title: MatPat

text: The Game Theorists reached one million subscribers on December 17, 2013, and 10 million in July 2018. As of March 2022, "The Game Theorists" has 16.2 million subscribers and over 3.61 billion views.


title: MatPat

text: On May 12, 2015, Patrick created a second channel called The Film Theorists where he debuted his second show, "Film Theory". The first video was uploaded on June 2, 2015. "Film Theory" follows the same format as "Game Theory", but focuses on films and the film industry instead of gaming. The Film Theorists reached one million subscribers a month after the channel's debut. As of March 2022, The Film Theorists has 11.3 million subscribers and over 2 billion views.Patrick started a Let's Play series called GTLive on August 26, 2015, where he streams mostly gameplay and video reactions with his wife Stephanie on the GTLive channel he created on September 14, 2015. Starting on October 3, 2016, the Monday streams became part of YouTube Gaming Primetime and are therefore scheduled for 3 pm to 5 pm PST. It also includes a voting mechanism, which can be used by Patrick to conduct quick polls. As of March 2022, "GTLive" had 2.94 million subscribers and over 649 million views. As of 2022, the GTLive channel continues to upload mostly unedited, pre-recorded content.


title: MatPat

text: On June 8, 2016, Patrick posted via his YouTube channel a new show, "MatPat's Game Lab", on Google's paid subscription service, YouTube Premium. The show mainly focuses on placing video game players in real life scenarios mimicking scenarios that occur in video games, such as bomb defusing, parkour, survival and military training. Despite MatPat's interest in developing a second season, YouTube has yet to announce any further development into the project. He was also a part of the PewDiePie YouTube Premium series "Scare PewDiePie" (2016).


title: MatPat

text: In 2019, The Game Theorists held a 9-hour charity livestream that generated $1.3 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The stream included guests Markiplier, TheOdd1sOut, Rosanna Pansino, Scott Cawthon, and others. Multiple other charity streams were held for St. Jude in the following years.


title: MatPat

text: The third "Theory" channel, and fourth overall; The Food Theorists, began releasing videos in July 2020. The Food Theorists, using the same style as its predecessors, blends food science with psychology, physiology, and conspiracy. The channel was being developed for two years prior to its launch. As of October 2022, The Food Theorists had 4 million subscribers and over 499 million views. It had reached 1 million subscribers exactly a week after launch, and had then gained another million over the succeeding 4 months.


title: MatPat

text: On the 20th of December 2022 a fourth "Theory" channel, and 5th overall was announced on the Game Theory Channel, along with the channel's purchase by Lunar X


title: MatPat

text: Patrick was involved in the web series "TOME: Terrain of Magical Expertise". He gained the series more attention and exposure by uploading a re-mastered version of the first episode on the channel on October 1, 2013, and then providing a platform for the series. The game was released on Steam on September 9, 2021.


title: MatPat

text: A character based on Patrick was included in "" (2015). In 2017, Patrick and his wife Stephanie participated in Nintendo's "Pokkén Tournament DX Invitational", an event held during E3 2017. He was paired with Allister Singh, the only pro-Pokkén Tournament player in the event. His team eventually won the tournament. Patrick voiced "Computron" in the animated series "" (2017).


title: MatPat

text: In 2019, Patrick partnered with Nickelodeon to make the show "Fact or Nicktion". In this show, Patrick examined various phenomena in Nickelodeon shows, such as "SpongeBob SquarePants", "" and "Rugrats" to determine whether they could or couldn't happen in real life.


title: MatPat

text: Patrick has appeared in various other collaborations with other channels such as Random Encounters; these videos include titles such as "Bendy and the Wolf" in 2021, "Cuphead the Musical" in 2018, "Bendy and the Ink Musical" in 2017, "FNAF the Musical" in 2016, and "How to Beat a Monkey at Chess, the Musical" in 2015. He has also collaborated with FootofaFerret on a video called FNAF: Everything You Need to Know" which explores the lore of "Five Nights at Freddy's".


title: MatPat

text: Patrick is married to Stephanie Patrick (née Cordato), whom he met while studying at Duke University. The two became close after creating a "Legend of Zelda" parody called "The Epic of Stew". They were married on May 19, 2012. Their son Oliver was born in 2018, and the family currently divides their time between living in California and North Carolina.


title: Jay Ellis

text: Wendell Ramone "Jay" Ellis Jr. (born December 27, 1981) is an American actor. Born in Sumter, South Carolina, he started with modeling, before moving to Los Angeles and starting his acting career. In 2013, he received his first major role on BET's series "The Game". In 2015, he joined the cast of HBO's series "Insecure", which premiered in 2016. He also had a lead role in the horror film "Escape Room" (2019), as the secondary antagonist, and is in "."


title: Jay Ellis

text: Wendell Ramone Ellis Jr. was born on December 27, 1981, in Sumter, South Carolina. His father worked for the Air Force, while his mother, Paula Bryant-Ellis, worked as a finance executive. He is the only child of the family. He went to 12 schools in 13 years, before attending Concordia University in Oregon, where he played basketball.


title: Jay Ellis

text: Ellis worked as a public relations intern for the Portland Trail Blazers during their infamous "Jail Blazers" era. After completing his internship, Ellis switched his focus to modeling and started working with Portland-based sportswear companies such as Nike, Adidas and Columbia Sportswear.


title: Jay Ellis

text: In 2004, Ellis moved to Los Angeles to focus on his acting career. He launched his career as a professional actor in 2005, when he appeared briefly in single episodes of the television series "Invasion" and "Related". In 2011-2012, he made appearances on the series "Grey's Anatomy", "NCIS" and "How I Met Your Mother".


title: Jay Ellis

text: His first major acting role was in 2013, starring in BET's series "The Game". In August 2015, it was announced that Ellis has joined the cast of HBO's comedy series "Insecure", which premiered in October 2016. He plays the role of Lawrence Walker, who has a long-term relationship with main character Issa Dee played by Issa Rae. For his work on the show, Ellis received the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series award at the 49th NAACP Image Awards.


title: Jay Ellis

text: In 2020, Ellis started hosting "The Untold Story: Policing", a four-part podcast series co-produced by Campaign Zero and Lemonada Media. Through interviews with academics, data scientists, and community organizers, the podcast demystifies police union contracts and investigates how they contribute to violent police misconduct across the United States. Ellis serves as the series’ host, as well as an executive producer alongside DeRay Mckesson, Stephanie Wittels Wachs, and Jessica Cordova Kramer.


title: Jay Ellis

text: Ellis has been in a relationship with Serbian model and actress Nina Seničar since 2015. Their daughter, Nora Grace was born in November 2019.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The Mercedes-Benz Vito is a mid-sized light commercial vehicle (LCV) produced by Mercedes-Benz, available as a panel van, chassis cab, or multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), carrying cargo or up to eight passengers. In the Mercedes-Benz van lineup, it is positioned between the larger Sprinter and the smaller Citan.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The Vito refers to the cargo van variant for commercial use; when passenger accommodations are substituted for part or all of the load area, it is known as the V-Class or Viano. The V-Class/Viano is a large MPV.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The first generation went on sale in 1996. The second generation was introduced in 2004, and the vehicle received the new Viano name. In 2010, the vehicle was facelifted with revised front and rear bumpers and lights. The interior was also improved with upgraded materials and new technology. The third generation was launched in 2014 and returned to being called V-Class.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The Vito/Viano is available in both rear- and four-wheel-drive configurations and comes in three lengths, two wheelbases and a choice of four petrol and diesel engines (as well as two specialist tuned models) coupled to either a six-speed manual or five-speed TouchShift automatic transmission.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The first generation Mercedes-Benz Vito was produced between 1996 and 2003. It is powered either by a diesel engine with up to or a gasoline engine with up to and a front-wheel drive drivetrain. The range of gasoline engines consists of two old units from Mercedes (113 and 114) and a Volkswagen 2.8 VR6 engine, designated as the M104.900. When it comes to diesel engines, old 2.3 with and without turbo and also modern CDI 2.2 engines are available.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: This body design was also sold as the V-Klasse in more luxurious and expensive version (V-Klasse was replaced with the Viano-name for the second generation of Vito). The Viano also included less van like features to the Vito such as only two seats in the front and a larger and more spacious seating capacity. At first many Vito drivers who wanted a spacious, small van opted for the Vito microbus which was extremely similar to the Viano, apart from its more van like and less luxurious features. The Viano was however a good, more car like option to the Vito microbus. It was designed by Michael Mauer from 1989 to 1991, when the final design was chosen and patented in February 1993.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: A battery-electric variant of the W 638 was unveiled in July 1996, designated the Vito 108 E. The 108 E was fitted with a three-phase asynchronous electric traction motor that developed and had a stall torque of , driving the wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. Energy storage was provided by a molten-salt battery (ZEBRA sodium nickel-chloride chemistry) carried under the rear bench seat. The traction battery weighed , operated at a nominal voltage of 280 V, and had a total capacity of 35.6 kW-hr, giving the vehicle a range of up to . The Vito 108 E was capable of speeds up to and could carry up to .


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The 108 E was assembled at the "Competence Centre for Emission-free Mobility" (KEM) at the Mercedes-Benz Mannheim plant; due to the small scale of production and battery costs, it was estimated the 108 E would be three times the cost of a conventionally-powered Vito. Deutsche Post operated a small fleet of Vito 108 E delivery vans in Bremen.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Six or seven seats come as standard in most markets. The Viano can be turned into an eight-seat people carrier by fitting two three-seater benches in the rear. All rear seats slide in increments, recline and can be turned to face one other. They can also be folded down or removed completely to increase the load capacity. A rear folding table is standard in six- and seven-seat layouts. The rear seats cannot be folded into the floor like on some rivals.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: With all the seats removed the Viano Extra-Long can accommodate up to of cargo with a payload of . It can tow a braked trailer and a unbraked trailer. An adjustable self-levelling rear suspension is included on higher specification models.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Rear-wheel drive allows the Viano to have a smaller turning circle than front-wheel drive rivals; Compact and Long models have a turning circle of whereas the Extra-Long model turns in .


