How did Japan conduct airborne operations?

194 1 at the end of the year, the paratroopers battalion was ordered to enter Davao airport in the Philippines to prepare for airborne operations. 1942 65438+ 10/0/0, battalion commander Hou liwuji led the company commander to conduct aerial reconnaissance on Wan Yazhi. According to the reconnaissance of the sea near Wanyazhi and the report of Japanese submarines, the Japanese naval command decided to carry out airborne assault the next day. That evening, Hou Liuji issued an order to 500 people in the whole battalion to carry out airborne operations at Wanyazhi Airport. The task is to occupy the airport and its vicinity, ensure that Japanese aviation personnel can enter and use Wanyazhi Airport on time, and support the landing operations of the Marine Corps. The first batch of 1 and 2 companies parachuted, and after 1 company captured the airport, it quickly captured the nearby Langen City and held the important goal of the highway from Langen City to Wanyazhi Airport. The second company attacked along the Kakas highway and occupied and controlled the Kakas seaside airport. Battalion commander Hou Liuji acted with 1 company. The third company is the reserve team.

On the morning of 65438+1October 1 1, the airborne assault operation to seize Wanyazhi airport began. The first batch of 340 people took off from the Philippines by 30 transport planes and flew directly to Celebes Island after formation. When flying at sea, when encountering a thunderstorm, the fleet had to lower its altitude and fly close to the sea. Due to the bad weather, poor visibility and low flying altitude, the paratroopers on board made life-saving preparations at sea to prevent the plane from falling into the sea. After leaving the thunderstorm area, the plane rose to an altitude of 6000 meters, and the paratroopers on board quickly prepared for parachuting and fighting. During the voyage, two transport planes were shot down by Japanese fighters due to the complicated weather, especially due to the poor cooperation between Japanese fighters and transport aviation. At 9: 00 am, the transport fleet entered the target at an altitude of100 ~150m. At this time, it was shot by the anti-aircraft gun stationed at the airport, but the plane was not damaged. At 9: 44, about four hours after the Japanese army 16 army launched a surprise attack on Celebes Island, the first two companies of Japanese naval airborne troops braved ground fire over Wanyazhi, dropping 234 paratroopers. Because the landing site is too close to the garrison position, the nearest one is only 30 meters, and the terrain is open, it is difficult for paratroopers to move, and the airdropped weapons can not be recovered under the suppression of garrison machine gun fire. They had to fight with the weapons they carried with them and dig bunkers with umbrellas and helmets. Then the airport garrison attacked the paratroopers under the cover of armored vehicles, and the paratroopers were in a very dangerous situation. In order to get rid of the predicament, they had to desperately recover the airdropped heavy machine guns under the fire suppression of the defenders and violently counterattack the defenders. Soon, the reserve team parachuted successfully and the paratroopers were strengthened. They gathered together and launched an attack on the airport defenders. After fierce fighting, by noon, they captured the 1500 Dutch army guarding the airport and occupied the airport. Subsequently, according to the scheduled plan, 1 Company quickly captured Yangon City, and Company 2 attacked along Kakas Highway, and captured Kakas Water Airport that afternoon. 65438+February, the second batch 185 Japanese landed at the airport. That night, the Japanese Marine Corps landed in Wanyazhi and joined the paratroopers. 13, the Japanese air force entered the airport. After that, the paratroopers successfully completed the task of searching for the remnants of the enemy in Wanyazhi area. After the Japanese Air Force occupied Wanyazhi Airport, it provided an activity area with a radius of 400 kilometers for Japanese aircraft. Under the cover and support of this air force, the Japanese navy quickly captured ports and airports such as Kendari and Makassar on Celebes Island. 14, the Japanese army 16 completely controlled the island.

After occupying Celebes Island, Japanese army 16 attacked Dihan Island to the south on February 20th. When attacking Dihan Island, the Japanese Navy paratroopers battalion once again carried out airborne assault operations.

Timor Island, also known as Moore Island, was home to more than 3,000 Dutch and Australian troops. When the Japanese army attacked Timor Island, the task assigned to the paratroopers battalion was that when the Marine Corps landed, paratroopers parachuted near Bangfu Airport in the south of the island, occupied the airport, ensured that aviation personnel entered and used the airport on time, and cut off the retreat of the Dutch and Australian troops guarding the island. According to Wan Yazhi's experience, the paratrooper battalion made a series of improvements to the organization of airborne operations before carrying out airborne operations. For example, the parachute area should not be near the airport, but a few kilometers away from the airport. Light and heavy machine guns should not be thrown separately from paratroopers, but should be carried by paratroopers. Airborne troops are divided into two echelons. The first echelon consists of 450 people, including 1, Sanlian and battalion. The second echelon consists of 250 people, mainly composed of the second company.

