schoenberg, (six miles east of St. Vith), also with a bridge over the Our, and Steinebruck would set up LXVI Corps for an envelopment of St. Vith itself. This had the effect of breaking the defense into isolated positions, and denying corps and army commands information on events at the front line. After Thanksgiving, the 7 th Armored Division was attached to the 9 th Army with orders to cross into the Ruhr Pocket; however, the German offensive changed those orders on December 16 th, as the 7 th Armored was ordered to St Vith, Belgium. The best summation of the fight for St. Vith was one given by the architect of the attack, Hasso von Manteuffel, for a documentary series on the battle in 1965. I believe I can say, and I have the right to make this judgment, that the Germans did this admirably well, at the same time however, I am also convinced this was the case with the American forces, who after all succeeded in upsetting the entire time schedule, not only of the attacking unit in St. Vith, but also of the 5th and 6th Panzer Armies. For this reason he trusted the 18th with the most complex components of the plan, and gave it more transport equipment. “I’ve thrown in my last chips.” He told Clarke, and turned over defense of the area to Clarke. This would encircle 6th Panzer Army and destroy any hope of further German penetrations. Trevor Nevitt Dupuy, David L. Bongard, Richard C. Anderson (Jr.), Richard Claire Anderson: Edited by Walt Cross Foreword by Gen. Hasbrouck: "The German Counteroffensive in the Ardennes", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_St._Vith&oldid=993195706, Military operations of World War II involving Germany, Battles of World War II involving the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 9 December 2020, at 08:26. As the German plan called for the capture of St. Vith by 18:00 on 17 December, the prolonged action in and around it presented a major blow to their timetable. It was not to be however, for the armor brigade had bogged down in the traffic jams, and the 18th and 62nd Volksgrenadiers were busy reducing the Schnee pocket and rebuilding the bridge at Steinbruck. This order, and the slow German southern arm, gave more Americans a chance to escape, but since they had newly arrived in the area, and had few compasses or maps, most were unable to take advantage of the opportunity. – The story of a small town in Belgium, Stavelot, 1rst Lt Franck Warnock – Sad souvenirs or life of the people of Stavelot during the winter of 1944-1945, by Guy Lebau, – The Ardennes 1944-1945, Christer Bergstrom – The Bitter Road to Freedom: A New History of the Liberation of Europe, door William I. Hitchcock. This system of attack relied on special shock companies of 80 men that would utilize the rough terrain of the Ardennes to bypass strongpoints and seize key bridges, crossroads, and high ground. St. Vith (German: Sankt Vith; French: Saint-Vith; Luxembourgish: Sankt Väit, pronounced [ˌzɑŋkt ˈvæːɪ̯t]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège, and in the German speaking Community of Belgium.It was named after Saint Vitus.. On January 1, 2006, St. Vith had a total population of 9,169. The villages on the left flank north of the Schnee Eifel were not hit at all. Ridgeway arrived in Vielsalm on 22 December, shortly after American forces were driven from St. Vith. One tank destroyed St. Vith’s church steeple, a favorite German observation post. Generally, these plans were aimed at other parts of the front from the Ardennes where the Germans were building up. [4]:130, 646, The 18th Volksgrenadier Division would have the main role, the Schwerpunkt, in a series of envelopments that would cut off the units in the American line and lead to a final convergence of the 18th and 62nd Divisions on St. Vith. In late October, the 9th Armored Division had also been added to VIII Corps as a reserve, and part of the division had been moved up to support the 2nd Infantry Division's attack on the Roer River dams. 29. Things to Do in St Vith, Liege Province: See Tripadvisor's 152 traveler reviews and photos of St Vith tourist attractions. Therefore, Manteuffel supported what came to be called the “small solution”, a limited envelopment that would destroy the American First and Ninth armies. At first he supported Model's and Rundstedt's attempt to narrow the scope of the operation to the means that Army Group B could bring to bear. 16-mrt-2017 - Soldiers of the 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Armored Division, advance into the battle-scarred St. Vith, Belgium It is a little remembered event in World War II history that deserves to be remembered.The episode discusses events and shows some historical film footage and photographs depicting a period of war, which some viewers may find disturbing. Nov 18, 2013 - M36 Tank Destroyer (90 mm), near St. Vith, Belgium, 23 January 1945. Manteuffel's preference for the "little slam", or limited solution, was reflected in the absence of planning beyond reaching the Meuse River. The few messages received indicated they could withdraw, but that counterattacks from the 7th and 9th Armored divisions would probably clear the Germans out of the area anyway. His chosen commander for the Western Front and figurehead behind which new armies would rally was Gerd von Rundstedt, an aged field marshal of great reputation and respectability. The only significant check in the German advance was at Kobscheid, where the 18th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron had circled the village with barbed wire and dug in machine guns from their armored cars. And why would it not? Its population in 1944 was about 2,000, and its citizens were very much pro-German. 6 6 0 SPC Douglas Bolton. [5] The main purpose of the counteroffensive was both political and diplomatic. The effect of disruptions in organization, training, and equipment made the division relatively ineffective as a combat unit. St. Vith was also close to the western end of the Losheim Gap, a critical valley through the densely forested ridges of the Ardennes Forest and the axis of the entire German counteroffensive. The official language in the municipality is German. The German activity during the counter offensive seemed to follow this pattern, and since communication with the division headquarters in St. Vith was unreliable and intermittent, the Americans had remained for the most part inert. A cold wind from the northeast, and clear weather, froze the ground, allowing the free movement of tracked vehicles and the use of allied air superiority. This movement would coincide with a southern advance of the 18th around the right flank of the Schnee Eifel through Bleialaf to Schoenberg to surround American positions on the Schnee Eifel ridge. 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