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Japan passenger models were sold as the V-Class, as the V 350. Early models included V 350 Trend (RHD), V 350 Ambiente (RHD), V 350 Ambiente long (RHD).


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: In 2012, Mercedes-Benz released the Valente model in Australia to sit beneath the Viano as the entry-level passenger van.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The Vito was launched in China in April 2010. Engine choices consisted of the 2.1 litre OM646 turbo diesel four-cylinder, the 2.5 litre M272 diesel V6 and the 3 litre diesel V6 which also uses the M272 name. A 6 speed manual gearbox is standard for four cylinder diesel variants while V6 diesel variants are equipped to a 5 speed automatic gearbox. Trims levels are available known as the 2.1T Diesel Elite. 2.1T Diesel Service, 2.5L Elite, 2.5L Service, 3.0L Service and 3.0L Business. Pricing ranges from 316,000 yuan to 389,000 yuan (46,000 to US$55,830 - March 2020 exchange rate). For actual car badging, the 2.1 litre Diesel models were known as the 115 CDI, the 119 for 2.5 litre V6 models and the 122 for 3 litre V6 models. The W639 Vito was then succeeded by the W447 in 2016 although most Vitos of the W639 variant are still in use for the Chinese market as of 2020 as ambulance vans in Beijing.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The second generation Mercedes-Benz Vito design that is more streamlined than its predecessor, powered by a new range of engines, and a rear-wheel drive (RWD) drivetrain.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The angle of the windshield and A-pillar is closer to horizontal; the dashboard is bigger and the bonnet (hood) smaller. The new Vito is available in three different lengths and four diesel engine versions: the 109 CDI, 111 CDI, 115 CDI (all powered by a 4-cylinder 2.2-litre engine) and the 120 CDI (featuring the 3.0-litre V6 unit). The model numerics relate to their engine power output: currently the 109 has , the 111 has , the 115 has , and the 120 has . Blue-efficiency technology is optional. The vehicles have a new 6-speed manual gearbox gear ratios designed for fuel economy. The second generation Vitos are Euro 3 compliant (additionally Euro 4 compliant as of November 2006) and exempt from the Low Emission Zone in London, which requires commercial vehicles (vans) to reach at least Euro 3 standard from October 2010.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: In August 2008, a variant of the Vito was approved by the Public Carriage Office for use as a licensed London 'black cab'. The Vito taxicab includes electric sliding doors, electric steps and seating for six people. The Vito's rear-wheel steering enables it to meet the PCO's strict Conditions of Fitness requirements including a turning circle and wheelchair accessibility. The vehicle, a variation of the 'Traveliner' model, is built by Penso in Coventry. The rear wheel steer system is licensed from one80, and it is distributed through Eco City Vehicles subsidiary KPM-UK Taxis.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The new Taxi does not perform the famous U-turn in the same way as the TX and Metro models, instead it incorporates an electrically operated rear wheel system, activated by a button adjacent to the steering wheel. This turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front wheels, thus allowing the Taxi to perform the same tight turning circle as the TX and Metro models. This system is only possible when the vehicle is traveling at less than , and if the vehicle goes over this speed while the LSM is active, it is deactivated, and the wheels straighten up.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: It is longer and wider than the TX models, but travelling through tight spaces is aided by the electric folding wing mirrors, which as of 2009 are standard.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: In some countries a camping derivative is available - known as the Marco Polo - equipped with a galley (including gas stove, sink, 40 L fridge, and storage), multi-function wardrobe and a sliding bench seat in the rear which can be turned into a large air-sprung bed. A pop-up roof is also standard (electric assist is optional) providing standing height inside. An additional bed can be fitted in the pop-up roof area to increase sleeping capacity to four individuals. Fresh water and waste water tanks are accessible from outside the vehicle, while the gas-cylinder bay is hidden inside an interior cupboard. An auxiliary battery is included under the front passenger seat. Up to six optional individual seats can be fitted for maximum MPV flexibility, but only four seats (including the two-seater bench mentioned above) can be used when in camping mode.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The Marco Polo was designed and created in partnership with Westfalia just like Volkswagen camper vans were until 1999, when Daimler AG bought a controlling stake in the conversion company meaning Volkswagen had to continue converting their commercial vehicles into camper vans alone. This is a rival for the Volkswagen California as they both have similar layouts.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: This edition was only available in European markets from 2008 to 2010 with either a petrol or diesel V6 engine. It was available in either Brilliant Silver or Obsidian Black metallic paint, and featured a redesigned radiator grille, 18-inch alloy wheels, a chromed exhaust tailpipe, side skirts, and unique front and rear bumpers. The interior had pebble or anthracite coloured 'Twin' leather seats and a choice of grey or brown burr walnut wood accents.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Two head-on airbags and (on higher trim levels) front side airbags are fitted as standard, with front window airbags available as an option. Electronic stability control (ESP), traction control system (ASR), anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brakeforce distribution (EBV) and brake assist (BAS) are all fitted as standard. If BAS is activated, the hazard lights flash to warn following motorists that the Viano driver is undertaking an emergency braking manoeuvre.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Each seat is fitted with a three-point seatbelt with belt tensioner and force limiter and an adjustable head restraint.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) also tested the Viano and gave it a score of 32.66 points out of 37. It is the only van in Australasia to achieve the maximum five-star rating.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: EcoTest analysed the emissions from the EU4-compliant 2.0 CDI and 2.2 CDI manuals and the EU5-compliant 2.2 CDI TouchShift; the results are below:


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Next Green Car - an expert environmental organisation that analyses official vehicle emissions data rated the Viano. These Green Ratings (from 0 (cleanest) to 100 (dirtiest)) are listed below:


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The Mercedes-Benz Viano has received mixed to positive reviews from the motoring press. The van-based design is seen as a blessing by some critics and a failing by others. As of July 2010 reviews for the facelifted Viano are not available.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: 2006: The Viano was a support vehicle in the Dakar Rally for the Mercedes-Benz Service and Kwikpower team


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: 2009: The Viano claimed victory in the SUV category in the 19th Rallye Aicha des Gazelles with Irishwoman Jeanette James as pilot and Frenchwoman Anne-Marie Ortola as navigator.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: On 16 April 2010 the assembly of the Viano W639 began at the Fujian Daimler Automotive plant in Fúzhōu, China. Forty per cent of the components and automotive parts of the Chinese model version are manufactured by local companies. The Chinese model was launched on the Chinese (Hong Kong, PRC and Republic), the South Korean and Southeast Asian market in April 2010.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Changes to the Viano range include standard BlueEFFICIENCY technology, new interior trim materials, new ambient lighting system with dimmable individual LED reading lamps and fibre optic units, optional rear seat entertainment system, redesigned cockpit, new suspension with front and rear axles revised and specially tuned to match each specific model and EU 5 emission standards compliance.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The face lifted range included four and six-cylinder diesel and petrol engines rated at to (CDI 2.0, CDI 2.2, CDI 3.0, 3.5).


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: A four-wheel drive (4MATIC) is optional on models with 4-cylinder diesel engines. In normal operation the system transfers driving power in a 35:65 split between the front and rear axles. The 4MATIC system does not have mechanical differential locks, but an electronic traction system (4ETS). If one or more wheels loses traction on a slippery surface, the system applies brief pulses of brake pressure to the spinning wheels thus increasing torque to wheels with good grip. Vehicles with four-wheel drive have a higher ride height, which increases approach, departure and breakover angles (20°/28°/19° respectively, versus 14°/22°/14° in conventional rear-wheel-drive models). The all-wheel drive adds to the total weight of the vehicle.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The facelifted version of the Vito began from September 2010, and features restyled front and rear lights, restyled front bumpers, and more-efficient diesel engines adapted from the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter range. The Vito's suspension, instrumentation, steering wheel, and overall quality of materials was also improved.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Early models included Vito 110 CDI, Vito 113 CDI, Vito 116 CDI, Vito 122 CDI, Vito 126, with 3 body lengths (compact, long, extra-long).


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Earlier limited-production and prototype Mercedes-Benz efforts to provide battery-electric delivery vans included the 1972 LE 306; the T1-based 307 E (1980) and 308 E (1988); the MB100 E (1992); the Sprinter 308 E (1995); and the Vito 108 E (1996).


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The Vito E-Cell is the first electric vehicle mass-produced in Spain. It will be fabricated by Mercedes-Benz Spain, in the Vitoria-Gasteiz factory. Mercedes-Benz has chosen Vitoria as the exclusive fabrication site for the electric van; the E-Cell will be assembled alongside conventionally-powered Vito and Viano vans.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The Vito E-Cell utilizes an unique front-wheel drive setup to save installation space for the 36-kWh lithium-ion battery pack housed underneath the van's cargo area. The electric traction motor is a permanent synchronous magnet drive with a constant power of and a maximum power of . The top speed is limited to , and it has a maximum torque of instantly available, which gives the van a similar dynamic performance to one equipped with a modern diesel engine.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Energy to move the van is stored in an electric battery. This battery is placed under the chassis (where the petrol tank and the prop-shaft are normally), while the electric traction motor, the transformer, and the charger are located in the engine's usual position, under the hood. The traction battery is split into 16 modules with 192 cells in all, with high energy density and a rated voltage of 360 volts. Gross battery capacity is 36 kWh, 32 kWh of which are available for the vehicle operation. The batteries weigh ; their life is unknown. They are supplied by the company Magna, and they give the Vito E-Cell an estimated maximum range of , but this can be reduced by the weather conditions, the ground's topography or even the cargo volume. It is considered that a range between could be more realistic. Either way, it is intended to be enough for a workday in urban delivery.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The E-Cell is equipped with an onboard charger that has a maximum power input rate of 6.1 kW (AC); the total charge time is six hours through a high voltage connection (380 or 400 volts), but with a domestic 230 volt supply, the total charge time is double, about 12 hours. Moreover, Mercedes-Benz offers the vehicle as a lease (4 years / ), making the manufacturer responsible for battery maintenance and replacement when necessary.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The Vito E-Cell is based on the long-wheelbase version of the van, with a wheelbase of , so that there is enough space for the batteries. With this aim of saving space, only the front-drive version is offered, unlike in the previous model, so a long development was needed, although some suspension components of the all-wheel drive version were adapted for the E-Cell.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Externally, the Vito E-Cell does not show external changes with the other versions, aside from the decorative elements: the body has not been modified, and both the double side door and the helpful back 'gate' remain as before. The refueling port has been reused for the vehicle charging inlet port.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The Vito E-Cell is equipped with complete and modern features, including a special heater connected to the high voltage network and to the basic heating system, which ensures pleasant conditions even in the coldest months. In terms of safety, the new Mercedes keeps the same level as the other Vito models. The vehicle has many of the electric drivetrain components carried under the front bonnet, so, if a collision occurs, the batteries are protected by a shock element. The active safety also makes that the high-technology voltage network turns off when the airbag control unit activates. The Vito E-Cell comes standard with the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and dual airbags.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Beginning with September 2011, BlueEFFICIENCY models of Viano and Vito include a new generator management system converts part of the kinetic energy produced into electric energy, which is then stored in the battery.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The Viano was tested by Thatcham's New Vehicle Security Ratings (NVSR) organisation and achieved the following ratings:


