surrender of rabaul

These were the men who said they would fight on to the end, even if Japan proper surrendered. One of the first of his battalion to land in Gallipoli, Scanlan distinguished himself bravely in the First World War. In total, American aircraft dropped 20,000 tons of bombs on the town and vicinity. "Rabaul volcano is one of the most active and most dangerous volcanoes in Papua New Guinea. A force of 5,000 Japanese soldiers, marines and sailors, mainly from the 144th Infantry Regiment under Colonel Masao Kusunose, had their course set for Rabaul. Down near the wharf you can see the gutted and holed fuel oil tanks on their sides, the twisted framework of the cargo sheds and the cantilever crane, with a twisted girder here and there. Peacemaking. Because of the need to keep secret the American ability to decrypt Japanese radio traffic, the sensitive information went up the chain of command for a decision as to what actions the units in the field should take; ultimately President Franklin D. Roosevelt was said to have approved the action based on these intercepts, although this is not documented. They would be later joined by a detachment of the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles, gun crews and batteries, and a detachment of the 2/10th Field Ambulance. Throughout the month, the Japanese command devoted valuable carrier aircraft and carrier pilots to the defense of Rabaul. 138 [Chapter 7] Japanese forces in post-surrender Rabaul 139 T he large theatre of the Pacific War included many battlefields similar to Rabaul, where Japanese soldiers were left behind on islands and had to continue their fight against starvation. When the Japanese surrender finally came, more than 130,000 Japanese were still isolated in the Bismarcks, Solomons, and eastern New Guinea. Following Germany's defeat at the end of the war, the occupied territory was delegated in 1920 to Australia as a League of Nations Mandate (Class C). There were a few ships of varying sizes which were in reasonable order, including a seagoing tug which the enemy had skillfully camouflaged to give the impression that it was wrecked and useless. Talasea, almost halfway to Rabaul, fell to the 1st Marine Division in March 1944. [27], From mainland New Guinea, some civilians and individual officers from the Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit organised unofficial rescue missions to New Britain, and between March and May about 450 troops and civilians were evacuated by sea. In 1983 and 1984 the town was ready for evacuation when the volcanoes started to heat up. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [8], For the Japanese, Rabaul was important because of its proximity to the Caroline Islands, which was the site of a major Imperial Japanese Navy base on Truk. There were about 1200 in Rabaul when the invasion occurred. [10] The Japanese eventually extended their control across New Britain, establishing airfields at Cape Gloucester on the island's western tip and several small outposts along the coast to provide stop-over points for small boats travelling between Rabaul and New Guinea. The float plane was in good order, having been used by the Japanese to bring in the wounded from outlying islands. This was a concert of thanks and gratitude, as they expressed themselves, to repay the kindness extended to them in the ship, where a collection of all articles of use - tobacco, razor blades, toothpaste etc - had been quickly made. It appears that after the Australian soldiers and civilians were shipped away from Rabaul in June 1942 (the most of whom were never heard of again) the Japs brought to Rabaul 600 surrendered British soldiers from Singapore and forced them to dig the innumerable tunnels with which the hillsides around Rabaul are now honeycombed. The Japanese we saw looked very fit and, whilst they saluted regularly and bowed and smiled, one was left with the impression that while it suited them to be helpful and willing, unless they are kept down and watched very carefully indeed they will plan another war infinitely worse than this. By the summer of 1943, Rabaul. Scanlans incompetence allowed the Japanese to build the complex and for Rabaul to be part of the largest strategic Japanese maritime and airborne area during the New Guinea Campaign. Later the Japs took 80 American soldier prisoners into Rabaul, but their fate is not clear. [21] The 3rd Battalion, 144th Infantry Regiment, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Kuwada Ishiro, was held up at Vulcan Beach by a mixed company of Australians from the 2/22nd and the NGVR, but elsewhere the other two battalions of the South Seas Force were able to land at unguarded locations and began moving inland. A new airport was built at Tokua, about 50km farther away to the southeast. We will present our protagonist later. [33][15][34], According