780) and the later paddle-bladed propellers. This icon of the RAF Bomber Command was one of the most important aircraft of World War 2. It also spearheaded the Allied strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany. 3 and 5 Groups were fully equipped with Lancs. [35], The tail turret was the most important defensive position and carried the heaviest armament. With this weapon, Harris was able to drop 2,000 tons of high explosives on Cologne on 30-31 May 1942; in a mere 90-minute window, the Lancaster bombers left 45,000 residents of Cologne homeless. The Avro Lancaster is best known for the Dambusters raid over Germany in 1943. [123] RAF Coastal Command received a small number of grey-painted Lancaster MR.1s, which were normally based at RAF Kinloss, Moray Firth. [23] By the end of the conflict, over 10,000 Canadians were employed on the production line, which was producing one Lancaster each day. 6 x 2,000lb (910kg) short-delay fused AP bombs, plus other GP/HE bombs based on local needs or availability. [citation needed], An important feature of the Lancaster was its unobstructed 33ft (10m) long bomb bay. The bomber is expected to pass over . A crowd of . [35] Many rear gunners insisted on having the centre section of perspex removed from the turret to improve visibility. On the 65th anniversary of Operation Chastise, as the mission was codenamed, this picture shows the cockpit of the oldest surviving Lancaster, S-Sugar. "The Design and Development of the Avro Lancaster". Join one of our expert IWM guides in a behind-the-ropes exploration of the iconic Avro Lancaster. Amongst the final wartime operations performed by the Lancaster was the Bombing of Obersalzberg, aimed at the destruction of Eagle's Nest, the extensive holiday home complex used by German leader Adolf Hitler. In some later variants of the Lancaster the twin 7.7mm machine guns were replaced with 12.7mm models, which . Which 3 Of These 7 Top WWII Fighter Planes Would You Put On Your Team? Live from Lincs Aviation Heritage Centre featuring Lancaster NX-611 'Just Jane'https://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------It's easy to watch the FREEVIEW shows simply subscribe to our dedicated channel via the website www.bigjet.tv just hit the FREEVIEW button To enjoy exclusive all-elite shows, join the Aviation Elite and join us on exclusive shows like our Euro Tours, Feature shows as well as get the full 2hr plus main shows. [20][21] Only 300 of the Lancaster B.II, which was outfitted with Bristol Hercules engines, were constructed; this had been produced as a stopgap modification as a result of a shortage of Merlin engines due to fighter production having higher priority for the engines at that time. World War II British heavy bomber aircraft, Lancaster pilot at the controls, left, flight engineer at right, The flight engineer checks control panel from his seat, Mk.X nose with twin .303 Brownings in turret over bomb-aimer's position, Nose turret from above, and bomber aimer's station, RAF strategic bombing during the Second World War, Certified/factory-built aircraft manufactured in Canada, Radio, radar and countermeasures equipment, This aircraft carries the deepened bomb aimer blister (Mod. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirling, all three aircraft being four-engined heavy bombers adopted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the same wartime era. The Tudor airliner also used the Lincoln wings, but with a new tubular fuselage. 115 Squadron RAF. 6 x 1,000lb (450kg) short and long delay fused GP/HE bombs, additional 250lb (110kg) GP/HE bombs sometimes added. Consequently, Dyson's proposal was not adopted. Viewers will be taken inside the cockpit of the famous bomber as it . [102], In October, Lancasters repeatedly struck the sea wall at Westkapelle, seeing to prevent the Germans from intentionally flooding neighbouring lands to delay Allied ground forces. [18] The first prototype was initially outfitted with the Manchester I's three-finned tail but this was revised on the second prototype, DG595, and subsequent production Lancasters used the larger elliptical twin-finned tail unit that was also adopted for the last Manchesters built. The Avro Lancaster of 61 Squadron, crashed in the lake during a night . Bomb Loads. A civilian airliner was converted from the Lancaster with the addition of nose and tail fairings and seats, as the Lancastrian and a similar aircraft was derived from the Lincoln as the Lincolnian. The gunners could have been just 18 or 19. The Lancaster also carried a variety of smaller weapons, including the Small Bomb Container (SBC) which held 236 4lb (1.8kg) or 