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: EcoTest analysed the emissions from the EU4-compliant 2.0 CDI and 2.2 CDI manuals and the EU5-compliant 2.2 CDI TouchShift; the results are below:


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Next Green Car - an expert environmental organisation that analyses official vehicle emissions data rated the Viano. These Green Ratings (from 0 (cleanest) to 100 (dirtiest)) are listed below:


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: During 2013 a number of special editions were launched; including the Grand Edition Viano launched at the Geneva Motor Show. Two special version for the Japanese markets were launched the V350 White Edition (50 units) and Black Edition (170 units) with additional equipment, large alloy wheels and leather interior.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: As of 14 November 2013, Daimler's van joint venture Fujian Benz Automotive Co. (FBAC) has secured an order by the Dalian Wanda Group comprising 85 Mercedes-Benz Viano 3.0L vans.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The third generation V-Class was launched in 2014 as a full size MPV to replace the R-Class. However, it also was marketed as a successor to the Mercedes-Benz Viano. Sales commenced in Germany in May 2014, with European sales following in June.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The V-Class was a long-wheelbase model initially, with compact and extra-long variants due at a later date. A special launch model based on the V 250 BlueTEC is called Edition 1, and is fitted with a range of additional equipment including leather interior, Burmester sound system and large alloy wheels and Agility Control suspension system.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The Vito panel van variant was also released in 2014. Changes to Vito included standard Attention Assist and Crosswind Assist, optional Intelligent Light System (LED indicators, LED daytime running lamps, LED low-beam headlamps, main beam with cornering light function).


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The vehicle also has been sold since 2015 in the United States and Canada as the Mercedes-Benz Metris; it was launched as a 2016 model year vehicle. At the time of its introduction it had the least expensive starting price for a new Mercedes-Benz model in the United States according to "Car and Driver" magazine. The Metris is assembled alongside the North American Sprinter at the Mercedes-Benz Vans plant in Ladson, South Carolina. It is available in both passenger and cargo variants; however, the passenger version is intended for taxi and shuttle services, not as luxury transportation equivalent to the V-Class. For the North American market, the drivetrain is limited to a single choice: a 2.0 L turbocharged gasoline-fueled four-cylinder with a seven-speed automatic transmission.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The United States Postal Service has announced that they will purchase up to 30,608 right-hand drive Metris vehicles as part of the Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) vehicle program announced on August 3, 2018, to replace and upgrade its fleet of delivery vehicles.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: In 2022, Mercedes-Benz announced that the Mercedes-Benz Metris will be discontinued after the 2023 model year from the US and Canadian markets due to poor sales and discontinuation of the exclusive gasoline engine that powers the North American Metris. Report showed that the larger Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has outsold the smaller Metris by 4 to 1, since the introduction of the Metris to North America in 2015 as that the Metris failed to fit well in North American commercial fleets. The Metris will continue to be sold in markets outside the United States and Canada, due to much better sales and more powertrain choices available on the midsize commercial van such as diesel and all-electric options. The larger Sprinter will continue to be sold in the US and Canada beyond 2023 as the only commercial vehicle offered in these markets by Mercedes-Benz with only diesel and all-electric powertrain options available.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The eVito, an electric panel van variant using the W447 chassis, was introduced in November 2017. Compared to the discontinued W639 Vito E-CELL, the W447 eVito had greater energy storage, 41.4 kW-hr, and greater range, at . Net capacity was 35 kW-hr. The two longer wheelbase lengths were offered; because the eVito carries a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of , the maximum payload is greater than the conventional Vito, which has a GVWR of .


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: As introduced, the eVito van was equipped with a electric traction motor with maximum torque of . Maximum speed was limited to , but could be unlocked to via an option. The on-board charger had a maximum power input of 7.4 kW.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The EQV is an electrified variant of the V-Class using the same Vito W447 chassis; it was unveiled as a concept at the March 2019 Geneva Motor Show with a more powerful drivetrain and a more capacious battery than the eVito. A production prototype was shown that August. The EQV is equipped with a battery that has a gross/usable capacity of 100/90 kW-hr and on-board charging that accepts up to 11 kW (AC). The electric traction motor has a torque output of ; estimated energy consumption is . Top speed of the EQV is . The tested range was on the WLTP cycle, with an observed consumption of .


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: An updated eVito Tourer was unveiled in 2020 with the same drivetrain as the EQV; range has been extended to and the top speed is now .


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Production of V-Class in Vitoria, Spain plant began in March 2014, followed by Mercedes-Benz Vito in autumn 2014. Also, it started production in Argentina and production at the Fujian Daimler plant in Fúzhōu, China started in March 2016.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: The one petrol engine on offer is only sold in certain markets: in USA and Canada as the Metris, and in China and Indonesia as the Mercedes-Benz V260.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: BlueEFFICIENCY package is standard on all versions of V-Class featuring the 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission and is optionally available for all variants with 6-speed manual transmission.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Blue Efficiency package is available for Vito with OM 651 engine and rear-wheel drive, and standard for all Vito models with automatic transmission and a car registration.


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: Overboost is available for vehicles with 7G-TRONIC PLUS transmission and AGILITY SELECT, with transmission mode set to "Comfort" (C), "Sport" (S), or "Manual" (M).


title: Mercedes-Benz Vito

text: V-Class with 7G-TRONIC PLUS transmission includes optional AGILITY SELECT system with 4 transmission modes ("ECO" (E), "Comfort" (C), "Sport" (S) and "Manual" (M)).


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: Luann de Lesseps (née Nadeau; born May 17, 1965) is an American socialite,television personality, model, author, and singer. In 1993, she married French entrepreneur and aristocrat Count Alexandre de Lesseps; they divorced in 2009 but she retained the courtesy title "countess" until her remarriage in 2016. In 2008, de Lesseps came to prominence after being cast in the reality television series "The Real Housewives of New York City", which documents the lives of several women residing in New York City. In 2018 she began headlining "Countess and Friends", a cabaret show of her own making.


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: Born LuAnn Nadeau, she was raised in Berlin, Connecticut, where she grew up with her six siblings, and where her father owned a construction company. She has said her father is of Algonquin and French descent and that her mother is French Canadian. In an early episode of "Real Housewives", de Lesseps shared that she had captained her high school varsity softball team.


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: She is one of the main cast members on Bravo's reality series "The Real Housewives of New York City". In season 6 she was demoted to a recurring "Friend of the Housewives" role due to not living in New York City at the time of filming. In April 2015, it was confirmed that de Lesseps would be returning as a main cast member for the show's seventh season.


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: In February 2011, de Lesseps guest starred on "", in the episode "", playing a socialite who makes a gruesome discovery.


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: De Lesseps wrote a book, "Class with the Countess: How to Live with Elegance and Flair" (published by Gotham Books) released April 16, 2009, and released her first record, "Money Can't Buy You Class" (through Ultra Records), on May 25, 2010. She released her second single, "Chic C'est la Vie" in June 2011. She released a third single, "Girl Code", on July 6, 2015. In June 2019, De Lesseps released her fourth single, "Feeling Jovani". In September 2020, she released her fifth single, "Viva La Diva", with Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Desmond Child.


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: In February 2018, de Lesseps headlined her own cabaret show, called #CountessAndFriends, at Feinstein's/54 Below in Midtown Manhattan. The show features de Lesseps singing songs about her life as a countess and reality TV star, with appearances from celebrity friends like Rachel Dratch and "Housewives" co-star Sonja Morgan. In August 2018 de Lesseps announced that she was taking the show on tour, with engagements scheduled in Long Island and New Jersey.


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: De Lesseps starred in "The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip", a spin-off featuring various women from "The Real Housewives" franchise, that premiered on Peacock in November 2021.


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: In December 2017, de Lesseps was arrested in Palm Beach, Florida on charges of disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest, battery of an officer, and making threats against a public servant. She was later released on her own recognizance, but was charged with a third-degree felony on January 25, 2018. After her release she entered an alcohol treatment program.


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: In July 2018 de Lesseps settled the charges stemming from her Palm Beach arrest, by agreeing to plead guilty to the misdemeanor charges of battery, disorderly intoxication, and trespassing. In exchange, the felony charge of resisting an officer with violence was dropped, and de Lesseps agreed to fulfill 50 hours of community service, attend two Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and to abstain from drinking alcohol for one year.


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: In May 2019, de Lesseps was taken into custody over her alleged probation violations and later released. She completed her probation in August 2019.


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: In 2021, de Lesseps dined at Le Diplomate, an upscale Washington D.C. restaurant, and left without paying the bill. Several days later, de Lesseps paid her outstanding bill.


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: De Lesseps has donated to many charitable organizations, including: The American Cancer Society, GLAAD, and ACE Partnership for the Homeless. She has most recently partnered with The Fortune Society, which supports formerly incarcerated inmates by helping them reenter into society.


