Compared with the successful capture of Anshan, the battle of the Second Parachute Division, which was airborne at Benxi Lake at the same time as the First Parachute Division, was far from easy. The airborne operations in the entire Benxi area were extremely cruel and bloody. It was a hard battle.
Although the combat objectives were achieved, the Second Parachute Division that participated in the battle also suffered heavy casualties, and it took more than half a year to rest and recover.
Compared with Anshan, Benxi does not have an airport. You can only parachute but cannot land by air. In Benxi, because it happens to be on the Anfeng railway line, it is a key garrison target of the Third Army of the Kwantung Army. There are more than one Japanese army here.
It is an independent garrison, but a whole reinforced regiment, plus a large number of military station guards and some small independent combat units. There is even a tank squadron here.
Although at the time of the airborne landing, the main force of the Japanese troops around Benxi was fighting fiercely with Wang Xiaoming's vanguard troops in the small cities and alkali plants to the east. However, at the time of the airborne landing, the Japanese troops in Benxi City still had considerable strength. In addition, in order to ensure the Anfeng Railway
The security, anti-aircraft firepower and alertness of the Japanese army in this direction are not comparable to those of Anshan, which is a mess.
The most important thing is that Benxi is a completely mountainous terrain. Benxi Lake, a city of coal and steel, is located on a small mountain plain. There are mountains on both sides of the city, and the entire terrain is similar to the entire city of Anshan.
The basically plain terrain is incomparable. Moreover, Benxi Lake is not only located in a mountainous area, but the urban area also has a north-south Taizi River with a considerable amount of water.
Anshan also has mountains, and even Qianshan, which is famous all over the Northeast, otherwise it would not be called Anshan. But the mountainous terrain of Anshan is to the east of the city and to the south of Anshan. The area where Showa Steel is located is basically a plain.
Zone. The mountainous terrain and climate where Benxi Lake is located are not comparable to those of the plains.
In particular, the wind direction in mountainous areas is far from comparable to that in plain areas. Although the Second Parachute Division specially practiced parachuting in mountainous terrain before the war, and formulated a series of tactics based on the terrain of Benxi Lake. But this airborne operation,
The Second Parachute Division still suffered heavy casualties.
In fact, the battle to seize Benxi Lake did not go smoothly from the beginning. The Japanese troops here were regular troops after all, and their vigilance was far from comparable to that of the newly formed garrison units in Anshan. Special reconnaissance to penetrate Benxi Lake
Under the tight guard of the Japanese army, the troops spent a lot of effort to take advantage of the main force of the Japanese army in Benxi Lake, whose attention was attracted by the battlefield to the east, and penetrate into the surrounding area of Benxi Lake city.
Around Benxi Lake, the Japanese army's security was too tight. On the hills overlooking the entire urban area on both sides of the Taizi River, there were bunkers built by the Japanese army everywhere, as well as a large number of anti-aircraft gun bunkers. The anti-aircraft gunners inside were on duty.
The personnel are also very vigilant.
Not only were a large number of light and dark sentries arranged between each bunker, but patrols equipped with military dogs were also arranged. Large-scale barbed wire fences were built around some important targets. At present, there is not yet a county-sized urban area in the future, and almost all key
Searchlights are installed everywhere.
Faced with this situation, it is not an easy task to take down the radar station in the north and designate targets for the upcoming airdrop without alerting the enemy as much as possible. Because leading the team
The anti-alliance commander who conducted the infiltration did not know where to place the airborne area for a while.
The Japanese army relied on the entire Benxihu City area to rely on the surrounding mountains, turning this small town, which is not very big at the moment, almost into a fire hedgehog. The firepower on the mountains on both sides can not only directly control the entry and exit along the Anfeng Railway, but also
The best passage in Benxihu City, it can also control the entire city.
Once the airborne location is chosen incorrectly, it will have devastating consequences for the troops participating in the airborne. If the airborne area is chosen to be on the east and west sides of Benxi Lake, then there will be little loss during the airborne process. But in the face of
With the firepower of the Japanese fortifications on the mountains on both flanks, the airborne troops with only light weapons would not gain anything good.
After some hesitation, the commander who led the team decided to report the general situation of the entire Benxi that he touched, and at the same time, first remove the radar station on the mountain on the north side of Benxi Lake. As for the airborne area, let the superiors decide. But
The battle to seize the radar station was also quite difficult.
Because of its important location, this radar station has obviously become a key area controlled by the Japanese army. Its location is exactly in the core area of the Japanese defense system in the north of the city. What is even more troublesome is that in addition to the passage in and out, this radar station is not only surrounded by
The barbed wire fence was covered with alarm cans and a large number of mines were laid, which undoubtedly greatly increased the difficulty of the battle.
Not to mention how to quietly infiltrate the radar station, the Japanese reinforcements at the foot of the mountain would probably be quite fast as soon as the gunshots were fired. But watch the time on the watch go by minute by minute.
However, knowing that there was not much time left for him, the commander gritted his teeth and divided his two squadrons into two.
One unit used the cover of night to infiltrate the predetermined airdrop site and prepare to guide the paratroopers to land. The other unit was personally commanded by himself to blow up the radar station that happened to control the airspace north of Benxi and attract the attention of the Japanese troops in Benxi Lake City.
, to cover and guide the team.
The squadron he led was divided into three groups. He led a small group directly into the radar station, and the other two teams were responsible for cleaning up the Japanese military fortifications around the radar station. He repeatedly warned that if they could be solved with silent pistols and hand crossbows, then
Try not to shoot if possible. But once you do, blow up the radar station at all costs.
