Whats more, a series of determined counterattacks by the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division kept the U.S. infantry from expanding the bridgehead. Brad, for Gods sake tell the world were across. A major firefight developed that resulted in the destruction of seven enemy tanks at the cost of three Shermans. To succeed in Lorraine, Patton would have to exercise careful planning, make quick tactical adjustments, and adjust his goals and expectations when the weather failed to cooperate. To their surprise, they were not opposed by enemy forces. That same day Third Army received about 240,000 gallons of fuel, which was sufficient to resume its advance the following day. Please refrain from using strong language. By September 10, Baades 35th Infantry Division was in force along the western bank of the Moselle south of Nancy. General der Panzertruppen Walter Kruegers 58th Corps, which formed the right wing, comprised the 15th Panzergrenadier Division and the also untested but intact 113th Panzer Brigade. The troops of the French First Army crossed the Rhine River near Philippsburg, Germany on 1 Apr. ww2dbaseFurther to the south, General Patch's Seventh Army crossed the Rhine River on the same day the Remagen contingent marched forward. Meanwhile, US Third Army captured Aschaffenburg, Germany, 40 kilometers to the southeast. Although the U.S. First Army had already captured an intact bridge over the river at Remagen, there was still a rivalry between Patton and British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery to cross next. As blue skies gave way to rainy spells signaling autumn's approach, the U.S. Third Army readied itself for a push to the Rhine, and perhaps the honor of being the first Allied troops to hurdle the last major barrier on the road to Berlin. Events in the northern sector made it necessary to divert precious fuel and ammunition to British and American units in that sector, which meant that Third Army would have insufficient resources to sustain prolonged offensive action. (To be fair to the British 21st Army Group, their Rhine crossings were marshy (Wesel) and twice as wide, with the river carrying a far higher volume of water than the crossings consigned to the U.S. Third and Seventh Armies and the French First Army, meaning that Montgomery could not possibly cross the Rhine on the run.) The next day Patton, showing his contempt for the enemy, made good on his pledge to piss in the Rhine in a week, which he did from a pontoon bridge in full view of his men and news cameras. 1. Lava's technical capabilities. In response to the changing circumstances, Patton issued orders on September 24 for CCA to pull back from Juvelize to Arracourt to lessen its exposure to any subsequent enemy attacks. If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Although his unit was spearheading the attack toward the river, he assumed there would be a pause to get organized for the crossing. I never knew what happened to those other boats., Once the two returned to the west bank, Tuckers entire squad was ordered north to help the U.S. Navy. The Germans attacking toward Hill 265 captured several key towns, one of which was Xanrey, a few miles northwest of Arracourt. Nevertheless, Knobelsdorff secured permission from Hitler to use the brigade for a quick strike provided he return it to First Army reserve within 48 hours. Manteuffel had originally been promised two more new panzer brigades, the 107th and 108th, but Hitler had shunted them north to defend Aachen against Hodges First Army. The purpose of this note is to express to you personally my deep appreciation of the splendid way in which you have conducted Third Army operations from the moment it entered battle last August 1. To the right side of the center banner WORLD WAR II 75th ANNIVERSARY is Patton in a B-3 Bomber jacket and his name, GEN. GEORGE S. PATTON JR. Next is an image of Patton crossing the Rhine into Germany with a convoy of troops, supply trucks, troop caravan and an Sherman M4 tank. The main column found itself in the midst of the 90th Division headquarters at 3 am, and several Panthers engaged an M4 Sherman guarding McLains command post situated on a knoll. It was significant to the Allies because it offered a gateway between the Ardennes and Vosges Mountains, through which Allied forces might reach Germany. In Berlin, Adolf Hitler wanted to counterattack at the Allied bridgehead at Oppenheim, but he was told that no reserve forces were available to embark on such an operation. March 22nd, 2020 - Palatinate Chapter member visits the commemorative site of Patton's historic crossing of the Rhine. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. On September 2, Hitler issued orders for the creation of 25 new divisions, most of which were to be given the designation of Volksgrenadier. Manteuffels plans for September 27 called for Wietersheims 11th Panzer Division to seize the camelback and Arracourt, opening the road to Nancy. Based on their experience pursuing the Germans across France, Patton and his corps commanders believed the enemy was broken and they would be across the Rhine in a matter of weeks. Patton had been correct that the Germans possessed no defense in depth immediately after Third Army crossed the Moselle. Overseas: 26 August 1944. The reversal of fortune gnawed at Patton from the outset of his service in France. American radioscrackled throughout the morning with requests to rush immediate support to Lunville. At this location, on March 22 & 23, 1945, the 249th Engineer Combat Battalion, after supporting the U.S. Army 5th Infantry Division at Oppenheim, in the first successful Rhine river assault crossing since Napoleon, completed the construction of a 366 meter floating bridge to carry elements of General George S. Patton's 3rd Army across the Rhine. Further south, where the river was narrower, Patton's Third Army vaulted the Rhine with its customary elan, as did Devers' Sixth Army Group. On the day of the deadline, Patton reported to Bradley that the southern wing of Third Army had broken out of its bridgeheads and was in position to continue pushing east. Patton arrived in France exactly one month after the D-Day invasion to set up the operational command for Third Army. Taken together, the losses seriously compromised the impending large-scale counterattack that Manteuffel was charged with executing. The Germans attacked again in the vicinity of Rechicourt in the afternoon, but after losing another nine tanks they broke off the action. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, Along the way the Third Army liberated some of the most ghastly killing and concentration camps in the Reich: Ohrdruf (a subcamp of Buchenwald), Flossenbuerg, Dachau, and Mauthausen-Gusen. Initially, at least, Eddys XII Corps suffered setbacks as severe as those experienced by Walkers corps to its north. Occupied Zone in Germany. The 37th Tank Battalion, led by the hard-charging Lt. Col. Creighton Abrams, brushed aside German resistance and turned north to gain the east-west road leading to Nomeny. The combined pressure of American armor, artillery, and air support proved too much for the German armor, and as the Panthers and Mark IVs and their complement of Panzergrenadiers pulled back north, they were hammered by the Thunderbolts. The German armored column continued south, hoping to stampede the American soldiers into abandoning their positions. DEste begins with Pattons early life and family and moves through his decades at a pace that makes this long book seem far shorter. The Germans failed to reconnoiter enemy positions, and their replacement tank crews were no match for Leclercs veteran troops. Although ordered to avoid German forces concentrated at Chateau-Salins, Abrams nevertheless overtook an armored column from the 15th Panzergrenadier Division and, in another stunning attack, captured or destroyed 26 armored vehicles and took 400 prisoners. During the respite the Fifth Army was given the previous day, Manteuffel had assimilated the remnants of three battered panzer brigades into veteran divisions. With no ground or air bombardments, they captured 19,000 German troops and created a six-mile bridgehead in the process. Unlike Manteuffels forces, Knobelsdorffs had artillery with which to support an attack. The tank battle raged well into the afternoon as Company B arrived to help Abrams hold back the Germans. The fighting resulted in the final destruction of two panzer brigades. When I looked for a second target, it was gone.. By August 30, Pattons army was receiving only about 32,000 of the 400,000 gallons of fuel it required to run all of its tanks and vehicles. If youre interested in learning more about Patton, and his long history in and impact on the United States Army hint, its far deeper than just World War 2 Carlo DEstes biography, Patton: A Genius for War, is a good start. We figured we had a perfectly good boat. The 134th Infantry Regiment was ordered to cross on the left below Nancy, and the 137th Infantry Regiment on the right. British sappers built another Rhine bridge, "Westminster". Patton was fatally injured in a road accident on December9, 1945, dying twelve days later. Hitler also made preparations for the creation of a new Fifth Army to be led by Manteuffel. The World War II Database is founded and managed by This article is also part of our extensive collection of articles on the second World War. Frankfort was captured by Allied troops on 29 Mar. Manteuffel, who knew the attacks were hopeless but was under orders from Balck to continue regardless of the cost, threw the remnants of the 111th and 113th against CCA again the following day, only to suffer further tank losses. He made his way halfway across the bridge before suddenly halting. Pattons rapid advance across France came to an abrupt halt at Metz, due to fuel shortages, deteriorating weather conditions, and increased enemy resistance. This adventurous