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: In 1993, she married Count Alexandre de Lesseps, and together they have two children, Noel and Victoria. They divorced in 2009. On December 31, 2016, de Lesseps married Tom D’Agostino Jr., losing her “countess” courtesy title in the process. In August 2017, de Lesseps announced that she and D'Agostino were getting divorced. In October 2017, it was reported that the divorce had been settled out of court and would be finalized "imminently".


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: On July 16, 2018, de Lesseps' "RHONY" co-star Bethenny Frankel announced that de Lesseps had chosen to skip the filming of the show's reunion to re-enter an alcohol treatment program. De Lesseps left the facility after just under three weeks.


title: Luann de Lesseps

text: On March 16, 2022, de Lesseps was filmed taking over the microphone and saying obscenities to the crowd at a piano bar in New York City. On March 18, 2022 de Lesseps released a statement apologizing for her actions and admitting her struggle with alcohol is still real.


title: 2021–22 EFL League Two

text: The 2021–22 EFL League Two (referred to as the Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship reasons) was the 18th season of Football League Two under its current title and the 30th season under its current league division format.


title: Zircon

text: Zircon () is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates and is a source of the metal zirconium. Its chemical name is zirconium(IV) silicate, and its corresponding chemical formula is ZrSiO. An empirical formula showing some of the range of substitution in zircon is (Zr, REE)(SiO)(OH). Zircon precipitates from silicate melts and has relatively high concentrations of high field strength incompatible elements. For example, hafnium is almost always present in quantities ranging from 1 to 4%. The crystal structure of zircon is tetragonal crystal system. The natural color of zircon varies between colorless, yellow-golden, red, brown, blue, and green.


title: Zircon

text: The name derives from the Persian "zargun", meaning "gold-hued". This word is corrupted into "jargoon", a term applied to light-colored zircons. The English word "zircon" is derived from "Zirkon", which is the German adaptation of this word. Yellow, orange, and red zircon is also known as "hyacinth", from the flower "hyacinthus", whose name is of Ancient Greek origin.


title: Zircon

text: Zircon is common in the crust of Earth. It occurs as a common accessory mineral in igneous rocks (as primary crystallization products), in metamorphic rocks and as detrital grains in sedimentary rocks. Large zircon crystals are rare. Their average size in granite rocks is about , but they can also grow to sizes of several cm, especially in mafic pegmatites and carbonatites. Zircon is fairly hard (with a Mohs hardness of 7.5) and chemically stable, and so is highly resistant to weathering. It also is resistant to heat, so that detrital zircon grains are sometimes preserved in igneous rocks formed from melted sediments. Its resistance to weathering, together with its relatively high specific gravity (4.68), make it an important component of the heavy mineral fraction of sandstones.


title: Zircon

text: Because of their uranium and thorium content, some zircons undergo metamictization. Connected to internal radiation damage, these processes partially disrupt the crystal structure and partly explain the highly variable properties of zircon. As zircon becomes more and more modified by internal radiation damage, the density decreases, the crystal structure is compromised, and the color changes.


title: Zircon

text: Zircon occurs in many colors, including reddish brown, yellow, green, blue, gray, and colorless. The color of zircons can sometimes be changed by heat treatment. Common brown zircons can be transformed into colorless and blue zircons by heating to . In geological settings, the development of pink, red, and purple zircon occurs after hundreds of millions of years, if the crystal has sufficient trace elements to produce color centers. Color in this red or pink series is annealed in geological conditions above temperatures of around .


title: Zircon

text: Structurally, zircon consists of parallel chains of alternating silica tetrahedra (silicon ions in fourfold coordination with oxygen ions) and zirconium ions, with the large zirconium ions in eightfold coordination with oxygen ions.


title: Zircon

text: Zircon is mainly consumed as an opacifier, and has been known to be used in the decorative ceramics industry. It is also the principal precursor not only to metallic zirconium, although this application is small, but also to all compounds of zirconium including zirconium dioxide (), an important refractory oxide with a melting point of .


title: Zircon

text: Other applications include use in refractories and foundry casting and a growing array of specialty applications as zirconia and zirconium chemicals, including in nuclear fuel rods, catalytic fuel converters and in water and air purification systems.


title: Zircon

text: Transparent zircon is a well-known form of semi-precious gemstone, favored for its high specific gravity (between 4.2 and 4.86) and adamantine luster. Because of its high refractive index (1.92) it has sometimes been used as a substitute for diamond, though it does not display quite the same play of color as a diamond. Zircon is the heaviest of any gem, readily sinking in even highly viscous liquids. Its Mohs hardness is between that of quartz and topaz, at 7.5 on the 10 point scale, though below that of the similar manmade stone cubic zirconia (9). Zircons may sometimes lose their inherent color after long exposure to bright sunlight, which is unusual in a gemstone. It is immune to acid attack except by sulfuric acid and then only when ground into a fine powder.


title: Zircon

text: Most gem-grade zircons show a high degree of birefringence which, on stones cut with a table and pavilion cuts (i.e., nearly all cut stones), can be seen as the apparent doubling-up of the latter when viewed through the former, and this characteristic can be used to distinguish them from diamonds and cubic zirconias (CZ) as well as soda-lime glass, none of which show this characteristic. However, some zircons from Sri Lanka display only weak or no birefringence at all, and some other Sri Lanka stones may show clear birefringence in one place and little or none in another part of the same cut stone. Other gemstones also display birefringence, so while the presence of this characteristic may help distinguish a given zircon from a diamond or a CZ, it will not help distinguish it from, for example, a topaz gemstone. The high specific gravity of zircon, however, can usually separate it from any other gem and is simple to test.


title: Zircon

text: Also, birefringence depends on the cut of the stone in relation to its optical axis. If a zircon is cut with this axis perpendicular to its table, birefringence may be reduced to undetectable levels unless viewed with a jeweler's loupe or other magnifying optics. The highest grade zircons are cut to minimize birefringence.


title: Zircon

text: The value of a zircon gem depends largely on its color, clarity, and size. Prior to World War II, blue zircons (the most valuable color) were available from many gemstone suppliers in sizes between 15 and 25 carats; since then, stones even as large as 10 carats have become very scarce, especially in the most desirable color varieties.


title: Zircon

text: Synthetic zircons have been created in laboratories but they are only of scientific interest and are never encountered in the jewellery trade. Zircons are sometimes imitated by spinel and synthetic sapphire, but are not difficult to distinguish from them with simple tools.


title: Zircon

text: Zircon is a common accessory to trace mineral constituent of all kinds of igneous rocks, but particularly granite and felsic igneous rocks. Due to its hardness, durability and chemical inertness, zircon persists in sedimentary deposits and is a common constituent of most sands. Zircon can occasionally be found as a trace mineral in ultrapotassic intrusive rocks such as kimberlites, carbonatites, and lamprophyre, owing to the unusual magma genesis of these rocks.


title: Zircon

text: Zircon forms economic concentrations within heavy mineral sands ore deposits, within certain pegmatites, and within some rare alkaline volcanic rocks, for example the Toongi Trachyte, Dubbo, New South Wales Australia in association with the zirconium-hafnium minerals eudialyte and armstrongite.


title: Zircon

text: Australia leads the world in zircon mining, producing 37% of the world total and accounting for 40% of world EDR (economic demonstrated resources) for the mineral. South Africa is Africa's main producer, with 30% of world production, second after Australia.


title: Zircon

text: Zircon has played an important role during the evolution of radiometric dating. Zircons contain trace amounts of uranium and thorium (from 10 ppm up to 1 wt%) and can be dated using several modern analytical techniques. Because zircons can survive geologic processes like erosion, transport, even high-grade metamorphism, they contain a rich and varied record of geological processes. Currently, zircons are typically dated by uranium-lead (U-Pb), fission-track, cathodoluminescence, and U+Th/He techniques. For instance, imaging the cathodoluminescence emission from fast electrons can be used as a prescreening tool for high-resolution secondary-ion-mass spectrometry (SIMS) to image the zonation pattern and identify regions of interest for isotope analysis. This is done using an integrated cathodoluminescence and scanning electron microscope. Zircons in sedimentary rock can identify the sediment source.


title: Zircon

text: Zircons from Jack Hills in the Narryer Gneiss Terrane, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia, have yielded U-Pb ages up to 4.404 billion years, interpreted to be the age of crystallization, making them the oldest minerals so far dated on Earth. In addition, the oxygen isotopic compositions of some of these zircons have been interpreted to indicate that more than 4.4 billion years ago there was already water on the surface of the Earth. This interpretation is supported by additional trace element data, but is also the subject of debate. In 2015, "remains of biotic life" were found in 4.1-billion-year-old rocks in the Jack Hills of Western Australia. According to one of the researchers, "If life arose relatively quickly on Earth ... then it could be common in the universe."


title: Zircon

text: Hafnon (), xenotime (), béhierite, schiavinatoite (), thorite (), and coffinite () all share the same crystal structure (X Y O, X Y O in the case of xenotime) as zircon.


title: Chak De! India

text: Chak De! India () is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language sports drama film directed by Shimit Amin and produced by Aditya Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films, with a script written by Jaideep Sahni. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan as Kabir Khan, former captain of the India men's national field hockey team. After a disastrous loss to Pakistan, Khan is ostracized from the sport owing to religious prejudice. 7 years later in an attempt to redeem himself, he becomes the coach for the Indian national women's hockey team, with the goal of turning its 16 contentious players into an award-winning team.


title: Chak De! India

text: Sahni, a screenwriter, was inspired by the India women's national field hockey team's win at the 2002 Commonwealth Games to develop "Chak De! India"s script after reading about it in a newspaper. The screenplay was fictional and the characters, while inspired by the real team and coaches, were invented by Sahni. Kabir Khan's struggles bore resemblance to those faced by real-life hockey player Mir Ranjan Negi, although Sahni was unaware of Negi's tribulations while writing the script. On the suggestion of Maharaj Krishan Kaushik, then coach of the women's hockey team, Sahni invited Negi to join the film's production team. A combination of professional players and actors were cast as the sixteen team members; workshops were conducted for training the actors in hockey and the players in acting. Kaushik and Negi would train Sahni, Khan and the other cast members over a period of six months. The sports scenes were choreographed by Rob Miller, and the soundtrack was composed by Salim–Sulaiman, with lyrics written by Sahni.