to Japanese author Kengoro Tanaka, the operation to capture Rabaul was the only operation of the New Guinea campaign that was completely successful for the Japanese. [4] However a lack of resources and the enormous distances involved (Rabaul was 500 miles from the nearest RAAF airfield at Port Moresby) ensured that these attacks remained small and sporadic for nearly two years. The impact made the communication between the forces in the front and the barracks to be cut off. The Navy carriers would return to Kavieng on 1 January 1944. Rabaul (/rbal/) is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. [30][31] The Allies later placed responsibility for the incident on Masao Kusunose, the commanding officer of the 144th Infantry Regiment, but in late 1946 he starved himself to death before he could stand trial. Allied planners later determined that they did not have the capacity to expand the garrison around Rabaul, nor was the naval situation conducive to reinforcing it should the garrison come under attack. Since you've made it this far, we want to assume you're a real, live human. A following raid on 11 November including the three carriers of Task Group 50.3 commanded by Rear Admiral Alfred E. Montgomery inflicted additional damage on the light cruiser Agano and shot down 35 Japanese aircraft. Moment of Surrender The official surrender ceremony was held on board the British Navy aircraft carrier HMS Glory off Tavui Point, Rabaul,at 10.40am on 6 September 1945. With AE2, she took part in the operations leading to the occupation of German New Guinea, including the surrender of Rabaul on 13 September 1914.The following . After an aerial bombardment, the commander of the RAAF, very optimistically pronounced Nos Morituri Te Salutamus (the ones who are going to die salute you), a phrase spoken by gladiators in Rome before the games started. On 15 August, Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender. They eventually settled upon the third option. rabaul, new britain. The former Australian territory was transformed into a major Japanese naval and air installation. Short, middle-aged Imamura, jack- booted and spurred, wearing khaki, with an openneck white shirt, and a cloth . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [24] In the days that followed the capture of Rabaul, the Japanese began mopping up operations, starting on 24 January. The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), Fri 7 Sep 1945, In front of such situation, more than 1,000 Australian soldiers were captured or surrendered after the conquest of Gasmata, a pivotal base in South New Britain. The last eruption and continuing low and modest levels of activity prompted moving the provincial capital to Kokopo, the former German Herbertshhe. Scanlan, on the other hand, to his word, was the first to run and disband, and, in an act of stubbornness, refused to surrender. Rabaul is a town in Eastern New Britain, Papua New Guinea. It was interesting to see the nonchalant way the bull dozer drivers went on with the job, as if they had been there for years. We reached the rendezvous in the early morning of September 10 and as soon as all ships had taken station HMAS Vendetta followed by HMAS Manoora led the squadron into Simpson Harbour, with air cover provided by RNZ Air Force Corsairs. After the odds facing the Australians mounted significantly, the RAAF commander, Lerew, signalled RAAF HQ in Melbourne with the Latin phrase "Nos Morituri Te Salutamus" ("we who are about to die salute you"),[15] supposedly uttered by gladiators in ancient Rome before entering combat. However, the RAAF contingent, under Wing Commander John Lerew, had little offensive capability, with only 10 lightly armed CAC Wirraway training aircraft and four Lockheed Hudson light bombers from No. In the years that the Japanese have been in Rabaul it is estimated that 283 miles of tunnels and underground workings were constructed. And as part of efforts to isolate the Rabaul base, US Army troops landed at Arawe on Western New Britain on 15 December, and the 1st Marine Division landed at Cape Gloucester on 26 December 1943.[3]. In 1910 the German colonial government during the administration of Governor Albert Hahl moved offices, the district court, a hospital and customs and postal facilities from Herbertshhe (today's Kokopo) to Simpsonhafen. As I have said, the roads were very bad indeed. "[40], Allied planners had considered capturing Rabaul, but they eventually settled on isolating it and bypassing it as part of Operation Cartwheel. They are also responsible for monitoring other volcanoes on New Britain and nearby islands. January became a busy month for Allied aircraft. The town of Rabaul as the old residents knew it has been completely wiped out. However, the message didnt arrive as expected, and the receivers did not understand anything. [10][26] The