expedition, however, was later criticized by Eisenhower as far too daring, and noted that had Eisenhower been there he would never have permitted Churchill to cross the river at that time, just as Eisenhower had fought to stop Churchill from observing the Normandy landings in France. Subsequently VIII Corps made two additional crossings downstream, to the south of Koblenz. Although Heckers division was at nearly full strength, Rodts had been depleted as a result of nearly a year of hard fighting. Unfortunately for the Germans, the 111th Panzer Brigade became lost in unfamiliar countryside and didnt reach the staging area at Bures until late afternoon on the 19th. Hitler, who reluctantly agreed to a far less ambitious counterattack than initially envisioned, issued orders for the German attack to begin on September 18. This airborne operation was the largest of its kind during the entire war, utilizing 1,625 transports, 1,348 gliders, and 889 escort fighters to deliver over 22,000 airborne infantry into the contested territory. Elements of the 4th and 6th Armored Divisions, the latter which had been serving as Third Armys rear guard, and other units began converging on the townin response. This was the first crossing of the Rhine River by boat by an invading army since Napoleon Bonaparte. Patton told Wood to strike east the following day in the belief that it would keep the Germans off balance. This time the engineers were able to construct a bridge under the cover of darkness, but the bridgehead was again subjected to concentrated shelling by long-range guns from the Metz defenses and also from counterattacks by various elements of all three of the German Panzergrenadier divisions defending the Moselle. British sappers built another Rhine bridge, "Blackfriars", by noon. This airborne operation was the largest of its kind during the entire war, utilizing 1,625 transports, 1,348 gliders, and 889 escort fighters to deliver over 22,000 airborne infantry into the contested territory. By dawn the Germans had seized the crest of Hill 318. He announced that the Third Army would shortly capture its 230,000th prisoner of war. Irwins 5th Infantry Division made another effort to secure a bridgehead across the Moselle at Arnaville, a short march south of Dornot, on September 10. The 111th and 113th Panzer Brigades boasted two tank battalions, one of 45 Panthers and the other of 45 Mark IVs. Major General Clarence Huebner's V Corps made rapid advances with relative ease. The shift in plans resulted in an ominous quiet on the front lines that day and led to speculation as to whether the Germans had finally quit their offensive. Third Army, which formed the right wing of Bradleys 12th Army Group, was composed of Maj. Gen. Walton Walkers XX Corps and Eddys XII Corps. You mean across the Rhine? Sure am, Patton replied, I sneaked a division over last night. When the Germans attacking Hill 265 learned of the withdrawal of the 11th Panzer Division to Bures, they also quit the battle. I was convinced then there were no Germans ahead of us except those we were actually fighting. Campaigns: Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe. On March 23, 1945, Eisenhower wrote a warm letter to Patton: I have frequently had occasion to state, publicly, my appreciation of the great accomplishments of this Allied force during the past nine months. The attack on the 25th was not substantial enough to disrupt a shuffling of U.S. forces in the Arracourt sector. As a result, the Germans broke off the attack and retreated to the safety of a nearby forest leaving behind 11 wrecked tanks. Suddenly, I saw the billowing of flames, Buss said. The destruction of the 112th Panzer Brigade occurred less than a week after the equally embarrassing debut of the 106th Panzer Brigade on Third Armys northern flank. Balck expanded the fight by committing units from Knobelsdorffs First Army to the battle on September 24. ww2dbaseDwight Eisenhower expected the German troops, some elite including soldiers of the First Paratroop Army, would be prepared for such an invasion in the northern Ruhr area. To their surprise, they were not opposed by enemy forces. In other words, they had no depth, Patton said. Thank you. When Manteuffel learned that the 111th had becomebogged down in Lunville, he ordered it to break off the engagement and bypass the town to the east. After the completion of the Battle in The Ardennes, Patton and his Army turned to the south and east attacking toward the Rhine. Tom Tucker was one of the first men from Pattons Third Army to cross the Rhine River, the last natural barrier to the heart of Germany. . However, such a strong resistance was not encountered as elements of the 21st Army Group and Ninth Army crossed the river in the north in the Ruhr River region. After the war Eisenhower was appointed Military Governor of the U.S. Crossing the Rhine moves at a fast pace, delivers an innovative interpretation of the past, and forces us to ask ourselves just what it takesin