title: Chak De! India

text: "Chak De! India" released in India on 10 August 2007, coinciding with the country's 60th Independence Day, and grossed on a budget, thus becoming the third-highest grossing Hindi film of 2007. It received widespread critical acclaim upon release, with praise for its direction, story, screenplay, dialogues, feminist themes, and performances of the cast, with high praise directed towards Khan's performance.


title: Chak De! India

text: A recipient of numerous accolades, "Chak De! India" won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment at the 55th National Film Awards. It received a leading 10 nominations at the 53rd Filmfare Awards, including Best Film, Best Director (Amin) and Best Supporting Actress (Shukla), and won a leading 5 awards, including Best Film (Critics) and Best Actor (Khan).


title: Chak De! India

text: The title song remains highly popular and prominent in Indian popular culture and is played at sporting events regularly. Considered one of Khan's career-best performances, "Chak De! India" also proved to be socially impactful in India; its success brought about the re-organisation of the Indian Hockey Federation in April 2008, and former player Aslam Sher Khan pointed to the film as a model for the Indian team to work towards.


title: Chak De! India

text: "Chak De! India" opens in Delhi during the final minutes of a Hockey World Cup match between Pakistan and India, with Pakistan leading 1–0. When Indian team captain Kabir Khan is fouled, he takes a penalty stroke. His shot just misses, causing India to lose the match. Soon afterwards, media outlets circulate a photograph of Khan shaking hands with the Pakistani captain. The sporting gesture is misunderstood, and Khan is suspected of throwing the game out of sympathy towards Pakistan. Religious prejudice forces him and his mother to leave town.


title: Chak De! India

text: Seven years later Mr. Tripathi, the head of India's hockey association, meets with field hockey advocate Uttam Singh to discuss the Indian women's hockey team. According to Tripathi, the team has no future since the only long-term role for women is to "cook and clean". Uttam, however, tells him that Kabir Khan wants to coach the team. Initially sceptical, Tripathi agrees to the arrangement.


title: Chak De! India

text: Khan finds himself in charge of a group of 16 young women divided by their competitive natures and regional prejudices. Komal Chautala, a village girl from Haryana, clashes with Preeti Sabarwal from Chandigarh; short-tempered Balbir Kaur from Punjab bullies Rani Dispotta and Soimoi Kerketa, who are from remote villages in Jharkhand. Mary Ralte from Mizoram and Molly Zimik, from Manipur in Northeast India, face widespread racial discrimination, and sexual comments from some strangers. Team Captain Vidya Sharma must choose between hockey and the wishes of her husband Rakesh's family, and Preeti's fiancé—Abhimanyu Singh, Vice-Captain of the India national cricket team—feels threatened by her involvement with the team.


title: Chak De! India

text: Khan realises that he can make the girls winners only if he can help them overcome their differences. During his first few days as coach, he benches several players who refuse to follow his rules—including Bindiya Naik, the most experienced player. In response, Bindiya repeatedly encourages the other players to defy Khan. When she finally succeeds, Khan angrily resigns; however, he invites the staff and team to a farewell lunch at McDonald's. During the lunch, local boys eve tease Mary; Balbir attacks them, triggering a brawl between the boys and the team. Khan, recognising that they are finally acting as one for the first time, prevents the staff from intervening; he only stops a man from hitting one of the women from behind with a cricket bat. After the fight, the women ask Khan to remain their coach.


title: Chak De! India

text: The team faces new challenges. When Tripathi refuses to send the women's team to Australia for the World Cup, Khan proposes a match against the men's team. Although his team loses, their performance inspires Tripathi to send them to Australia after all. Bindiya is upset with Khan for choosing Vidya over her as the captain of the team. Her consequent behaviour results in a 7–0 loss to Australia. When Khan confronts Bindiya about her actions on the field, Bindiya responds by attempting to have sex with Khan, to which he rejects & asks her to stay away from the game. Khan goes on to train the girls again, which is followed by victories over England, Spain, South Africa, New Zealand, and Argentina. Just before their game with South Korea, Khan approaches Bindiya, asking her to begin playing once more and break the strategy of 'Man to Man' marking used by the Korean team so they can win the match. Bindiya goes onto the field and with the help of Gunjan Lakhani manages to beat South Korea. They are again matched with Australia for the final; this time, they successfully defeat them to win the World Cup. When the team returns home, their families treat them with greater respect and Khan, his good name restored, returns with his mother to their ancestral home.


title: Chak De! India

text: Shortly after the film's release, the media began referring to the 16 actresses who portrayed the players as the ""Chak De!" Girls". The panel of judges at the Screen Awards also used the term, awarding the Best Supporting Actress award to the ""Chak De" Girls" at the 14th Screen Awards in 2008.


title: Chak De! India

text: A brief article about the victorious women's team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games inspired screenwriter Jaideep Sahni to create a film about the Indian women's hockey team, and he modelled Kabir Khan on hockey coach Maharaj Krishan Kaushik. After listening to the storyline Kaushik suggested that Sahani meet hockey player Mir Ranjan Negi, who faced accusations of throwing the match against Pakistan in the 1982 Asian Games. Shah Rukh Khan stated in a speech delivered at the University of Edinburgh that the phrase "Chak De!" was originally "an inspirational martial cry that Sikh soldiers used while lifting logs in order to make bridges across rivers on their campaigns against their enemies. It implies the will to get up and get on with it."


title: Chak De! India

text: According to Sahani, he was unaware of Negi's plight while he wrote the script and any resemblance to Negi's life was coincidental. Negi agreed, saying that he did not "want to hog the limelight. This movie is not a documentary of Mir Ranjan Negi's life. It is in fact the story of a team that becomes a winning lot from a bunch of hopeless girls". Responding to media reports equating Kabir Khan with Negi, Sahani said: "Our script was written a year and a half back. It is very unfortunate that something, which is about women athletes, has just started becoming about Negi."


title: Chak De! India

text: Although Salman Khan was initially signed for the lead role, he later withdrew due to creative differences with director Shimit Amin. Shah Rukh Khan (who had originally declined due to a scheduling conflict with Farhan Akhtar's "Don" (2006)) was later confirmed as Kabir Khan. Khan accepted the role partly because he used to play hockey in college: "I feel hockey as a sport has been monstrously neglected in our country. I used to play the game during college. In fact, I was quite a good hockey player. So the role was a lot like going back to my past." Some media sources called the actor's role offbeat, since it departed from his usual romantic image and included neither lip synched songs nor a single female lead.


title: Chak De! India

text: Casting of the 16 actresses as the hockey players took over six months. Amin described the process as "very, very difficult" and "very strenuous because the requirement was they had to play – and act". A four-month training camp was held where the girls learned the rules of the game, took acting lessons and followed a strict diet; safety precautions were also taken. According to Amin, "Learning hockey is very tricky unlike, say, football. You have to know how to hold the stick, how to maneuver it, so it doesn't look fake on screen ... For those who were originally players, we had to make sure they were able to act as well. The dialogue was weighty; it isn't frivolous. It has to be delivered with a certain tone, in a certain manner". The actors, including Khan and the rest of the supporting cast, participated in a number of rehearsals and script readings before principal photography began.


title: Chak De! India

text: Kaushik and his team taught the crew "all [they] knew about hockey". In an interview, he later said that he "taught him (Sahni) everything about the game, starting from how the camp is conducted, how the girls come from different backgrounds and cultures, the psychological factors involved. Also how the coach faces pressure to select girls from different states and teams". After Negi was suggested, the latter assembled a team of hockey players to train the actors. He later said that he "trained the girls for six months. Waking up at 4, traveling from Kandivali to Churchgate. We would retire around 11 in the night. It was tiring. But we were on a mission ... They couldn't run; couldn't hold the hockey sticks. I ensured none of them [would have to] cut their nails or eyebrows (as the players do). The girls have worked very hard. I salute them". Some of the actors, such as Chitrashi, Sandia, and Raynia, were cast because they were hockey players.


title: Chak De! India

text: Rob Miller was the sport action director, choreographing the sports scenes, and worked with Negi to train the actors. About working with Khan, Negi recalled that everything was planned "including the penalty stroke that SRK missed. That shot alone took us nearly 20 hours as I was keen that it should be very realistic. I took the help of a lot of my former teammates. But more importantly, it was so easy working with SRK. He is unbelievably modest and was willing to do as many re-takes as we wanted".


title: Chak De! India

text: The soundtrack album of "Chak De! India" and the film's background music is composed by Salim–Sulaiman. This film marks the duo's first collaboration with actor Shah Rukh Khan. The lyrics for all the songs were written by Jaideep Sahni. The album features seven tracks with a remix song and a dialogue by Shah Rukh Khan from this film. The album was released on 11 July 2007, and upon its release 11,00,000 units of the album were sold, making it the eleventh highest selling soundtrack album of the year, according to the Indian trade website "Box Office India".


title: Chak De! India

text: The album received positive reviews from critics. "Planet Bollywood" rated the album 8/10 stars, with "Chak De! India", "Badal Pe Paaon Hai", "Ek Hockey Doongi Rakh Ke" and "Maula Maula Le Le Meri Jaan" as their top picks. Then stated "Salim-Sulaiman have shown that just like the girls' hockey team, every underdog has his/her day. The album is a relief from the usual Himeshsonic-Pritammatic soundtracks that are flooding the Bollywood music scene today. Here's hoping that the duo get more contracts and bring us some more fresh tracks."


title: Chak De! India

text: "Chak De! India" premiered on 13 August 2007 at Somerset House in London to an audience of over 2,000 during the Film4 Summer Screen and India Now festivals. It was released globally in theaters on 10 August 2007, playing on only 400 screens in India because of the middling response of Yash Raj Films's two previous films, "Ta Ra Rum Pum" and "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom".


title: Chak De! India

text: The film was screened in New Delhi on 17 August 2016, as part of the week-long Independence Day Film Festival. The festival was jointly presented by the Indian Directorate of Film Festivals and Ministry of Defense, commemorating India's 70th Independence Day.