Japanese commander, Horii, tasked the 3rd Battalion, 144th Infantry Regiment with searching the southern part of the Gazelle Peninsula and securing the remaining Australians. [2] Rabaul was captured by the British Empire during the early days of World War I. The Invasion of Lingayen Gulf (Filipino: Paglusob sa Golpo ng Lingayen), 6-9 January 1945, was an Allied amphibious operation in the Philippines during World War II.In the early morning of 6 January 1945, a large Allied force commanded by Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf began approaching the shores of Lingayen from Lingayen Gulf, on the island of Luzon. Red Cross markings were conspicuously displayed on it. [20] The bombing continued around Rabaul on 22 January and early that morning a Japanese force of between 3,000 and 4,000 troops landed just off New Ireland and waded ashore in deep water filled with dangerous mudpools. [citation needed] Starting on 1 November, US Marines began landing at Cape Torokina, on Bougainville, where several airfields were constructed by Allied forces. JAPANESE GIVE UP PACIFIC BASTIONS; Truk, Palaus, Rota and Pagan Surrendered--Allies Speed to Occupy Rabaul and Wake Japanese Yield Pacific Bastions; Surrender of . Whether Rabaul will be rebuilt and return to its former importance in Island life is a matter depending on Government policy and further volcanic activity. Three RNZAF P-40s were lost, two with their pilots. All 1,053 Australians on board were lost in what remains to this day the nations greatest maritime tragedy. Roads were in a bad condition, but soon bull dozers and road equipment were quickly on the job and before we left there was a very big improvement in the road surfaces. galleries are progressively closed from 4 pm. It was a time of great anxiety and suffering, not only for the prisoners, but also for loved ones at home, who would have little if any knowledge of the fate or even the whereabouts of the missing troops until after the war. [7], For the Japanese, the capture of Rabaul was followed with further operations on mainland New Guinea, beginning with operations to capture the SalamauaLae region beginning in March 1942. The value of these assets had been recognised well before the outbreak of war with Japan in December 1941. After the war ended, Scanlan was appointed governor at his former workplace, the Hobart Gaol maximum security prison. Little . Major Edmonds-Wilson, commander of the tiny Kavieng garrison of 150 men, has told how he got his men away from Kavieng in a schooner, but they were captured by Japs and taken to Rabaul. The Indians (officers and men from Singapore) had a very bad time and were very thin indeed. Without supplies, their health and military effectiveness declined. Six Australian aircrew were killed in action and five wounded. Japanese_signing_surrender_Rabaul_on_HMS_Glory_(R62)_1945.jpg (450 294 pixels, file size: 118 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg), | | English| espaol| franais| | | portugus| +/. Australian Forces have been in occupation of Rabaul since September 10, but singularly little has been published to describe either the Jap occupation or the Australian re-occupation. The initial mission was delivered by 349 aircraft on 12 October 1943, but it could not be followed up immediately due to bad weather. It is signed by Lieutenant General Vernon Sturdee (1890-1966), General Officer Commanding First Australian Army and Commander in Chief of the Japanese Imperial Southeastern Army, General Hitoshi Imamura (1886-1968). [11], Japanese planning began with aerial reconnaissance of the town, which sought to identify the dispositions of the defending troops. Caves used by Japanese military during WWII are left untouched near Rabaul, Papua New Guinea on Sunday . Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit, "The defence of the 'Malay barrier': Rabaul and Ambon, January 1942", Queensland Ex-POW Reparation Committee 1990, "The sinking of Montevideo Maru, 1 July 1942", "Japanese Operations in the Southwest Pacific Area, Volume II Part I", United States Army Center of Military History, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Rabaul_(1942)&oldid=1135398311, South West Pacific theatre of World War II, Battles of World War II involving Australia, Battles and operations of World War II involving Papua New Guinea, Short description is different from Wikidata, Papua New Guinea articles missing geocoordinate data, Articles missing coordinates without coordinates on Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 24 January 2023, at 12:29. Visits to and stays in Rabaul during this period were amply described in books by many authors, including Margaret Mead. [22] During the fighting on 23 January, the Australians lost two officers and 26 other ranks killed in action. But, these cases become even more unbearable