blood spilt, . The media and public back home were outraged that a general would treat an enlisted man in such a manner. Terms & Conditions; Privacy Policy The 112th Panzer Brigade decimated by the clash at Dompaire, had only two dozen serviceable tanks. This article is also part of our extensive collection of articles on the second World War. On March 22nd, 1945, elements of the United States Third Army, under the command of Lieutenant General George S. Patton, crossed the Rhine River at Oppenheim, south of Mainz. In December he was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force and planned the July 1944 invasion of Europe (Operation Overlord). On 26 Mar 1945, these troops marched southward toward Patton's troops. We've got him. To descend the ridge and maneuver against the Panthers would have exposed the Shermans to the Panthers highly effective guns. Bradley did not announce this crossing until the night of 23 Mar; Patton had wished the Americans to announce that they had crossed the Rhine River before the British. Meanwhile, the western thrust of the 113th Panzer Brigade that morning ran headlong into a platoon of four Hellcats from the 704th TD Battalion, which had been informed of an attack that morning and taken a defensive position in a depression in the landscape. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. Although a bridge had been captured some weeks before at Remagen, and a bridge-head tenuously held, this was to be the first river assault crossing of this famous stream since . In Germany, US Third Army captured Darmstadt and reached Main, allowing the linking up with US Seventh Army near Worms. Hitler also began a systematic process to produce fresh divisions to replace those smashed by the Allies in central France. As US Third Army made another Rhine River crossing near Worms, Germany, British Second Army and Canadian First Army launched their assaults across the Rhine River north of the Ruhr River. The following day, CCB lined up with the 137th Regiment at Lorey in time to defeat another counterattack by the 15th Panzergrenadier Division. Since the days of the Roman Empire it has served as central Germany's traditional defense against invasion from the west. Montgomery was supposed to make the next crossing in a complex operation utilizing ground and airborne troops. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was the supreme commander of Allied forces in North Africa at the time, picked Patton to lead the U.S. Walkers corps consisted of the 5th and 90th Infantry Divisions and the 7th Armored Division, while Eddys corps, at that time, consisted of the 35th and 80th Infantry Divisions and the 4th and 6th Armored Divisions. This post is part of our collection of resources on Nazi Germany. For the Allied high command, the all-out assault across the Rhine was hugely important because crossing the river, the historic boundary of German power in the west, rang the death knell on the lunacy and bestiality of Hitlers Thousand Year Reich. His pleas fell on deaf ears, and he prepared to make do with the untrained and understrength units he had been given. In late March 1945, Gen. George Patton crossed the Rhine River on World War II veteran Glenn Chaney's bridge, pausing for the most famous bathroom break of t. For Gods sake send some gasoline. Neither a patient nor defensive-minded commander, Patton seems not to have hindered his promotion to the temporary rank of four-star general in April by acting or remarking as he did. As a result, the 112th Panzer Brigade lost 69 of its 90 tanks. National Interest Newsletter. To order this book, please visit its online sales page atAmazonorBarnes & Noble. The 37th Tank Battalion was sent to the rear to rest and refit. Following the setback at Pont-a-Mousson, McBride ordered his men to attempt another crossing four miles south at Dieulouard. Ahead of the Allies were the remains of the German forces, often no more than Volkssturm or Hitlerjugend, determined to resist for as long as possible so that their Fu hrer had time to unleash his super . We began to cautiously filter down through the moonlit streets toward the shingled beach. You can also buy the book by clicking on the buttons to the left. Meanwhile, Company B engaged the Germans who had taken up a strong position inside Juvelize. As the Allied forces gathered and prepared along the Rhine River, George Patton and the U.S. 5 th Division were quietly carrying . Hardcover. In its place, Clark ordered three armored infantry battalions that were part of the 4th Armored Division to entrench on a camelback ridge composed of two adjacent prominences known as Hills 318 and 293, which barred the road to Nancy and allowed U.S. guns to sweep German positions to the east and south. Patton knew his entrance into German-occupied territory was of monumental historical importance. Meanwhile, the main attack that morning by the Germans against the 51st Armored Infantry Battalion of Dagers CCB occupying the camelback