title: Chak De! India

text: In an NPR interview via affiliate WBUR-FM, "Mumbai Mirror" columnist Aseem Chhabra called "Chak De! India" "an example of a film that's been made within the framework of Bollywood and yet it is a very different film. It does take up some realistic issues, and what I really liked about the film was that the women who acted, you know, who are part of the team, each one of them got a chance. Their personality, their characters, were very well-written, and so, the superstar in the film was Shahrukh Khan, who was the coach of the team; he doesn't sort of take over the whole film. Every supporting character gets a role, and it's a very inspiring movie that really changed the mood in India. People loved it". Nikhat Kazmi of "The Times of India" gave the film four out of five stars stating that it was a film of "great performances by a bunch of unknowns." "India Today" called "Chak De! India" "the most feisty girl power movie to have come out of Bollywood ever." Sudhish Kamath of "The Hindu" wrote, "At another level, "Chak De" is about women's liberation. It is one of the best feminist films of our times." Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave the film four out of five stars, saying "Chak De's ... a winner all the way." Shubhra Gupta of "The Indian Express" called the film "the most authentic, meticulously researched sports movie India has made". In Kolkata's "Telegraph", Bharathi S. Pradhan wrote that the film combines "an extremely well-knit screenplay with unrelentingly deft direction, 16 unknown, and not even glamorous, girls simply carried you with them, with one single known actor compelling you to watch Chak De India without blinking". Jaspreet Pandohar of the "BBC" gave "Chak De! India" four out of five stars stating that "while the tale of the sporting underdog is hardly new, Jaideep Sahni's screenplay offers a rare look at a popular Indian sport often overshadowed by cricket." Andy Webster of "The New York Times" wrote that the film gave a fresh look to the conventional underdog sports film, comparing its premise to the U.S. victory in the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup. Derek Elley of "Variety" called "Chak De! India" "a patriotic heartwarmer that scores some old-fashioned entertainment goals." In "The Hollywood Reporter," Kirk Honeycutt wrote that the "technical credits are first rate with excellent cinematography, quicksilver editing, musical montages of practice and a fine use of locations."


title: Chak De! India

text: Michael Dequina of "themoviereport.com" was more critical of the film, giving it 2.5 out of four stars and calling it "a very familiar, very formula underdog sports movie with nothing to distinguish it from similar, equally slick Hollywood product." Maitland McDonagh of "TV Guide" gave "Chak De! India" two stars out of four, writing that the film uses "sports-movie conventions to address larger cultural and political issues, and while it doesn't miss a cliche, it also invests every one with vigorous conviction." Although Subhash K. Jha gave the film 3.5 stars, calling it "a fairly predictable story" with dialogue "quite often the stuff bumper stickers are made of", he wrote that ""Chak De! India" is an outright winner" and "one of the finest sports-based dramas in living memory." Khalid Mohamed gave the film 3.5 stars in the "Hindustan Times" stating that the film "may be predictable but compels you to root for a team of losers whom only an earth-angel can save from disastrous defeat".


title: Chak De! India

text: Apart from critics, "Chak De! India" tied with "Taare Zameen Par" for the Best Film of 2007 according to various Bollywood movie directors such as Madhur Bhandarkar, David Dhawan, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Anurag Basu, and Sriram Raghavan.


title: Chak De! India

text: The film was mentioned in critic and author Shubhra Gupta's book, "50 Films That Changed Bollywood, 1995–2015".


title: Chak De! India

text: Due to the film's strong critical response, cinema halls reported 80% occupancy for its opening weekend. "Chak De! India" topped the Indian box office during its first two weeks, and played to full houses during its first two months. The film was particularly successful in large cities. "Chak De! India" was the third-highest-grossing film of 2007 in India, with domestic net earnings of ₹66,54,00,000 that year it was declared a box office 'Blockbuster'. By the end of its theatrical run, the film grossed () worldwide, including gross ( net) in India and () overseas.


title: Chak De! India

text: "Chak De! India" has become an influential film. The title track song "Chak De! India," now doubles as a sports anthem in India and is played at numerous sports events. According to Salim Merchant, the song "almost became the sports anthem of the country, especially after India won the Cricket World Cup 2011. It was no longer our song but the country's song". After India's World Cup victory, Indian team player Virat Kohli "sang 'Chak de India' to the crowd". When India defeated South Africa at the 2015 Cricket World Cup, Nitin Srivastava of the BBC noted: "MCG has erupted with "Vande Mataram" (the national song of India) and "Chak De India" (Go India!) slogans in the air! And there's no age barrier for cricket fans who came and enjoyed the match".


title: Chak De! India

text: In addition, the suspension of the Indian Hockey Federation in April 2008 also indicated the film's influence. "India Today" used the title to label the event in two articles, titled "Operation Chak De! impact: Jothikumaran resigns" and "Operation Chak De! impact: Furore in Lok Sabha". "The Indiatimes," in an article titled, "Five wise men set for a "Chak De!" act" also argued, "It looks like Indian hockey has done a real "Chak de" this time around". In addition, former hockey player Aslam Sher Khan, who was appointed by the Indian Olympic Association to head a committee which will replace the IHF, pointed to the film as a model to work towards. He stated in an interview, "We have to make a Team India as you have seen in Bollywood blockbuster "Chak De! India." There are players from several parts of the country. We have to unite them to make a powerful force." In another interview, he emphasised that he wants "to create a "Chak De" effect" on hockey in India.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Wilhelm Franz Canaris (1 January 1887 – 9 April 1945) was a German admiral and the chief of the "Abwehr" (the German military-intelligence service) from 1935 to 1944. Canaris was initially a supporter of Adolf Hitler, and the Nazi regime. However, following the German invasion of Poland in 1939, Canaris turned against Hitler and committed acts of both passive and active resistance during the war.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Being the head of Nazi Germany's military-intelligence agency, he was in a key position to participate in resistance. As the war turned against Germany, Canaris and other military officers expanded their clandestine opposition to the leadership of Nazi Germany. By 1945, his acts of resistance and sabotage against the Nazi regime came to light and Canaris was executed in Flossenbürg concentration camp for high treason as the Allied forces advanced through Southern Germany.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Canaris was born on 1 January 1887 in Aplerbeck (now a part of Dortmund) in Westphalia, the son of Carl Canaris, a wealthy industrialist, and his wife, Auguste (née Popp). Canaris believed that his family was related to the 19th-century Greek admiral and politician Konstantinos Kanaris, a belief that influenced his decision to join the Imperial German Navy.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: On a visit to Corfu, he was given a portrait of the Greek hero, which he always kept in his office. However, according to Richard Bassett, a genealogical investigation in 1938 revealed that his family was actually of Northern Italian descent, was originally Canarisi, and had lived in Germany since the 17th century. His grandfather had converted from Catholicism to Lutheranism.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: In 1905, at the age of 18, Canaris joined the Imperial Navy and, by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, was serving as a naval intelligence officer on board the SMS "Dresden", a light cruiser to which he had been assigned in December 1911. This was the only warship that managed to evade the Royal Navy for a prolonged period during the Battle of the Falkland Islands of December 1914, largely because of Canaris's skilful evasion tactics.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: After the Battle of Más a Tierra, the immobilized "Dresden" anchored in Cumberland Bay, Robinson Crusoe Island and contacted Chile with regard to internment. While in the bay, Royal Navy ships approached and shelled the "Dresden". The crew scuttled the ship. Most of the crew was interned in Chile in March 1915, but in August 1915, Canaris escaped by using his fluency in Spanish. With the help of some German merchants he was able to return to Germany in October 1915. On the way, he called at several ports, including Plymouth in Great Britain.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Canaris was then given intelligence work as a result of having come to the attention of German naval intelligence, possibly because of his clever escape from Chile. German plans to establish intelligence operations in the Mediterranean were under way and Canaris seemed a good fit for that role. Eventually, he was sent to Spain, where, in Madrid, his task was to provide clandestine reconnaissance over enemy shipping movements and to establish a supply service for U-boats serving in the Mediterranean. After being assigned to the Inspectorate of Submarines by the Naval Staff on 24 October 1916, he took up training for duty as a U-boat commander and graduated from Submarine School on 11 September 1917.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: He ended the war as a U-boat commander from late 1917 in the Mediterranean and was credited with a number of sinkings and even came to the attention of the Kaiser. As a result of his exploits in Spain, he was awarded the Iron Cross First Class.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Canaris spoke six languages, including English, fluently. As a naval officer of the old school, he had a great respect for Britain's Royal Navy, despite the rivalry between the two nations.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: During the German Revolution of 1918–19, Canaris helped organise the formation of "Freikorps" paramilitary units to suppress the communist revolutionary movements, which were attempting to spread the ideals of the Russian Revolution into Central European nations. He was a member of the military court that tried and in many cases acquitted those involved in the murders of the leftist revolutionaries Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg for their involvement in the Spartacist uprising. He was also appointed to the adjutancy of Defence Minister Gustav Noske.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: In the spring of 1924, Canaris was sent to Osaka, Japan, to supervise a secret U-boat construction program in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles. When that project was shelved by Vice Admiral Adolf Zenker in favour of a more co-operative relationship with the British, Canaris began making deals. Aided by the son of a powerful German shipping magnate, Captain Walter Lohmann, they negotiated with Spanish merchants, German industrialists, some Argentinian venture capitalists and the Spanish Navy so the Germans could continue their clandestine naval activities.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Unfortunately for Canaris, he made some enemies within Germany during the course of his secret business and intelligence negotiations, partially as a consequence of the bankruptcy incurred by the film-maker Phoebus Film in his dealings with Lohmann. Suddenly, the former involvement with the "Liebknecht affair" re-emerged and placed Canaris in an unfavourable light, which ended up costing him his position in Spain. Instead, he was sent to Wilhelmshaven.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: From his new post, Canaris haplessly discovered that Lohmann's "investments" had cost upwards of 26 billion marks in total losses. At some point in 1928, Canaris was removed from his intelligence post and began two years of conventional naval service aboard the pre-Dreadnought battleship "Schlesien" and became captain of the vessel on 1 December 1932. Just two months later, Adolf Hitler became Germany's new chancellor. Canaris was enthused by that development and was known to give lectures about the virtues of Nazism to his crew aboard the "Schlesien".