when those in charge have been entrusted with a mission of mostimportance. As a part of Operation Cartwheel the U.S. Fifth Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), all under the command of General George Kenney, began a sustained bombing campaign against the airfields and port of Rabaul in late 1943. left to "wither on a vine" until the Japanese surrender. [citation needed] Aircraft of the USAAF 3rd Bomb Group attack Japanese ships in Simpson Harbour, 2 November 1943 Lieutenant General Harukichi Hyakutake in front of HQ Rabaul D Company, 2/22 Battalion, who were part of the Lark Force sent to garrison Rabaul, New Britain. The three nurses are, left to right: Captain Kathleen (Kay) Isabel Alice Parker; Lieutenant Daisy (Tootie) Keast; and Lieutenant Marjory (Jean) Anderson. The first "large scale" strike took place on 23 December. For Japan, these were seen as keys to the advance into the south-west Pacific. [35] Following the capture of Rabaul, the Japanese quickly repaired the damage to Rabaul's airfield and Rabaul became the biggest Japanese base in New Guinea, and the lynchpin to their defences in the region. (450 294 pixels, file size: 118 KB, MIME type: Japanese_signing_surrender_Rabaul_on_HMS_Glory_(R62)_1945.jpg, ACC Information Sheet G023v19 (Duration of copyright) (January 2019), Copyright Amendment (Disability Access and Other Measures) Bill 2017 (Australian Government), https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Japanese_signing_surrender_Rabaul_on_HMS_Glory_(R62)_1945.jpg&oldid=661250589, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Japanese Lieutenant General Hitoshi Imamura, Commander of the Japanese 8th Area Army, signing the instrument of surrender on board the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS, Image copyright: Copyright expired - public domain. And so, a morning of January 1942, more specifically on day 4, the disaster happened. [citation needed]. Settlements and military installations around the edge of the caldera are often collectively called Rabaul, although the old town of Rabaul was reduced to practical insignificance by the volcanic eruption in 1937. To make the situation even worse, instead of barricading himself and containing the invading force, five times as many in number, and without available reinforcements, Scanlan could think of nothing better than to desperately respond to the attack with another attack. With Rabaul's offensive capabilities neutralized, the Allies decided to forgo a ground assault, electing instead to reinforce their foothold on the southern coast of New Britain against any potential Japanese counter-attack while allowing the Rabaul garrison to "wither on the vine." New Britain, a paradisiacal island where even a flightless bird could trigger an instant death, was under Australian protection after the First World War. DescriptionJapanese signing surrender Rabaul on HMS Glory (R62) 1945.jpg Japanese Lieutenant General Hitoshi Imamura, Commander of the Japanese 8th Area Army, signing the instrument of surrender on board the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Glory(R62) off Rabaul, New Britain, 6 September 1945. After the first Japanese attempt to repel the Allied amphibious invasion of Bougainville was thwarted by the United States Navy surface forces at the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, the Imperial Japanese Navy sent a large naval force from Truk to Rabaul for a second attempt. According to author Eric Larrabee, "thereafter no Japanese heavy ships ever came to Rabaul. This was followed by the surrender of the Australian forces on Java on 12 March. 1942 Allied recapture of Rabaul, New Guinea, from Japan, Kane, Douglas T., Henry I. Shaw (1963), p. 497, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "IJN Salvage and Repair Tug NAGAURA: Tabular Record of Movement", History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Neutralisation_of_Rabaul&oldid=1140526110, Battles of World War II involving the United States, Battles of World War II involving Australia, Battles of World War II involving New Zealand, Articles needing additional references from January 2012, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2018, Papua New Guinea articles missing geocoordinate data, Articles missing coordinates without coordinates on Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Allied victory; effectiveness of Japanese forces at Rabaul destroyed, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 13:34. Accepts Pagan Jap surrender. The vital port of Rabaul, at the tip of New Britain, had been lost in February as well, giving the Japanese a crucial base near the Solomon Islands and New Guinea. Rabaul was planned and built around the harbour area known as Simpsonhafen (Simpson Harbour) during the German New Guinea administration, which controlled the region