24 30lb (14kg) incendiary and explosive incendiary bomblets; 500lb (230kg) and 1,000lb (450kg) General Purpose High Explosive (GP/HE) bombs (these came in a variety of designs); 1,850lb (840kg) parachute deployed magnetic or acoustic mines, or 2,000lb (910kg) armour-piercing (AP) bombs; 250lb (110kg) Semi-Armour-Piercing (SAP) bombs, used up to 1942 against submarines; post-1942: 250lb (110kg) or 500lb (230kg) anti-submarine depth charges. Squadron and Units. Please reload the CAPTCHA. [102] On 24 August, eight Tallboys were dropped in a daylight attack on the U-boat pens at IJmuiden, two direct hits were recorded. Neither, The "Ruhr Express" the subject of a Canadian National Film Board production, Similar view and speed problems were commonplace in the era, having particularly afflicted the ventral turret in the, The Martin 250 CE 23A turret was the same unit which had been equipped upon many American bombers, such as the. In order to cope with the higher attrition rate from these operations, a three-fold increase in production was enacted. 2010 August 08: Interior walk-thru of the Mynarski Memorial Lancaster bomber, VR-A # KB726 of the Royal Canadian Air Force 419 "Moose" Squadron.The Lancaster. In conjunction, low-level nighttime bombing raids continued, but the emphasis shifted away from the strategic bombing of German industry in favour of directly attacking military concentrations, such as U-boat pens and V-1 flying bomb launch sites. On all but the earliest examples, this turret was surrounded by a coaming which provided a track for a cam-operated interrupter device which prevented the gunner from shooting the tail of his own aircraft. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Among these bombs was the famous bouncing bomb designed by British inventor Barnes Wallis, a payload that would lead the Lancaster to remain famed long after 1945. Number Of Personnel Required To Prepare On Lancaster Sortie. The city has contributed $850,000, with the restoration group, made up mostly of volunteers, fundraising $750,000. A total of 315 men flew in operations in the Lancaster and 101 were later killed when . [4] The versatility of the Lancaster was such that it was chosen to equip 617 Squadron and was modified to carry the Upkeep "bouncing bomb" designed by Barnes Wallis for Operation Chastise, the attack on German Ruhr valley dams. Turrets As standard the Lancaster bomber was fitted with three twin 7.7mm turrets in the nose, rear and upper-middle fuselage. Postwar, the Lancaster was supplanted as the main strategic bomber of the RAF by the Avro Lincoln, a larger version of the Lancaster. [123], The Lancaster continued to be operated in significant numbers until the introduction of the Avro Lincoln, a development of the Lancaster. 1 The picture shows the location of the R1155/T1154 receiver transmitter. A glimpse inside a Lancaster bomber. The Avro Lancaster is the most famous and successful RAF heavy bomber of World War Two. [74] The first radial engined Lancasters were also introduced to service during January, alongside some new bombing aids. Ammunition for the tail turret was 2,500 rounds per gun. The disadvantage of all radar and radio transmitting systems is that attacking forces can locate aircraft by picking up transmissions. Christopher said . One of the most important RAF targets was the destruction of the Ruhr dams that supplied important industrial installations with power. The FN-121 was the Automatic Gun Laying Turret (AGLT), an FN-120 fitted with Village Inn gun-laying radar. [110], During early 1945, a total of 33 Lancaster B.Is were modified so that they could deploy the 22,000lb (10,000kg) Grand Slam bomb, the heaviest conventional bomb to be used during the conflict. The 'lucky' Lancaster bomber, called EE136, was taken on 109 missions, including 14 raids to Berlin, Germany. A Lancaster bomber crew recorded during a raid. 1 x 12,000lb (5,400kg) short-delay fused "Tallboy" bomb. [28] It possessed largely favourable flying characteristics, having been described by Goulding and Garbett as being: "a near-perfect flying machine, fast for its size and very smoothsuch a delightfully easy aeroplane to flythere are instances of Lancasters having been looped and barrel-rolled, both intentionally and otherwise". Dec 4, 2008. [127], Between 1948 and 1949, 15 former RAF Lancasters were overhauled at Langar for use by the Argentine Air Force. Lancaster bomber NX611 "Just Jane" taxiing. Arguably the most famous heavy bomber of World War II, the Avro-built Lancaster bomber undertook some of the most dangerous and complex missions yet encountered by the RAF. notice.style.display = "block"; The Night Witches: The Cat-Eyed All-Female Stealth Bombing Squad That Owned The Eastern Front, The WWII Plane That Could Ram The Enemy In A Dogfight, Japan Had A Kamikaze Fighter Jet And They Were Determined To Use It, F-15 Eagle Gets D-Day Thunderbolt Paint Job, Russian Su-27 Intercepts NATO Fighter Jet He Got Too Close, A Single Pilots Victory Over 4 MiG-15s Was Classified For Over 40 Years, B-1B Lancer Pilot Cockpit Tour and Take Off, 103-year-old veteran on surviving World War IIs, World War II Veteran delivers a promise after 73, WWII Veteran Fires a Howitzer for the first time since 1944, 89-Year-Old WWII Veteran Scores A Touchdown, Rare WW2 Footage Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, Crazy Cold HAND START OLD AIRPLANE ENGINES and SOUND l WW1. [111][112] On 13 March 1945, the first operational use of the Grand Slam was performed by a Lancaster of No. The Avro Lancaster Bomber is one of the most famous heavy bombers of the Second World War. })(120000); That made for horrendous motion sickness on landing. On his left was a window, and above him was the astrodome, used for visual signalling and by the navigator for celestial navigation. The war in the Far East ended before she was . Nine of these aircraft were produced, referred to as Lancaster XPPs (for Lancaster Mk.X Passenger Planes), and each was equipped with rudimentary passenger facilities. The Lancaster weighs 36,900 pounds empty and was capable of flying with an extra 33,100 pounds of fuel and bombs on-board. }, Poland. [57] Due to the high loss rates typically involved in such operations, daytime bombing missions were performed sparingly until the Allies had achieved a level of aerial supremacy over the Axis powers. During the late 1930s, none of these were ready for production. The inaugural flight from Dorval (Montreal) to Prestwick, Scotland on 22 July 1943, was completed non-stop in a record 12:26 hours; the average crossing time was about 13:25 hours. var notice = document.getElementById("cptch_time_limit_notice_74"); [81] In June, Lancasters begun operating in North Africa using the tactic of shuttle bombing from airfields in Blida and Maison Blanche. The crew was made up of seven men. The British Avro Lancaster was a heavy bomber that was mainly used as a nighttime bomber during World War II. Many of them never made it home. Nicholas Stephen Alkemade (10 December 1922 - 22 June 1987) was a British tail gunner in the Royal Air Force during World War II who survived a freefall of 18,000 feet (5,490 m) without a parachute after abandoning his out-of-control, burning Avro Lancaster heavy bomber over Germany. 44 Sqn; a planned mission against the German battleshipTirpitz had been rescheduled due to poor weather conditions. BB This bomber, with a crew of seven men (five Canadians including pilot Robert Upcott of Windsor, Ontario), took off in bad weather on the morning of 29 April 1945 without a ceasefire agreement from the German forces, and successfully dropped its cargo. Military Wireless Museum. 3 "Sam" Brown on 9 January 1941 at RAF Ringway, Cheshire. The Lancaster in combat carried sevencrew and during WWIIthe oldest crew member, probably the pilot, would have been 21. A total of three attacks, individually codenamed Operation Paravane, Operation Obviate and Operation Catechism, were conducted against Tirpitz, which was anchored in a fjord in Occupied Norway. Operational research experts, including British scientist Freeman Dyson, amongst others, attempted unsuccessfully to have the escape hatch enlarged. As increasing numbers of the type were produced, it became the principal heavy bomber used by the RAF, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries serving within the RAF, overshadowing the Halifax and Stirling, two other commonly used bombers[2]. In April 1937, a pair of prototypes for each design was ordered. . The Lancaster bomber is a machine built with economics and brutal efficiency in mind. The British Avro Lancaster was a heavy bomber that was mainly used as a nighttime bomber during World War II. [118] Aircraft allocated to the Tiger Force were painted in white with black undersides and outfitted with additional radio units and navigational aids to facilitate their use in the Pacific theatre. Video first published in April 2017. Bomb Run Times. [citation needed], The Lancaster conducted a total of 156,000 sorties and dropped 608,612 long tons (618,378,000kg) of bombs between 1942 and 1945. [98][99], On 14 June, the first large-scale daylight bombing raid since 1942 was conducted using Lancasters against enemy shipping at the harbours of Le Harve and Boulogne. These raids, while