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Crates, department can be side, lin can be ravine (=chine) and e for base

Solvers - clues 12, 33 and 9 have bracket numbers that relate to the anwer length not entry length. Hope this may help anyone not yet completed.

I was initially unsure about the terms used in the preamble - thematic word and thematic answer. However if there had been a thematic answer for the ninth state, it appears to be two words (according to Chambers) so that cleared up any confusion I had. Also the title and highlighted instruction clinched it for Me........

Thanks Meursault. As I said a blind spot. Presumed it was chine as the misprint, but failed to see lin (as this or linn has cropped up in other crosswords for 'waterfall' when checking didn't read further definition). Unforgiveable!.

So is the view that the ninth word is 5 letters or 8? I'd incline to 8....

Greengage, please excuse the time lag. Definitely 8. A ship with the same name was the site of a famous surrender.