At dawn on February 2 1, two battalions of the Japanese Marine Corps, with the cooperation of several tanks, began to land in Kupang at the southern tip of Timor Island. 10, 30 transport planes from the first echelon of the airborne parachute battalion took off at Gendari Airport. Under the cover of fighter planes, they sailed 700 kilometers to Bangfuyi Airport, 28 kilometers east of Kupang. The weather over the airport was very good at that time. After the plane dropped from 700 meters to 100 meters, it began to parachute. After landing, the paratroopers met only weak resistance. 1 company and company 3 quickly assembled, collected all the air-dropped materials and headed for the airport immediately. At this time, the Marine Corps is landing in Kupang. In order to speed up the action, the paratroopers relaxed their vigilance against the enemy guarding the island. On their way to the airport, they were suddenly attacked by Dutch troops guarding the airport. After fierce fighting, two paratroopers and all platoon leaders were killed or injured by more than half. The paratroopers could not move forward, so they had to rest on the spot that night. When the attack was launched again in the early morning of the next day, the Bangfu airport had been occupied by the Japanese landing forces. The second echelon of paratroopers parachuted in the original airborne area when the first echelon met the enemy defenders at the airport, and arrived at the airport to meet the first echelon the next morning.

Another unit of Japanese paratroopers, Japanese paratroopers 1 Brigade, carried out airborne operations at the airport next to Pakistan for the first time in the battle of the 25th Japanese Army attacking Sumatra at the beginning of the Pacific War.

Sumatra, which is rich in oil and rubber, has been one of the important targets that the Japanese army must win in the battle plan from the beginning. 1942 In mid-February, Lieutenant General Toyotomi Yamashita, commander of the 25th Army of the Japanese Army, decided to launch an airborne assault near Pakistan in order to quickly attack and occupy Sumatra.

Located in the lower reaches of the Muxi River in Sumatra Island, it is close to Pakistan, also known as Dagang, and it is a inland river port city with a distance of 1 10 km from the east coast. The city has an important airport and two large oil refineries, and is the oil refining center of Sumatra. At that time, the allied forces defending the island were composed of Dutch, Australian and British troops under the command of a Dutch colonel officer. 530 troops guarding the airport next to Pakistan, equipped with 13 anti-aircraft guns and 5 machine guns; There are 550 troops guarding the two refineries, including 10 anti-aircraft guns and 5 machine guns. In order to ensure that the equipment of the two refineries was not destroyed by the enemy, the Japanese army completely occupied the refinery center. Before the landing operation to capture the island, the army dispatched paratroopers 1 brigade under the command of Kumykin, and suddenly occupied the airport and oil refinery.

The paratroopers/KOOC-0/Brigade Yu/KOOC-0/94/KOOC-0/KOOC-0/2 under the command of Kenichi Kumei were established at the New Tian Yuan Airport in Kyushu, Japan, and have been performing tasks in Phnom Penh under the command of the Southern Army. 194 1 year 1 month fought against Japan, and received orders from the commander of the 3rd Air Brigade. Kumejing led the paratroopers 1 brigade to assemble at Shuangxi Danian Airport in Malaysia, 640 kilometers north of Singapore. On February 6th, 1 brigade arrived at Shuangxi Danian Airport and accepted airborne operations to seize the airport and oil refinery next to Pakistan. On February 8, he was ordered to transfer to the airborne departure airports, namely Juju Airport and Kahang Airport in Singapore, and the airborne time was scheduled for February 9.

The Japanese army plans to go up Muxi from the sea with the 38th Infantry Division and land next to Bahrain on February 1 1. Two days before landing, the 2nd battalion of Paratrooper 1 Brigade parachuted near the airport and oil refinery, and seized the airport and oil refinery. At the same time, cut off the traffic lines, prevent the defenders from retreating, and reserve reinforcements. The 2nd battalion of paratroopers * * * has more than 700 people, which are divided into three echelons: the first echelon consists of 2, 4 companies and 1 machine gun platoon, 2 engineering platoons and 1 communication team, with a total of 240 people, under the personal command of Takeo Kamimura, the battalion commander in charge of capturing the airport. The aviation unit responsible for air transportation and cover consists of two transport squadrons, namely, the 98th Flying Team, the 64th Flying Team and a part of the 8 1 Flying Team. The second echelon is composed of 1 company and 1 machine gun platoon, with a total of 90 people, under the command of Captain Nako, who is responsible for capturing Shuangxi Gelong Refinery and Uyodilaf Refinery in eastern Pakistan. The aviation unit responsible for air transportation and cover consists of about two transport squadrons and 1 squadron flying the 98th unit. The 59th Flying Team and the 8 1 Flying Team. The third echelon is Company 3 and 1 Engineer Platoon, with 96 people as reserve. Colonel Mi Jingyi, the brigade commander, joined the second battalion of paratroopers for airborne assault operations. The planes planned to cooperate with the airborne assault are: in the army, there are 9 reconnaissance planes, about 70 fighter planes, about 20 attack planes and about 30 heavy bombers, with a total of about140; For the navy, there are 100 attack aircraft at sea, about 30 fighter planes, 6 land reconnaissance planes and about 40 water reconnaissance planes, totaling 180.