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Detached from the previous government of Weimar, whose republican principles never appealed to Canaris, he looked to the Nazi Party to shape the future. Two things stood out for Canaris about the Nazis; they represented a return to state-centered authoritarian government led by a charismatic leader, which he supported, and they were determined to throw off the shackles of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler proselytised a return to world-power status, which for Canaris implied constructing a super-fleet, by the preservation of a virtuous soldier-based society, a "community under arms". It is worth recalling that the turmoil after the First World War in Germany, while the Weimar government was fledgling, Canaris helped establish home guard units in contravention of the treaty, sympathised with the "Freikorps" movement and participated in the Kapp Putsch.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Another aspect of the Nazis that attracted Canaris was their anticommunism. Many of his friends joined the Nazi crusade, and Canaris "likewise came to be regarded as an enthusiastic National Socialist". A former SS general, Werner Best, once described Canaris as an "inveterate nationalist" and correspondingly asserted that Canaris felt the Nazis were much better "than anything that had gone before". Even after the Night of the Long Knives, Canaris "preached wholehearted cooperation with the new regime". Canaris once said, "we officers... should always recognize that without the Führer and his NSDAP, the restoration of German military greatness and military strength would not have been possible... the officer's duty is to be a living example of National Socialism and make the German Wehrmacht (armed forces) reflect the fulfillment of National Socialist ideology. That must be our grand design".


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Taking a position as the fortress commander at Swinemünde on 29 September 1934, Canaris seemed to be near the end of his career as he settled into a sort of "provincial exile" with his family. Then, in short order, Canaris caught wind of the dispute in the Reichswehr Ministry over the impending successor to the "Abwehr" chief Captain Conrad Patzig, who was forced to resign. Patzig recommended Canaris as his replacement because of his outstanding service record and because he considered him best suited for the position from his previous experience in intelligence operations. His aspirations were quickly being realized, and in his zeal for his new job, Canaris paid "little heed" to the warnings from Patzig about the "fiendish" machinations of the party and its police organs. The admonitions principally concerned Reinhard Heydrich, the head of the SS intelligence service known as the "Sicherheitsdienst" (SD) who was not well-disposed towards the "Abwehr" since he believed that Germany's defeat during the First World War was attributable to military intelligence failures by the organization. Moreover, Heydrich had aspirations to oversee all aspects of political intelligence-gathering for Germany.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: On 1 January 1935, a little less than two years after Hitler had taken control of the German government, Canaris was made head of the "Abwehr", Germany's official military intelligence agency. Records suggest that Canaris was approved in his role as "Abwehr" chief as a compromise candidate since the commander-in-chief of the German navy, Admiral Erich Raeder, a staunch navy man, was initially opposed to his appointment but caved when Patzig manipulated the situation by suggesting an army officer for the post if Canaris was rejected.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: With the seemingly-amicable relationship between Heydrich and Canaris that then existed, according to former "Abwehr" Secretary Inge Haag, it is possible that Heydrich supported the installment of Canaris as head of the "Abwehr" at least based on their behaviour toward each other. The two remained "friendly" rivals, but Canaris considered Heydrich a "brutal fanatic" and was likewise aware that Heydrich's SD constantly monitored the telephone traffic of the "Abwehr". Heydrich was suspicious of Canaris, referred to him as a "wily old fox" cautioned his colleagues never to underestimate the man.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Just a few weeks into his role as head of the "Abwehr", Canaris met with Heydrich and some of his officials to parcel out intelligence operations between the "Abwehr", Gestapo, and SD. It is clear from sources that Canaris was then a true devotee to Hitler according to a former Gestapo officer, Gerhard Fischer, who claimed that the Führer's gentlemanly relationship with Canaris converted the latter into "an extreme exponent of Hitlerism."


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: In May 1935, Canaris first donned the uniform of a rear admiral, a promotion that coincided with his responsibility for shielding Germany's burgeoning rearmament program from enemy counterintelligence agents, which meant a significant expansion of the "Abwehr". The enlargement of the "Abwehr" mission brought Canaris into contact with "counterespionage virtuoso" Major Rudolf Bamler, who assisted him in establishing an extensive surveillance web over munitions factories, seaports, the armed forces and the media. Between 1935 and 1937, Canaris expanded the "Abwehr" staff from a mere 150 people to nearly 1,000. He met Heydrich again on 21 December 1936, and the two men signed a document, which came to be known in their orbit as the "Ten Commandments". The agreement clarified the respective areas of counterespionage responsibilities between the Gestapo and the "Abwehr".


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: According to the biographer Heinz Höhne, Canaris subscribed to most of Hitler's views since Hitler's nationalism, his social-Darwinist beliefs, his opposition to the Versailles Treaty, his belief in rebuilding a Greater German Reich, and his anti-Semitic ideology appealed to the "Abwehr" chief. Prompted by anti-Semitism, Canaris first suggested the use of the Star of David to identify Jews in 1935 to 1936, which set them apart from German citizens within the Reich, heralded their isolation, presaged their compulsory resettlement and ultimately led to their physical annihilation.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: During the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), Germany signed an international agreement to embargo arms to the warring factions, the Nationalists, led by Francisco Franco, and the Republicans. In fact, Germany provided aid to Franco's side, with Canaris using his contacts at England's Vickers armaments manufacturing company to help supply the Nationalists with weapons.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: One month before Hitler's annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, Canaris put the "Abwehr" into action and personally oversaw deception operations, which were designed to give the Austrians the impression of what appeared to be substantial German military preparations for an impending act of aggression. However, the sham action did not move Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg, who was forced to resign when German troops marched into Austria, which was followed by its official annexation into Greater Germany ("Grossdeutschland") on 13 March 1938.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: At that development, however, Canaris began spending more and more time in the company of Hans Oster and also began formulating ways to forestall or prevent a European war. Among the first to arrive in Vienna, Canaris had a special team seize records from the Austrian archives since he feared possible references to his Spanish Civil War arms supplier connections in London. He also absorbed as much of the Austrian intelligence service as he could into the "Abwehr" while he avoided those who were already Nazi converts.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Canaris was disturbed by Hitler's intention to absorb Czechoslovakia as were others, who feared another European war. That resulted in the formation of a conspiratorial group consisting of members of the German Foreign Office and ranking members of the military. The assemblage included General Ludwig Beck, the Foreign Office's state secretary Ernst von Weizsäcker, General Erwin von Witzleben and Admiral Canaris.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Canaris and his associates were not necessarily committed to the overthrow of Hitler's regime, but they were loosely allied to another more radical group: the "anti-Nazi" faction, led by Colonel Hans Oster and Hans Bernd Gisevius, which wanted to use the crisis as an excuse for executing a "putsch" to overthrow the Nazi regime. The most audacious plan contemplated by Canaris, in collaboration with Ewald von Kleist-Schmenzin, was to capture and to unseat Hitler and the entire Nazi Party before the invasion of Czechoslovakia. At that particular moment, Kleist visited Britain secretly and discussed the situation with British MI6 and some high-ranking politicians. There, the name of Canaris became widely known as Kleist's executive hand in the event of an anti-Nazi plot.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: The high-ranking German military leaders believed that if Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia or any other country, Britain would declare war on Germany. MI6 was of the same opinion. The British declaration of war would have given the General Staff, it thought, both the pretext and the support for an overthrow of Hitler, which many of them were planning because of the prevailing "anti-war sentiment of the German people".


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: The reaction of the British government to Hitler's demands on the Sudetenland was more cautious. At a meeting with Hitler in Munich, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier chose diplomacy over war. The Munich Agreement was thus a severe disappointment for Kleist and Canaris. It gave Hitler's reputation an important boost and his popularity soared, as he appeared to have brought peace. However, Hitler was scornful of his generals for resisting his plans since he had wanted war. Hermann Göring fell out of favour with him for negotiating peace, but Hitler's drive for war remained unabated although the Western powers had granted him concessions. Canaris was relieved that war was averted and sought to re-establish contact with Hitler since many of the "Abwehr" reports submitted on the Sudeten crisis had proven to be grossly inaccurate. To Oster and his circle, Canaris suddenly appeared recommitted to Hitler.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: In January 1939, Canaris manufactured the "Dutch War Scare", which gripped the British government. By 23 January 1939, the British government received information that Germany intended to invade the Netherlands in February 1939 with the aim of using Dutch airfields to launch a strategic bombing offensive intended to achieve a "knock-out" blow against Britain by razing British cities to the ground. All of that information was false but was intended by Canaris to achieve a change in British foreign policy. Canaris was successful, and the "Dutch War Scare" played a major role in causing Chamberlain to make the "continental commitment" by pledging in February 1939 to send a British ground force to the defence of France in the event of war.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: In 1937, Canaris created a new office of air intelligence in the "Abwehr" and assigned "Hauptmann" Nikolaus Ritter of the Luftwaffe to be the chief of I. Luft (Chief of Air Intelligence). Ritter, who had lived in the United States for twelve years, was given primary authority over "Abwehr" agents operating in the Americas and Britain. Canaris instructed Ritter to contact a former spymaster living in New York whom he knew from the First World War, Fritz Joubert Duquesne. Back in 1931, Ritter had met Duquesne in New York, and both spies reconnected in New York on 3 December 1937. Ritter also met with Herman W. Lang, a spy who operated under the code name PAUL.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Herman Lang worked as a machinist, draftsman and assembly inspector for the Carl L. Norden Company in New York, which had been contracted to manufacture an advanced top-secret military bomber part, the Norden bomb-sight. He provided the "Abwehr" a large drawing of the bomb-sight and later went to Germany to work on and finish an improved version. In Germany, Lang met with Canaris and Göring. Ritter employed several other successful agents across the United States, but he also made the mistake of recruiting a man who would later become a double agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), William Sebold.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: On 8 February 1940, Ritter sent Sebold to New York under the alias of Harry Sawyer and instructed him to set up a shortwave radio-transmitting station to establish contact with the German shortwave station abroad. Sebold was also instructed to use the codename TRAMP and to contact a fellow agent, codenamed DUNN, Fritz Duquesne.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: On 28 June 1941, after a two-year investigation, the FBI arrested Duquesne and 32 other Nazi spies on charges of relaying secret information on US weaponry and shipping movements to Germany. On 2 January 1942, less than a month after the US attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor and Germany had declared war on the United States, the 33 members of the Duquesne Spy Ring were sentenced to serve a total of more than 300 years in prison. They were found guilty in what historian Peter Duffy said in 2014 is "still to this day the largest espionage case in the history of the United States".