After briefly explaining his combat plan, the commander led the team without any hesitation and immediately led the troops secretly to the top of the mountain where the Japanese radar station was located. Using silent pistols and hand crossbows, he quickly solved the problem at the foot of the mountain.
The Japanese troops inside the fortifications immediately divided into three groups, and under the cover of the troops clearing the Japanese fortification groups on both wings, they rushed towards the Japanese radar station on the hilltop as quickly as possible.
But just when they saw the face of the Japanese sentry at the radar station, their luck came to an end. Several crisp gunshots suddenly sounded at the foot of the mountain, indicating that the Japanese corpses had been found in the fortifications they had cleared at the foot of the mountain.
And as these gunshots rang out, the radar station suddenly turned on its searchlight, illuminating the entire hillside.
In several machine gun fortifications outside the radar station, several cross-firing machine guns were fired without warning, blocking the upward attack route of the infiltration troops. Faced with the change in the situation, he knew that he would not have much time left to lead the team.
The commander simply stopped using infiltration tactics and immediately launched a strong attack under the cover of the snipers behind him.
The sniper took the lead in knocking down the Japanese searchlight, and at the same time used a rocket launcher to directly knock out the Japanese machine gun fortifications. He then commanded the troops and used a tactical team to attack the Japanese radar station. Using all the firepower in his hands, he defeated the Japanese at the radar station.
A small team captured the radar station immediately.
But even though the crucial radar station was captured immediately, the sound of the gunfire was like stabbing an ant's nest. The extremely fast counterattack speed of the surrounding Japanese troops put the troops participating in the infiltration under tremendous pressure.
The secret artillery group deployed by the Japanese army on the south bank of the Taizi River also fired the shells into the North Mountain at the first time.
Especially the several flat-firing twin 25mm anti-aircraft guns deployed by the Japanese army on Nanshan Mountain. They were so suppressed that they couldn't even lift their heads. Although the performance of this Japanese-made anti-aircraft gun was mediocre, it performed well in anti-air combat.
It's quite inferior. But when shot horizontally, its power is quite astonishing.
Because of their industrial importance in Japan's entire war system, Anshan and Benxi are key air defense sites for the Japanese army. Although there are basically no bombs dropped except for military targets in this area, the Japanese army still deploys a large number of anti-aircraft guns.
and air defense warning radar.
From 13mm anti-aircraft machine guns to triple 25mm anti-aircraft guns. From 75mm anti-aircraft guns to 105mm heavy anti-aircraft guns, the firepower is quite complete. Although these anti-aircraft guns are currently in anti-air combat,
It didn't take much time to use. But it showed a lot of power in suppressing the ground infiltration troops.
The level-firing power of these twin-mounted anti-aircraft guns posed a considerable threat to the capture of the radar station. Facing these anti-aircraft guns, the attacking troops were faced with the situation of being unable to hit and out of reach. At one time, these twin-mounted anti-aircraft guns were out of reach.
The anti-aircraft artillery and suppressive forces can't even raise their heads.
Although the radar station was finally captured first, one of the attacking teams suffered two-thirds casualties. Almost all of these casualties were on the surrounding hills. Guided by a large number of searchlights and flares, the attack was accurate and ruthless.
The anti-aircraft artillery brought about. On the contrary, when it came to defending against Japanese counterattacks, there were not too many difficulties.
Although the infiltration troops captured and blew up the radar station immediately, a large number of Japanese troops quickly encircled them and tightly blocked them, supported by these anti-aircraft guns, as well as the 92 infantry artillery and 41-type mountain artillery fired from the opposite mountain.
As a result, they lost the chance to break out and were forced to be trapped on the hilltop where the radar station was located.
There was no other way. The searchlights swept over by the surrounding Japanese troops, coupled with the continuous firing of a large number of flares, illuminated the hilltop where the radar station was located. The surrounding Japanese troops also continued to provide rapid reinforcements. In a short time, the mountain was completely destroyed.
The thing surrounding it looked like an iron barrel.
This small radar station of the Japanese army was like a magnet, quickly attracting the Japanese troops in the area north of the Taizi River in Benxi Lake to the surrounding areas of Benxi Hubei Mountain. The loss of the radar station caused the Japanese troops under Benxi Lake City to also
I'm alert. Where is the radar station? It's dedicated to air surveillance.
At this time, the enemy's real purpose of seizing the radar station is probably far from what it seems on the surface, which is as simple as seizing a commanding height. Once this radar station, which controls the entire airspace around Benxi, is knocked out of the entire Benxi area air defense, it will be
There are irreparable loopholes.
The Anti-Japanese Alliance's attack on the radar station at this time definitely had ulterior motives in the eyes of the Japanese army. After all, they were regular Japanese field troops, and their ability to judge the war was far beyond those of the no-name garrison. Although I don't know the next step of the Anti-Japanese Alliance
What to do, but the Japanese defenders immediately adjusted their troop deployment.
The original troops were gathered together and prepared for reinforcements to the north. They were immediately organized into squadrons and deployed to various key points in Benxi Lake City. Troops were also dispatched to tightly control the iron bridge on the Taizi River and several Benxi Lake Railway Stations.
Key points. The entire deployment situation relies on various streets in Benxihu City to achieve decentralized deployment, but it can also be quickly centralized when needed.
In addition to the troops on the front line in the north, the Nanfen Iron Mine garrison was also quickly transferred back to the city. Two squadrons were also mobilized to be used as mobile troops to deal with accidents on the battlefield. The entire Japanese army deployment was adjusted.
Soon, most of the adjustments were in place before the Second Parachute Division airborne.