Although before the paratrooper division was airborne, after receiving reports from reconnaissance units at the front. Before the airborne operation began, the air force dispatched a number of bombers to launch a carpet bombing of the entire mountainous area around Benxi Lake and the identified firing points and fortification groups.

A large number of high-explosive and napalm bombs were used to clear the two mountainous areas in the north and south of the Benxi Lake urban area, as well as the antiaircraft artillery positions that had been identified. However, as an important stronghold on the Anbong Railway, the Japanese army's fortifications at Benxi Lake were built quite strongly.

Most of the fortifications on the mountains on both sides of Benxi Lake are semi-underground fortifications built according to the mountains. Some still rely on the abundant power resources in the Benxi Lake area and install electric lifts. In addition, a large number of fortifications were built not only on the periphery, but also on the inside of the surrounding mountains, considering the need for street fighting.

The main core fortifications are covered with five layers of iron plates plus more than two layers of pine wood. Bombs under 200 kg cannot be destroyed at all unless they are hit continuously. And it is impossible for a bomber to stay in the air all the time on a group of permanent fortifications, and it is impossible for all bombs to hit a group of permanent fortifications in a row.

Although they encountered intensive bombardment and destroyed a considerable part of the surface fortifications in the north and south mountains, the main body of these fortifications did not suffer much damage. Especially those anti-aircraft artillery positions with electric lifts installed, at least half of them are intact. Napalm is very powerful, but it does not have much effect on those semi-underground fortifications.

When the 2nd Paratrooper Division began to parachute, the ground anti-aircraft fire that greeted them was still quite dense and accurate. In particular, during the entire airdrop process, the transport planes were constrained by the terrain and the need to be airborne, so they could only cross the urban area at an altitude of 500 meters from west to east, and fell into the firepower network deployed by the Japanese army in the mountains on the north and south sides.

Nearly two-thirds of the transport planes that took part in the airdrop to Benxi were temporarily converted from British-made Stirling bombers. Despite their thick skin, these bombers are much more resistant to beating than ordinary transport aircraft. The machine-gun shooters on the plane were also desperately firing at the mountains on both sides when the airdrop was being carried out, trying to suppress the dense fire from the mountains on both sides.

However, under the fire network composed of mountain firepower on both sides of the Japanese army, the losses were still not light when the airborne landing was carried out. Although the accompanying anti-coalition bomber group also suppressed the Japanese firepower points in the mountains on both sides with all their might when they landed in the air, they still could not completely stop the Japanese army's anti-aircraft firepower.

The 200-meter altitude required for airborne operations was also the best time for the Japanese army's ground firepower to be brought into play. The Japanese army deployed a well-echeloned anti-aircraft firepower network in the mountains on both sides and in the urban area of Benxi Lake. Let the anti-online group, which can only be airdropped between the two mountains, the loss is definitely not light.

In particular, the three-seven-millimeter anti-aircraft artillery is the best time for it to exert its firepower in this environment, and it will also do the greatest damage to the anti-online group participating in the airdrop. This mobile anti-aircraft gun, which has the best performance in the Japanese army, is coordinated by a large number of 20-mm anti-aircraft guns and several twin 25-mm anti-aircraft guns.

Ignoring the Blenheim light bomber group under the cover of the Anti-Japanese Union, the high-explosive bombs and rockets that were constantly being thrown were suppressed, and they desperately fired ammunition into the air. In the night sky of Benxi Lake in the early morning, there were ballistics brought out by a series of artillery shells fired by Japanese ground anti-aircraft fire clusters.

The first transport planes that entered the city from west to east at an altitude of 200 meters were shot down as soon as they entered the airdrop route. The paratroopers on the five planes had not yet left the plane, and fell to the ground along with the planes they were on. That is to say, the 2nd Paratrooper Division, which participated in the airborne, lost a company before it could land.

The rest of the planes, despite throwing paratroopers, were destroyed by two more C47 transport planes and one Stirling during the drop. After completing the airdrop, when the group was pulled up, two more planes were shot down by the Japanese army. This loss is definitely a considerable loss for the transport aviation of the United Nations.

On the ground, the platoon guns that the Japanese troops fired into the air, as well as the dense light and heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft machine guns, ignored the illumination provided by the searchlights of the anti-coalition air raids, giving the paratroopers in the air no room to fight back and could only be beaten passively before landing, which also brought heavy casualties.

A considerable number of paratroopers died in mid-air before they landed. Some paratroopers were killed by Japanese anti-aircraft machine guns and heavy machine guns firing from the back before they could even open their parachutes. Even those who were lucky enough to land safely were besieged by the Japanese army as soon as they landed.

The paratroopers of these ordinary combat units have not learned the high-jump low-jump parachute method of jumping off the carrier aircraft in the airspace of more than 2,000 meters and opening the parachute at an altitude of more than 100 meters, or even tens of meters. This airborne operation can only be carried out in accordance with the conventional parachute jump.

In order to ensure this airborne operation, the paratroopers were airdropped to the designated area as much as possible, and the casualties were reduced as much as possible. Although they knew that the mountains on both sides of Benxi were well known, the Japanese army had deployed a large amount of firepower. However, under the special terrain, the aviation units participating in the battle still chose to start the airborne landing at an altitude of 200 meters, so as to reduce the casualties of the paratroopers as much as possible. The Japanese army did not choose to increase the altitude of the airborne because of the dense ground firepower and the complex terrain.