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: One German spymaster later commented that the ring's roundup delivered "the death blow" to their espionage efforts in the United States. J. Edgar Hoover called his FBI swoop on Duquesne's ring the greatest spy roundup in US history. In a 1942 memo to his superiors, Canaris reported on the importance of several of his captured spies by noting their valued contributions, and he wrote that Duquesne had "delivered valuable reports and important technical material in the original, including U.S. gas masks, radio-controlled apparatus, leak proof fuel tanks, television instruments, small bombs for airplanes versus airplanes, air separator, and propeller-driving mechanisms. Items delivered were labeled 'valuable', and several 'good' and 'very good'".


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: After the outbreak of war between Germany and Poland in September 1939, Canaris visited the front, where he saw the devastation rendered by the German military. Seeing Warsaw in flames nearly brought him to tears and it was reported that he exclaimed, "our children's children will have to bear the blame for this". He also witnessed examples of the war crimes committed by the "Einsatzgruppen" of the SS, including the burning of the synagogue in Będzin with 200 Polish Jews inside. Moreover, he received reports from "Abwehr" agents about several incidents of mass murder throughout Poland. Canaris visited Hitler's headquarters train on 12 September 1939, then in the Province of Silesia, to register his objection to the atrocities. Canaris told chief of the "Oberkommando der Wehrmacht" (OKW, Supreme Command of the Armed Forces) Wilhelm Keitel about the "extensive shootings... and that the nobility and clergy were to be exterminated" to which Keitel informed him that Hitler had already "decided" the matter. Keitel warned Canaris to go no further with his protest, as the detailed plan of atrocities came directly from Hitler.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Canaris began working more actively to overthrow Hitler's regime but he co-operated with the SD to create a decoy. That made it possible for him to pose as a trusted man for some time. He was promoted to the rank of full admiral in January 1940. With his subordinate Erwin Lahousen, he attempted in the autumn of 1940 to form a circle of like-minded Wehrmacht officers, but that had little success at the time. When the OKW decrees regarding the brutal treatment of Soviet prisoners of war related to the Commissar Order came to the attention of Canaris in mid-September 1941, he registered another complaint. Keitel reminded Canaris that he was thinking in terms of "chivalrous war", which did not apply, since it was "a matter of destroying a world ideology".


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Meanwhile, the complaints and Canaris's apparent squeamishness were noted by Heydrich and added to his file on the "political unreliability" of the "Abwehr". Canaris also worked to thwart the proposed Operation Felix, the German plan to seize Gibraltar.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: At a conference of senior officers in Berlin, in December 1941, Canaris is quoted as saying that "the "Abwehr" has nothing to do with the persecution of Jews... no concern of ours, we hold ourselves aloof from it".


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Canaris had a sexual relationship with a Polish spy based in Switzerland, Halina Szymanska, who passed information from him to the Polish government-in-exile based in London and also put her at the disposal of the British and Americans, including Allen Dulles. A key piece of intelligence that passed from Canaris via Szymanska to the Allies was advance warning of the launch of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: The head of MI6, Stewart Menzies, who shared Canaris' anticommunism, praised Canaris' courage and bravery at the end of the war. In December 1940, Hitler sent Canaris to Spain to conclude an agreement, through strong coercion if necessary, with Franco for Spanish support in the war against the Allies, but instead of prompting him to acquiesce to Hitler's desire, Canaris reported that Franco would not commit Spanish forces until Britain had been defeated. Conversations from the period between Franco and Canaris remain a mystery since none was recorded, but the Spanish government later expressed gratitude to the widow of Canaris after the Second World War by paying her a pension.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: In June 1942, Canaris sent eight "Abwehr" agents to the East Coast of the United States as part of Operation Pastorius. The mission was to sabotage American economic targets and demoralise the US civilian population. However, two weeks later, all were arrested by the FBI thanks to two "Abwehr" agents who betrayed the mission. Because the "Abwehr" agents were arrested in civilian clothes, they were subject to court martial by a military tribunal in Washington, DC. All were found guilty and sentenced to death. Two others who co-operated with the FBI received sentences of life imprisonment instead. The others were executed by the electric chair in the District of Columbia jail. The embarrassing failure of Operation Pastorius caused no further sabotage attempts in the United States.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: After 1942, Canaris visited Spain frequently and was probably in contact with British agents from Gibraltar. In 1943, in occupied France, Canaris is said to have made contact with British agents. In Paris, he was conducted blindfolded to the Convent of the Nuns of the Passion of Our Blessed Lord, 127 Rue de la Santé, where he met the local head of the British Intelligence Services, codenamed "Jade Amicol", who was in reality Colonel Claude Olivier. Canaris wanted to know the terms for peace if Germany got rid of Hitler. Churchill's reply, sent to him two weeks later, was simple: "Unconditional surrender".


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: During Heydrich's posting in Prague, a serious incident put him and Canaris in open conflict. Heydrich requested for Canaris to put the "Abwehr" under SD and SS control. Canaris appeared to retreat and handled the situation diplomatically, but there was no immediate effect on the "Abwehr" for the time being. In fact, Canaris had established another two links with MI6, one via Zürich and the other via Spain and Gibraltar. It is also possible that Vatican contacts provided a third route to his British counterparts.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Canaris also intervened to save a number of victims from Nazi persecution, including Jews, by getting them out of harm's way. He was instrumental, for example, in getting 500 Dutch Jews to safety in May 1941. Many such people were given token training as "Abwehr" "agents" and then issued papers, which allowed them to leave Germany. One notable person he is said to have assisted was the then Lubavitcher Rebbe in Warsaw, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn. That has led Chabad Lubavitch to campaign for his recognition as a Righteous Gentile by the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: The evidence that Canaris was playing a double game grew, and at the insistence of Heinrich Himmler, Hitler dismissed Canaris and abolished the in February 1944. Its functions were taken over by the , part of the Reich Security Main Office and led by SS- Walter Schellenberg. Previous areas that had been the responsibility of the were divided between Gestapo chief Heinrich Müller and Schellenberg. Some weeks later, Canaris was put under house arrest. He was released in June 1944 to take up a post in Berlin as the head of the Special Staff for Mercantile Warfare and Economic Combat Measures (HWK), which co-ordinated the resistance to the Allied economic blockade of Germany.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Canaris was arrested on 23 July 1944 on the basis of the interrogation of his successor at Military Intelligence, Georg Hansen. Schellenberg respected Canaris and was convinced of his loyalty to the Nazi regime even though he had been arrested. Hansen admitted his role in the 20 July plot but accused Canaris of being its "spiritual instigator". No direct evidence of his involvement in the plot was discovered, but his close association with many of the plotters and certain documents written by him that were considered subversive led to the gradual assumption of his guilt. Two of the men under suspicion as conspirators who were known in Canaris's circle shot themselves, which incited activity from the Gestapo to prove he was at the very least privy to the plan against Hitler.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Investigations dragged on inconclusively until April 1945, when orders were received to dispose of the various remaining prisoners of the plot. Canaris's personal diary was discovered and presented to Hitler in early April 1945, which implicated him in the conspiracy. Canaris was placed on trial by an SS summary court, presided over by Otto Thorbeck with Walter Huppenkothen as prosecutor. He was charged with treason, convicted, and sentenced to death. Together with his deputy general, Hans Oster, the military jurist General Karl Sack, the theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and military officer Ludwig Gehre, Canaris was humiliated before witnesses. Canaris was led to the gallows naked and executed on 9 April at the Flossenbürg concentration camp, just weeks before the end of the European war.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: A prisoner claimed to have heard Canaris tap out a coded message on the wall of his cell on the night before his execution in which he denied he was a traitor and said that he had acted out of duty to his country.


title: Wilhelm Canaris

text: Erwin von Lahousen and Hans Bernd Gisevius, two of Canaris's main subordinates, survived the war and testified during the Nuremberg trials about Canaris's courage in opposing Hitler. Lahousen recalled a conversation between Canaris and General Wilhelm Keitel in which Canaris warned Keitel that the German military would be held responsible for the atrocities in Poland. Keitel responded that they had been ordered by Hitler. Keitel, who survived the war, was found guilty of war crimes at Nuremberg and hanged.


title: Vincent Regan

text: Vincent Regan (born 16 May 1965) is a British film and television actor, best known for his roles in "300", "Troy", "Unleashed", "Clash of the Titans" and "Lockout".


title: Vincent Regan

text: Regan was born on 16 May 1965 in Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales, UK, the son of Irish immigrants. As a youth, he moved to Ireland with his parents, but moved to England and attended St Joseph's College, Ipswich, Suffolk, before attending the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in London.


title: Vincent Regan

text: Regan first came on UK TV screens in series 5 (1992) of LWT's "London's Burning", playing Don, the love interest of Firefighter Kate Stevens (Samantha Beckinsale). That same year he played PC Shelby alongside Sir David Jason’s DI Jack Frost in the (TV series) [A Touch of Frost]


title: Vincent Regan

text: Regan has over 15 stage roles to his credit, most recently as Achilles in "Troilus and Cressida" at the Edinburgh International Festival. In association with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the festival presented director Peter Stein's strongly cast and visually striking production. He is best known for Ancient Greece-based films "300", in which he played the Captain, "Troy", where he played Eudorus, Achilles' second in command, and "Clash of the Titans", in which he played King Cepheus.