However, before he was demobbed, he was drafted on duty aboard another mine sweeper with responsibility for clearing the inshore minefields between Boulogne and Dieppe off the French coast.

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Moppers rotate into the six-sweeper rotation, aiming to turn the three mops on either side into one continuous mop.

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The sweeper returned to Germany and continued to perform - going on to be voted 1999 German footballer of the year.

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