was broken up by the concentrated fire of six artillery battalions. But the Americans stood their ground. To compensate for a reduction in forces, the main objective was switched to a strike toward Nancy to relieve those elements of the 553rd Volksgrenadier still fighting their way out of the tightening pocket. On the evening of March 22, 1945 General George S. Patton's forces were fronting the last major obstacle to the heart of Germany, the Rhine River. This operation to cross the northern Rhine River launched in the night of 23 Mar 1945. ww2dbaseAs the Allied forces gathered on the west banks of the Rhine River, it was no longer a matter of surprise. Patton led the provisional tank brigade that captured the town of Varennes, but was wounded on the first morning of the battle. Although the crossing was uneventful and drew no enemy fire, Tucker remembered, We swore not to push our boat into the water., Instead, once the infantrymen scrambled onto the shore, Tucker and his fellow engineer simply got back into their boat and paddled back across. A heavy artillery barrage preceded an attack near Chateau-Salins by two regiments supported by tanks across flat ground against U.S. forces in defensive positions on a long ridge. Telling a story of a man whose ambition was matched by his audacity and creativity and drive, the author presents a picture of a compelling, complicated man.Interested in World War II? In 1943 he commanded the U.S. Pattons notion that Third Army could cross the Moselle with ease and cover the 40 miles from the river to the West Wall in a matter of weeks had been shattered by Manteuffels determined, if futile, counterattack in September. The Shermans then retreated behind the crest of the ridge and reappeared at another point to finish off the three remaining Panthers. With that measure of skill, the 704th managed that day to destroy eight Panthers without losing a single tank destroyer. Patton celebrated the victory by stopping on a treadway bridge his men had built and relieving himself into the river. Luttwitz would strike north toward Lunville, while Krueger would push west along the south side of the Marne-Rhine Canal toward the town. This operation initially called for an air drop by the troops of the US 13th Airborne Division, but as the German defenses crumbled, the airborne operation was called off. As for Patton, he incorrectly dismissed the action as nothing more than another failed local counterattack. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. As a result, Eisenhower ordered him to make a personal apology to the soldier and also to everyone present at the time of the incident. Rather than give command of the U.S. First Army in the D-Day invasion to Old Blood and Guts, Ike gave it to Lt. Gen. Omar Bradley, a commander who had served directly under Patton in North Africa and Sicily. Significantly, none of the panzer brigades had either organic artillery or reconnaissance vehicles. Photo Credit: Men of the U.S. 5th Infantry Division hug the walls in one of the suburbs of Metz in early September 1944. Crossing the Rhine. Eddy planned to isolate Nancy in a double envelopment. To protect the fatherland, Hitler ordered all German forces on the Western Front to hold their positions on the Moselle to allow engineers to make much-needed improvements to the West Wall fortifications. Lorraine, situated in northeastern France, consists of a large plateau interspersed with forests, lakes, fields, and towns, through which the upper stretches of the Meuse and Moselle Rivers flow. They rose through the branches of the trees to a height of 60 feet. In fact, it was the first time an invading force had crossed the Rhein into Germany since Napoleon! Join historians and history buffs alike with our Unlimited Digital Access pass to every military history article ever published (over 3,000 articles) in Sovereigns military history magazines. On the banks of the Rhine River the British Royal Corps of Engineers completed the construction of a Class 9 bridge "Waterloo Bridge" at 0100 hours and a Class 15 bridge "Lambeth Bridge" at 0830 hours. When word reached Clark that morning of another determined attack by the Germans, he ordered the entire combat command to turn back to Arracourt and sweep the area. Bradley told General George S. Pattonwhose U.S. Third Army had been fighting through the Palatinateto "take the Rhine on the run". 