often incurring in costly losses, were typically deemed to have been 'most satisfactory' by senior officials. [90] In October, the widespread bombing of numerous German cities took place, targeting Munich, Kassel, Frankfurt, Offenbach, Ludwigshafen, Stuttgart, Friedrichshafen, and Leipzig, along with other targets. Busted A selection of bombers became famous after Operation Chastise, a mission to destroy dams in the Ruhr Valley, which inspired The Dam Busters. [25] Various additional bumps and blisters were also added, which typically housed radar equipment and radio navigational aids. WWII Heavy Bomber. The only thing inside was a bunch of dust." Lancaster film If you're a fan of the mighty 'Lanc' at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, you'll love the 2022 documentary film called . via GoodFon. 617 and 9 Sqns, a combination of Lancaster B.I and B.III bombers were armed with Tallboy bombs and were adapted with enlarged bomb bay doors in order to accommodate their special payloads and additional fuel tanks to provide the necessary endurance. [58] Occasionally, lone Lancasters would be dispatched to perform decoy raids on key manufacturing sites, such as munitions factories, with the intention of being spotted to cause workers to go to air raid shelters, thus disrupting production. })(120000); The Coningsby-based bomber is one of 7,377 Lancasters that were built. 6 Various other turret configurations were adopted by individual squadrons, which included the removal of various combinations of turrets. [111][117] The mission was named 'Operation Manna' after the food manna which is said to have miraculously appeared for the Israelites in the Book of Exodus. Amongst those who received the Victoria Cross were: The Avro Lancaster featured prominently in the 1955 film The Dam Busters, and a number of B VII Lancasters in storage were modified to the original configuration of the B.III (Special) for use on screen. }, (function( timeout ) { An emphasis was placed upon aiding the Battle of the Atlantic by hindering the German Navy. Both were four-engine main force bombers used by the RAF with seven crew. The famous Bathtub key was afixed to the bench on the right (bit of a . Your email address will not be published. (Here are selected photos on this topic, but full relevance is not guaranteed.) [29], The Lancaster uses a mid-wing cantilever monoplane configuration. Photographing Avro Lancaster KB889. The Idiotic WWI Aerial Formation The Allies Used In The Second World War, And How It Dealt Them Huge Fighter Losses, Heres The Latest Video Update Of That Bf 109 Restoration Were All Waiting For. They used them for navigation training and familiarisation trips with trainee flying officers. The B-25 was designed by North American Aviation, Inc., in response to a prewar requirement and was first flown in 1940. The initial attack on Essen comprised 412 bombers, 140 of which were Lancasters. More from World War 2 Clips His position allowed a 360 view over the top of the aircraft, with two Browning .303 Mark IIs to protect the aircraft from above and to the side. The plane was powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlin XXV12 liquid-cooled piston engines that drive three-bladed propeller units. It is painted in variations of matte black, is cold to the touch and has murderous looks. The weight in kilograms of the "Tall Boy" and "Grand Slam" bombs differs according to their source. Black label The lager company Carling used footage of Lancaster bombers to create a parody of The Dam Busters in which a German soldier catches the bouncing bombs. [100] These daylight raids quickly became frequent as, due to a shortage of oil, the Luftwaffe were increasingly incapable of mounting opposition; to further this difficulty for their opponent, Lancasters were directed against numerous oil installations. While some groups chose to discard the position entirely, various trials and experiments were performed at RAF Duxford, Cambridgeshire and by individual squadrons. + [20] According to aviation authors Brian Goulding and M. Garbett, the Lancaster B.I altered little during its production life, partially as a result of the sound basic structure and design; of the visible changes, the fuselage side windows were deleted, the Perspex chin of the bomb-aimer was enlarged, and a larger astrodome was provided. Very strong or durable structures (e.g. Cath Clarke. .hide-if-no-js { [55] On 10 March 1942, the type's first bombing mission was conducted over the German city of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia. In total, the Lancaster has a 33-foot-long Bombay and was capable of carrying a 14,000 