This is one of the benefits of helicopter operations.
In the traditional combat mode, if you want to attack the Taiyuan Arsenal, you must first break through the Taiyuan City Wall.
This is also the inherent thinking in Takei's mind... It can be said that this is the only combat mode during this period, so Takei took it for granted and created the illusion that "there is still time to prepare".
The reason why "can be said" is used here is because there is another mode that uses transport aircraft to airdrop paratroopers.
But it is almost impossible to airdrop paratroopers in Taiyuan City. Even if you commit suicide, it will be difficult to achieve the strategic goal... The airdrop spread over a large area. If a thousand paratroopers are dropped, it would be quite good if ten smooth paratroopers can land in the arsenal.
Helicopter rappel solves all these problems. It can accurately bring soldiers to the arsenal and quickly put them into battle to achieve the effect of a "surgical" surprise attack.
This was the case with the Eighth Route Army's operations against the arsenal.
The monk and Shi Sha organized the reconnaissance team to conduct more than ten drills. Each step is not meant to be memorized, but can be done naturally without thinking about conditioned reflexes.
For example, the attack route after rappelling, as well as controlling the area and getting in touch with intelligence personnel, etc.
Shi Sha even found soldiers who had worked in the Taiyuan Arsenal and drew a sketch based on their memories... This sketch can be provided by intelligence personnel in the arsenal, but this will cause great danger to the intelligence personnel and may even expose the entire operation.
Therefore, the plan was not to do so.
In the final actual battle, the situation was still different from that in the exercise... The structure and location of the arsenal after the Japanese transformation was different from the previous arsenal.
However, this does not affect the operations of the reconnaissance brigade.
There were ten helicopters in the first batch to enter the arsenal, and these ten were all modified armed helicopters.
Because its bottom armor had been strengthened, it was unscathed even though it was shot by the Japanese when it crossed the Taiyuan city wall... The Japanese did not expect that the Eighth Route Army would use helicopters to launch a low-altitude assault, so there were no anti-aircraft machine guns, ordinary rifles and machine guns prepared in the city to attack the bottom of the armed helicopter.
There was nothing to do, not to mention that the Japanese troops in Taiyuan at this time were still seriously insufficient.
As a result, the helicopter successfully crossed the city wall and flew over the arsenal amidst the gunfire and exclamations of the Japanese. The helicopter even fired a round of rockets arrogantly... When I entered the arsenal, I was worried that a fire would ignite, and rockets could not be fired.
If you use it, you might as well do it here to reduce the weight.
As soon as they arrived at the arsenal, the helicopters were immediately divided into five parts. Four of them only had one helicopter and ten soldiers... The best situation should be that at least two helicopters in each part can cover each other, but the Eighth Route Army does not have many armed helicopters.
Only one helicopter can be used to perform the mission.
The four helicopters flew to the bullet factory, the artillery shell factory, the bomb factory (which produces grenades, mines and explosive packages) and the explosives warehouse.
From the very beginning, Wang Xuexin knew that a direct attack on the arsenal with ten weapons would not be able to cover everything... At this time, the Taiyuan arsenal had a total of 17 branches, such as machinery factories, rifle factories, artillery factories, etc.
If all 17 branch factories had to be taken care of, Shijia Wuzhi would not be able to take care of them at all.
Therefore, Wang Xuexin believes that the most important thing is to control flammable and explosive units, such as bullets, cannonballs, gunpowder, etc.
The reason is simple. These factories are highly dangerous areas. As long as the enemy throws a grenade or lights a match inside, everything will be over.
As for machinery factories, firearms factories, etc., they are all equipment and machines. It would be difficult for the Japanese to blow them up one by one, and even if part of them is blown up, the losses will not be big.
Fortunately, factories with gunpowder strictly control open flames and firearms. Japs and puppet troops carrying firearms only patrol the periphery.
This provides convenience for the Eighth Route Army to control these areas... The first step after the helicopter goes up is to quickly rope down the two sharpshooters on the roof with a good view to control the gate, and then lower the soldiers to the ground to organize defense and defense from within the factory area.
The helicopters worked together to keep the enemy outside the fence.
The main force is the fifth part, which is six Wuzhi led by the monk.
The reason why six aircraft were allocated to this part is because we received news from the headquarters that most of the more than 200 people in a Japanese squadron are concentrated in the headquarters, that is, the labor dormitory area and the firearms manufacturing factory area...
This is a characteristic of Captain Takei's management of factories. He believes that the most labor-intensive areas are the most dangerous areas, because they manage Chinese workers rather than factories and equipment, and workers will discuss how to do it when they gather together.
Revolt or flee.
Therefore, there were more than 150 Japanese soldiers stationed in this area for a squadron with only about 200 people.
The monk knew that if these more than 100 Japanese were not dealt with quickly, the Japanese might join the puppet army in encircling and suppressing the reconnaissance brigade and then fall into a bitter battle.
The monk moved quickly. When he jumped out of the cabin and rappelled, he took out the box cannon and "bang bang" pulled the trigger at the enemy below... At this time, it was actually difficult to hit the target because the helicopter was shaking the rope and shaking again.
In addition, it is a one-handed shooting, which can be said to be shooting on the back of a running horse. The gunman cannot control or predict his position, and of course he cannot control his aim.
But the monk still accurately hit the two Japanese soldiers below who were pointing their rifles at the sky.
After the battle, the teammates who jumped out of the cabin after the monk were confused and asked the monk how he did it. The monk only replied: "I didn't hold the rope at all when the gun was fired!"
Then the teammates understood...the helicopter will shake, and the rope will also shake, but if the monk is not holding the rope, it will not shake. At that time, he is in free fall, so the aim becomes controllable!
But……
If you don’t hold on to the rope when rappelling, don’t you worry that the speed is too fast and you can’t control it?
Others may need to worry about this, but they are certainly not monks.
Five of the six helicopters rappelled the soldiers around the Japanese headquarters from five directions and then suddenly launched a surprise attack on the Japanese... Another helicopter was full of sharpshooters, and it had already rappelled the sharpshooters one after another while the other helicopters were rappelling.
Go to a high place with good visibility and remotely control the Japs below.
Needless to say, the role played by the sharpshooters. The Japanese heavy firepower fell to their guns one by one before they had time to take effect. Under their cover, the Eighth Route Army soldiers on the ground surrounded the Japanese headquarters.
First, helicopters fired wildly at the headquarters with machine guns. Many Japanese soldiers were beaten into a hornet's nest as soon as they rushed out of the barracks with rifles.
Ground troops arrived shortly afterwards, and they almost seamlessly threw grenades one after another through the door and through the windows accurately.
There was a roar, and the soldiers immediately jumped out of the bunker and rushed in with repeating rifles...