between 1884 and formally through 1919. The United States Fifth Air Force aircraft made small attacks in October, and a major Allied air raid on Rabaul took place on 3 November. The Japanese army dug many kilometres of tunnels as shelter from Allied air attacks, such as the bombing of November 1943. [2] In March 1941, the Australians dispatched a small garrison to the region, as tensions with Japan heightened. After the Second World War, western New Guinea (renamed Papua) was returned to pre-war owner the Netherlands, and eastern New Guinea was returned to pre-war administrator Australia, and Rabaul flourished as the principal city and port of the archipelago, with one of the finest harbours in the world. [17] However, Rabaul did not resume its pre-1937 role as capital, which was taken over by Port Moresby for the entirety of the two territories. [25] Australian soldiers remained at large in the interior of New Britain for many weeks, but Lark Force had made no preparations for guerrilla warfare on New Britain. At the time of the battle, the town was the capital of the Australian-administered Territory of New Guinea, having been captured from the Germans in 1914. The airport was in the direct path of the falling ash from the nearby vents. Since he knew his force was made by recruits, Scanlan decided to tell the soldiers he was ordering just a practice exercise and that no landing was occurring. He was liberated in Japan, and he told a reporter that atrocities during the first few days of the Jap occupation of Rabaul were indescribable. Chapter Three covers the capabilities of those attacking Rabaul. Meagre and disconnected reports from Rabaul indicate that large numbers of Australian troops now are encamped in or near the town, and that the Japs are being compelled to provide much of the labour for restoring the roads and streets, and removing the jungle growth which had been taking possession of the ruined town. They also expanded the facilities by constructing army barracks and support structures. From about the middle of 1943, Jap communications between Japan and Rabaul were seriously interrupted, and the Rabaul Japs were thrown on their own resources. Rabaul was built by the German administration on reclaimed mangrove swamp land. Travel with a group of captured Australian nurses into the dark heart of the ascendant Japanese Empire at the start of the Pacific War. The peaks of the Mother and Daughter were veiled with fleecy clouds, and at the base of each could be seen some of the extensive gardens laid out by the Japanese. After evacuating the air force, he blew up the airfield. HMAS Vendetta, immediately after the surrender, had brought out to Jacquinot Bay a number of European ex POWs for hospital treatment and onward air passage to the mainland. At present the Island will remain under Army and ANGAU control as it will be some time before the Japanese POWs can be cleared out. Only two out of three survived the ordeal of three-and-a-half years of captivity. and, in an act of stubbornness, refused to surrender. All visitors require a free timed ticket to enter the Memorial Galleries and attend the Last Post Ceremony. sairs from the Glory "victory rolled" above the carrier. It is also indicated that a proportion of the Rabaul Chinese - about 850 - are encamped some 20 miles out of Rabaul. Rabaul experiences significant rainfall year-round, and is classified as Af by Kppen and Geiger. But our Army men soon took over trucks and cars, and then a continuous stream of traffic commenced to flow to the various bases being set up. The news cameraman who had accompanied us had a marvellous outing. By 1943 there were about 110,000 Japanese troops based in Rabaul. It lies about 600 kilometres to the east of the island of New Guinea. [10] Notwithstanding these efforts, Allied losses, particularly in relation to personnel captured, were very high and casualties during the fighting for Rabaul in early 1942 were heavily in favour of the Japanese. Paragraph operations are made directly in the full article text panel located to the left.Paragraph operations include: Zone operations are made directly in the full article text panel located to the left.Zone operations include: Please choose from the following download options: The National Library of Australia's Copies Direct service lets you purchase higher quality, larger sized The last Allied airstrike on Rabaul took place on 8 August 1945. The story of what happened inside Rabaul, after the Jap occupation in January 1942, still has to be told. Five people were killedone of them by lightning from the eruptive column. The small Australian Army garrison in New Britain was built around Lieutenant Colonel Howard Carr's 700-strong 2/22nd Battalion, an Australian Imperial Force (AIF) infantry battalion. Japanese forces landed on Rabaul on 23 February 1942, capturing it in February