bomb load at a speed of 200 miles per hour. He argued that this would reduce the loss rate by increasing the Lancaster's cruising speed by up to 50mph (80km/h) (assuming the bomb load was not increased), making the bomber harder to intercept. [118] The last Lancaster in active service with the RAF, a reconnaissance aircraft, is believed to have been retired in late 1954. [69], In late October 1942, the first Lancaster bombing missions over Italy were performed; on 22 and 23, the cities of Genoa and Turin were struck at night-time. Lancaster bomber project still four years away from completion. He could then exit through the rear entrance door. The bomb aimer's position contained the nose emergency hatch in the floor; at 22 by 26.5 inches (560 by 670mm) (two inches narrower than the Halifax escape hatch) it was difficult to exit through while wearing a parachute. Later the nose turret was also removed to further improve performance. A Lancaster Bomber, one of only two that remain airworthy, will pass over Hatfield, a village about seven miles from the centre of Doncaster, South Yorkshire. [39] However this neglects the fact that the two main Luftwaffe night fighters of the time, the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and the Junkers Ju 88 night fighters were capable of over 300mph (480km/h), thus a 50mph (80km/h) increase over the Lancaster's normal cruising speed of around 180mph (290km/h), giving a speed of 230mph (370km/h), still left the Lancaster vulnerable to interception. The second prototype was also fitted with more powerful Merlin XX engines. . A nice tour inside this wonderful aircraft conducted by Andrew Panton & Liz Dodds. The Lancaster spends its winters being serviced inside the museum hangar. 83 Squadron RAF, leads the queue of aircraft waiting to take off from Scampton, Lincolnshire, on the 'Thousand-Bomber' raid to Bremen, Nazi Germany. Join me in his detailed tour through a retired Avro Lancaster bomber. Fourteen were modified to perform aerial and photo-reconnaissance missions; these would go on to perform much of the mapping of northern Canada until as late as 1962. [103] September saw a heavy focus on airfields in Holland, as well as repeated raids on German-held Le Harve and oil targets in the Ruhr. The bomber measured 69 feet 6 inches in length, had a wingspan of 102 feet, and stood 20 feet 6 inches in height off the ground weight. [25], Early production Lancaster B.Is were outfitted with a ventral gun turret position. 35 Squadron Lancasters toured the United States and were autographed by various American movie stars, and retained these until their retirements. [28], Like any aeroplane, the Lancaster was not viceless in its handling. The type was hampered by unreliable engines that led to only 202 examples being . [15], By mid-1940, Avro's chief design engineer, Roy Chadwick, was working on an improved Manchester[13] powered by four of the more reliable but less powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, specifically adopting the "Power-egg" installation developed for the Beaufighter II, and installed on a wing of increased span. The bomb was designed by Barnes Wallis -who was also the creator of the Grand Slam and Tallboy bombs and was special in its ability to bounce along the top of a surface of water, much akin to skimming a stone. "It's an icon that people can relate to.". A new book about the Dambusters, Breaching The German Dams: Flying Into History, was published on Friday and is available from RAF Hendon. MOTATs Lancaster bomber The Captains Fancy. Here he recounts that experience. By this point, the Royal Canadian Air Force had stood up its own operational squadrons equipped with Lancasters, and proceeded with offensive action over Germany in this same month. In this video, he walks through some of the components of a vintage Second World War Lancaster Bomber. The crew couldn't even carry parachutes due to the tight spaces- instead they hung up in the fuselage ready to be grabbed when they needed them. Around this time, Lancasters would also provide direct support to the local operations of field forces. Mod 913, Avro Manufacturing Drawing Z2511, Mod 925, shown on Avro Manufacturing Drawing X815. Ammunition for the turret was 1,000 rounds per gun (rpg). [118] During 19471948, No. 106 Squadron RAF based at Syerston, Nottinghamshire, after crash-landing at Hardwick, Norfolk, following an attack by a German fighter . The 4-engine bomber was introduced in March 1942 and since then was a favorite within the British High Command. An instrument panel showing the airspeed, altitude, and other information required for navigation was mounted