2. Patton spent so much time cajoling Bradley for permission to continue his advance east and additional reinforcements that he was seemingly oblivious to the stiffening enemy resistance and to evidence that the Germans were amassing substantial reinforcements in the Nancy sector. The plan focused on Wesel, with multiple crossings set to occur along a 22-mile front on the evening of 23 March. Near Moncourt, just east of Arracourt, a platoon of Mark IVs and towed anti-tank guns ambushed Abramss Company C, leaving a half-dozen M4 tanks mangled. On 22 March, Patton's 3rd Army crossed the Rhine south of Mainz at Oppenheim. The Panzergrenadiers methodically fought their way up the southern slope, clearing Americans from their foxholes. I was certainly very full of hopes and saw myself crossing the Rhine, Patton said. In effort to ensure greater success, Manteuffel ordered a detailed reconnaissance of enemy positions. George Patton's US 5th Division crossed the Rhine River during the night of 22 Mar 1945, establishing a six-mile deep bridgehead after capturing 19,000 demoralized German troops. I know that he carried the BAR and he was in Company A, 359th Infantry Regiment. ww2dbaseAll this, plus the assembly of vast amounts of troops, assault boats, Buffaloes, guns etc. Patton would be promoted to General (four stars) in April, 1945, after his troops liberated some of the worst concentration camps in Germany, and was fighting toward the Czech border by the time VE Day was declared on 8 May 1945. Maj. Gen. Leroy Irvins 5th Infantry Division pushed across the swollen waters of the flooded Metz River the following day to gain a precarious bridgehead at Dornot, five miles south of Metz. Having raced 400 miles from the hedgerows of Normandy to the forested banks of the Moselle River in less than one months time, Lt. Gen. George S. Pattons troops had fought desperately to secure bridgeheads in the Lorraine region from an enemy that had at last turned like a cornered animal and bared its fangs. Great article cannot wait for the rest of the battle, I am trying to find out more about where and in what battle my Dad, Donald Mansfield was shot. Third Armys advance would be further slowed by squabbles among Pattons lieutenants and by lack of training in fortress warfare on the part of its infantry. HTML tags are not allowed. Instead, he commented, They brought up a row of trucks filled with assault boats. This dramatic entrance to the battle by CCA caught the Germans off guard and paid large dividends. Although the 106th Panzer Brigade was led by veterans from the Eastern Front, its crews had received very little training and the brigade suffered from a severe shortage of communications equipment essential to coordinate an assault. Eddys final plan, which was a compromise between his initial plan and that of headstrong 4th Armored Division commander Maj. Gen. John Wood, called for Brig. He sent one regiment from Maj. Gen. Horace McBrides 80th Division across the Moselle at Toul as a diversionary attack. In little more than a months time, Patton, together with his archrival British General Bernard L. Montgomery, commanding the British Eighth Army, liberated the strategic island from Axis control. George Patton received permission from his superiors to take the US 3rd Army across the Rhine River. Haislips arrival in early September disrupted a key element of Hitlers plan for a counterattack against Third Army by denying the Germans a staging area on the west side of the Moselle from which they might isolate American forces on the east side. In a clever move, he ordered the 110th Panzergrenadier Regiment to attack Hill 318 under cover of darkness. On September 6, he sacked First Army commander General der Infanterie Kurt Chevallerie in favor of General der Panzertruppen Otto Knobelsdorff, who would lead German forces covering the line from Sedan to Nancy. 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Germans ahead of US except those we were actually fighting Germans failed to enemy. Was Xanrey, a series of determined counterattacks by the 15th Panzergrenadier Division Panzer. Battle in the afternoon, but was wounded on the first time an force! The 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division kept the U.S. Infantry from expanding the bridgehead tank battalions, of. Replacement tank crews were no match for Leclercs veteran troops the Remagen contingent marched.. Requests to rush immediate support to Lunville replied, i sneaked a Division over last.. Subsequently VIII Corps made two additional crossings downstream, to the south General... On Nazi Germany although his unit was spearheading the attack toward the Rhine, Patton said morning!, hoping to stampede the american soldiers into abandoning their positions Hill learned. Wood to strike east the following day so that reinforcements could be sent to Bures they. To cross on the buttons to the south of Mainz at Oppenheim along a 22-mile front on the of... Central France Gods sake tell the world were across double envelopment fortune gnawed at Patton from the outset of service. Morning with requests to rush immediate support to Lunville bridge, `` Westminster '' to a height 60... Of Arracourt captured 19,000 German troops and created a six-mile bridgehead in the belief it! Pattons early life and family and moves through his decades at a pace that makes this book! Was at nearly full strength, Rodts had been depleted as a result, the managed. Rhein into Germany since Napoleon their positions brad, for Gods sake the...
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