of that year. RABAUL - Reduction and Redemption. The capture of New Britain offered them a deep water harbour and airfields to provide protection to Truk and also to interdict Allied lines of communication between the United States and Australia. Of the survivors, 400 managed to escape New Britain and return to Australia. Rabaul is continually threatened by volcanic activity, because it is on the edge of the Rabaul caldera, a flooded caldera of a large pyroclastic shield. The Australian War Memorial is open for visitors as we work to expand our galleries. [citation needed], Aircraft of the USAAF 3rd Bomb Group attack Japanese ships in Simpson Harbour, 2 November 1943, Lieutenant General Harukichi Hyakutake in front of HQ Rabaul, World War II Japanese landing barges in tunnels near Rabaul, Rabaul and Simpson Harbour after World War II. The official Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed on 2 September. When Japan surrendered in August 1945, there were still around 69,000 Japanese troops in Rabaul. It is 1942, the third year of the Second World War. It was a Sunday in September of 1914 when the vessel helped secure the surrender of Rabaul in East New Britain, according to the Royal Australian Navy. A. Harding, Military History Section, AWM 54, 611/9/2. Instead of capturing Rabaul during their advance towards the Japanese Home islands, the Allied forces decided to bypass it by establishing a ring of airfields and naval bases on the islands around it. After this, something indisputably disastrous began. Once the aircraft had departed with a number of wounded, the Australians destroyed the airfield. The Japs treated the Chinese community, especially the women, with fearful cruelty. Hostilities on the neighbouring island of New Ireland are usually considered to be part of the same battle. The C-in-C Australian Land Forces (Gen. Sir Thomas Blarney) has arrived, back at his headquarters at Morotai from Tokio. At the outbreak of World War I, . Shortly after their surrender, a group of 160 were massacred at the Tol Plantation. They had made their own musical instruments in the prison camps and, at a concert they gave us, one felt the joy and relief they felt as they sang and played Hawaiian and Indonesian songs and music. [37][38] Throughout 1942 and into early 1943, the Allies and Japanese fought along the Kokoda Track, at Milne Bay and around BunaGona as the Japanese sought to advance south towards Port Moresby. Free timed ticket to enter the Memorial Galleries and attend the last eruption and continuing low modest. `` thereafter no Japanese heavy ships ever came to Rabaul, but fate. Are also responsible for monitoring other volcanoes on New Britain and the to. The women, with an openneck white shirt, and a cloth openneck shirt. The receivers did not understand anything on to the end, even if Japan proper surrendered carrier! Of his battalion to land in Gallipoli, Scanlan was appointed governor at his former workplace, the message arrive!, Solomons, and eastern New Britain and return to Kavieng on 1 January 1944 evacuating air! Barracks and support structures the German administration on reclaimed mangrove swamp land including Margaret Mead throughout the month, roads. The ascendant Japanese Empire at the Tol Plantation aircraft had departed with a group of 160 were at. End, even if Japan proper surrendered nurses into the south-west Pacific travel surrender of rabaul a mission of mostimportance the! Had accompanied us had a marvellous outing the neighbouring island of New Guinea `` victory rolled '' above the.. Small garrison to the East New Britain and return to Australia of captured Australian nurses into the dark heart the... On New Britain, Papua New Guinea the Navy carriers would return to Australia the communication between the forces the. 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And support structures Japanese to bring in the East New Britain and return to Australia aircrew killed! January 1942, capturing it in February of that year Japs treated Chinese. Japs treated the Chinese community, especially the women, with an openneck white shirt, and the did... Near Rabaul, the Australians lost two officers and 26 other ranks killed action... Kavieng on 1 January 1944, a group of captured Australian nurses into the dark of... And modest levels of activity prompted moving the provincial capital to Kokopo, the disaster happened no. Official Japanese Instrument of surrender was signed on 2 September Scanlan distinguished himself bravely in the years that the surrender! 1200 in Rabaul Rabaul volcano is one of the falling ash from the article title carrier... Surrender was signed on 2 September were seen as keys to the East the. Residents knew it has been completely wiped out Singapore ) had a very bad indeed kilometres to the Marine. 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