on the side of the fuselage above the chart table. [97] In May and June, extensive operations were flown against the fortifications of the Atlantic Wall. Created in 1942, during World War Two Bomber Command made up some 125,000 . Inside palace 'Putin shares with gymnast lover and secret children' Watch video . Bookings for the Lancaster's 2023 flying season open in November 2022 . On 5 March, the Battle of the Ruhr strategic bombing campaign was launched by Bomber Command. LEFT: Inside the radio room of the British RAF Lancaster Bomber, as used during WWII. 780", later became standard on all Lancasters, while the bombsight was replaced by a simple aiming device that consisted of a simple triangle of wood with a peephole at one corner and a nail in each of the other corners such that at the correct distance the nails coincided with the towers on the dams. The "Lanc", as it was known colloquially,[3] became one of the most heavily used of the Second World War night bombers, "delivering 608,612 long tons (618,378,000kg) of bombs in 156,000 sorties". The turret had 1,000 rounds of ammunition per gun. [104] Extensive daylight raids were performed during the month; cities such as Cologne, Walcheren, and Bergen were targeted by hundreds of Lancasters. Live from Lincs Aviation Heritage Centre featuring Lancaster NX-611 'Just Jane'https://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/-----. [35] The Mk.VII and late Mk.X Lancasters used the heavier, electrically-controlled Martin 250 CE 23A turret equipped with two .50in (13mm) machine guns[35] which was mounted further forward to preserve the aircraft's longitudinal balance, and because it had an internal mechanism to prevent firing on the aircraft itself, it did not require a coaming. [35], The mid-upper (dorsal or top) turret was an FN-50[35][36] on early examples and the very similar FN-150 with improved sights and controls[35] on later examples. various other nav-aids and countermeasures. [58][108], On 1 January 1945, the DortmundEms Canal was attacked by Lancasters, hitting it at a vulnerable section near Ladbergen. The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. How much of a challenge was it to build Lancasters in the quantities required? When the plane was first built as a bomber, it was designed to have seven crew members . 44 and No. She is 69ft 6in long, 19ft 7in high, has a wingspan of 102ft and was powered by four Merlin 1,280hp engines. These carried out aerial surveys of Central and East Africa and at least one was operated by the Ministry of Aviation. [68], While the Lancaster had been designed to conduct night-time operations, daylight raids were occasionally performed by the type as well. I'll take you on a full tour of the interior and exterior of the Lanc made famous for the dambuster raids. Elite Members and our great community of Aviation Fans welcome all new Members -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkQef3Fidr7tm3gNuXgGKPw/joinGive us a like on www.facebook.com/bigjettv The fact that Mr. Groom built the . [45][note 5] The bomb bay doors were removed and the ends of the bomb bay were covered with fairings. The Avro . This unit was equipped with B.III (Specials), officially designated the "Type 464 (Provisioning)", modified to carry the 9,250lb (4,200kg) "Upkeep" bouncing bomb. Bombing aids 450kg ) short and long delay fused GP/HE bombs, 250lb. Selected photos on this article 7in High, has a wingspan of 102ft and was capable of flying with extra... The twin 7.7mm machine guns were replaced with 12.7mm models, which included the of! 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The higher attrition rate from these operations, a three-fold increase in production was enacted was... A full tour of the Second prototype was also fitted with Village Inn gun-laying radar adopted by individual squadrons which. Raf bomber Command the bomb bay were covered with fairings designed by North American Aviation, Inc. in... `` it 's an icon that people can relate to. `` built! Some later variants of the Atlantic by hindering the German Navy and secret children #. Tour through a retired Avro Lancaster was a favorite within the British High Command heavy bombers of the Atlantic.... Lancaster is the most famous heavy bombers of the R1155/T1154 receiver transmitter challenge was to! By picking up transmissions famous for the Dambusters raid over Germany in 1943 provide direct support to bench... Afixed to the bench on the right ( bit of a challenge was it to build Lancasters the! 1949, 15 former RAF Lancasters were also added, which configurations were by! 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