And looking at his comrades-in-arms, they suffered heavy losses in the air under the intensive ground fire of the Japanese army. The fighter pilots who escorted the escort were all red-eyed, led by one of the captains who led the team. Except for a part left under air cover, the rest of the combat planes continued to hover over the mountains on both sides, regardless of the danger of hitting the mountains, and constantly fired at the Japanese troops who were constantly firing on the mountains on both sides with their machine guns and cannons.

The addition of the fighter group also reduced the pressure on the paratroopers. The on-board machine guns fired by these fighters played an even more powerful role in this situation than high-explosive bombs. Despite the cost of two fighters hitting a mountain and two fighters being shot down, the paratroopers were also given great assistance. To a certain extent, the fire withstood by the paratroopers was reduced.

Although the paratroopers suffered heavy casualties during the landing process, they were also killed and wounded by intensive fire on the ground. But in their aviation comrades, it can almost be said that they did not care about the killing and wounding of Japanese artillery fire on both flanks. Risking death lowered the flight altitude to minimize the time they spent in the air, and the fighter unit was protected by desperate cover.

The casualties of the first airborne troops, although heavy, were far from fatal. However, although the losses of the troops are basically within the expected range, the losses of the cadres are not small. The commander of the four paratrooper regiments of the first two airborne regiments was hit by Japanese anti-aircraft fire and died when he jumped out of the plane.

The deputy political commissar of the Fifth Regiment was also seriously injured before landing. Of the six battalion commanders who led the command, one was killed and one was missing, and half of the six instructors were killed or wounded. Of the cadres of the front-line command of the two regiments, only the commander of the fifth regiment and the deputy political commissar and chief of staff of the fourth regiment remained, which means that there was only one regiment left in the command organs of the two regiments.

However, the speed of the Japanese counterattack was also quite fast. As soon as the parachute troops landed and had not yet had time to complete their assembly, they faced a rapid counterattack by the Japanese troops who rushed to the parachute area despite the strafing of the anti-United Nations fighter group. As soon as the first batch of airborne troops landed, they fell into a bitter battle for their own battles.

The losses of the cadres who led the command were not light, but fortunately, Yang Zhen specially considered this situation when he formed the two paratrooper divisions. At the same time, the Anti-Japanese Federation's own strict regulations on the replacement of cadres for casualties have also made the troops lose their commanders, but they have also ensured that the command has not been interrupted.

The most critical thing is that the deputy commander of the 2nd Paratrooper Division, who led the command, was after the landing. Relying on the complete communication system of the Anti-Japanese Union, the command of the entire landing force was quickly restored. Although they are in a situation of fighting on their own, they are constantly fighting with the Japanese army in the city.

After all, with the development of the war situation and after a hard battle, the first batch of troops to land have also gathered a group of troops. The Japanese troops in Benxi Lake City were only one wing, plus a brigade-level garrison. Although the landing force suffered considerable losses and lacked heavy weapons, it still had an advantage in terms of troops.

Under the cover of their hard fighting, two squadrons of special operations served as guides. Together, along the ridge north of the city, a number of Japanese fortifications were cleared along the way. And solved almost all of the anti-aircraft fire deployed by the Japanese army in the north of the city, as well as a considerable part of the artillery.

At the same time, although there were many casualties during the parachute landing process and the two-hour fierce battle, it also entangled the Japanese troops in the city and brought considerable losses to the Japanese troops in the city. He also attracted the Japanese troops in the city to the east of the city, and also controlled an open field of about two kilometers in the west of the city.

The first wave of airborne troops landed and had been fighting hard for two hours, and the transport group of the second wave of airborne troops had already arrived over Benxi Lake. Compared with the first group of transport planes, when they arrived over Benxi Lake, they encountered intensive anti-aircraft firepower. The anti-aircraft firepower that the second round of airborne landing needs to face has become sparse.

In contrast to the two regiments of the first batch of paratroopers, the second batch of paratroopers had only one regiment. Although the number of troops is not as good as the first group, among the transport planes carrying the second group of paratroopers, there are 17 Italian SM 82 transport planes and 12 Junkers 52 transport planes loaded with heavy equipment.

Twelve Junkers 52 transport planes were loaded with four German-made SIG 33 150-mm heavy infantry guns, plus four Type 94 mountain guns and six 120-mm mortars. On the 17 Italian transport planes, 12 tanks were equipped with the first batch of anti-Japanese forces, a 2.5-ton TKS ultralight tank made in Poland, and five American-made jeeps equipped with 82 recoilless guns.

These transport planes were to be forced to land, and these tanks and artillery were sent directly to the second batch of airborne paratroopers of the 6th Regiment. When transporting this batch of heavy weapons, Fang Ziyi felt a little sorry for these transport planes. There are very few plains around Benxi that can be used for aircraft landing, and the forced landing itself will cause a certain amount of damage to the transport aircraft.

These Polish-made 2.5-ton tanks, although there is no problem with fitting them into these Italian transport planes. These planes transport these tanks, and when there is no airfield to rely on, they forcibly land on the plains, and it is easy to lose the transport planes. At present, the transport aircraft cannot be produced by itself for the time being, and the loss of one is one less.

Fang Ziyi's somewhat painful thoughts were severely criticized by Yang Zhen. In Yang Zhen's words, as long as Benxi Lake can be completely captured and the Benxi Lake Coal and Iron Factory can be completely captured, not to mention that these transport planes will be lost. Even if all the planes that participated in the war, it was worth losing them.

Willing, willing, giving will be gained. To do big things, you must not be petty. The price to be paid will be paid sooner or later. After losing more than 20 transport planes, if we can completely seize the Benxi Lake Ironworks, which produce hundreds of thousands of tons of iron and more than 100,000 tons of steel every year, then the price will be worth it.