On February 6, the Japanese army dispatched 33 bombers and 32 fighter planes to carry out air strikes on the airport and ground defense facilities next to Pakistan. Allied fighters took off to meet the Japanese fleet and repelled the Japanese bombers before the Japanese planes reached their targets. At this time, although the Japanese bombers gave up the air strikes against Pakistan's neighboring countries, they turned their targets to Montauk on Bangka Island. When they flew over the city to bomb, they met no resistance from the allies. On the 7th, the Japanese army sent six bombers, under the cover of 3 1 fighter planes, successfully flew over the airport next to Pakistan and destroyed some allied planes on the ground. As a result of the allied counterattack, the Japanese army was shot down by two planes. On the 8th, the Japanese army dispatched portal bombers. Under the cover of 25 fighter planes, it attacked the airport next to Pakistan for the third time, shot down two allied planes and destroyed all the allied planes parked at the airport. In this way, the Japanese army gained the air superiority in the neighboring areas of Pakistan. During this period, after many aerial reconnaissance photos taken by Captain Sasaki, detailed information about the terrain in the neighboring areas of Pakistan was also obtained.

The Japanese army originally planned to land in February 1 1, but the whole plan was delayed for five days because the maritime troops carrying the 38th Infantry Division failed to arrive at the port of departure on time. During these five days, the Japanese air force continued to carry out air strikes against Pakistan's neighbors. On the one hand, this air raid weakened the fighting capacity of the allied forces, seriously dampened the morale of the allied forces, and provided favorable conditions for airborne assault; On the other hand, it also made the airborne assault lose its suddenness, made all the allies guarding the island enter the fighting state, made all kinds of emergency preparations, and brought certain difficulties to the airborne assault.

14 At 8: 30 on February, 70 transport planes took off at Kahang Airport and Juju Airport in Singapore, and the paratroopers 1 Brigade 2 Battalion 1 2 echelon airborne assault operation began. The planes taking off from these two locations formed a formation and flew all the way south. At that time, due to the fierce battle of the Japanese occupation of southern Singapore, when the fleet passed over southern Singapore, it was violently fired by allied ground artillery, but the plane was not damaged. However, from Singapore to the south, all the way to Sumatra, the whole route is shrouded in the smoke of the oil depot ignited in the Singapore War, which brings great difficulties to air flight. In the morning 1 1, when the plane lowered its altitude for low-altitude search, the pilots found that they had already reached the mouth of Muxi River. At this time, the whole fleet was divided into two teams as planned, and went up Muxi and flew to Pakistan. The first echelon flew to the airport, and the second echelon flew to the refinery. At that time, although all the planes were disguised as the identification signals of British planes, they did not deceive the eyes of the allies. The allies guarding the island fired at them with heavy artillery, but because of inaccuracy, they only destroyed the 1 transport plane that threw combat supplies overhead. 1 The transport plane carrying paratroopers was injured and forced to land halfway. The rest of the planes remain in formation and continue to fly forward.

1 1: 26, the first echelon that captured the airport began skydiving. When the plane descended to100 ~150m, the paratroopers were killed by the antiaircraft guns of the airport defenders. Due to the short distance, low altitude and fierce firepower, the 16 plane was hit and crashed instantly. Some paratroopers were hung on trees because of bushes, and the anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns of the airport defenders began to shoot at them, which brought great difficulties to the assembly of these paratroopers and the collection of air-dropped combat materials. They had to assemble in groups of three according to the predetermined plan, fight with pistols and crawl slowly to the road. When a village battalion commander gathered nearly 100 people on the highway, he began to attack the defenders' anti-aircraft gun positions. Another part of the paratroopers parachuted in an open space on the south side of the airport. At that time, a garrison reinforcement unit next to Pakistan was coming by car, ready to strengthen the defense of the airport. After landing, these paratroopers defeated the reinforcements by surprise attack, and then captured an anti-aircraft gun position and a barracks. Then, the paratroopers began to attack the airport from the north and south. The fighting was fierce, and hand-to-hand combat was carried out in many places. The battle for the airport has been deadlocked all afternoon. It was not until 9: 00 pm, that is, 10 hour after landing, that the first echelon of paratroopers joined forces with the north and south and occupied the airport.

Capture the second echelon of the refinery, divide into two teams and land in two different locations, and capture two refineries respectively. Among them, the team that captured Shuangxi Long Ge Refinery parachuted into a deep swamp near the refinery, and it took them a long time and great physical strength to struggle out of the mire. At that time, the gate of the refinery was closed, and there were barbed wire and bunker guards outside. Paratroopers attacked the bunker first and wiped out the defenders of the bunker. /kloc-broke into the refinery office building at 0/2: 30, then began to search for technicians and collect technical data, and raised the Japanese flag on the observation deck. In the afternoon 14 10, the defenders of the factory, with the support of mortars, fought back against the paratroopers until 3 am the next day, when the defenders stopped fighting back and all retreated. At 8: 40, paratroopers occupied the refinery.

The team that captured the Uyo DiLaver refinery landed on the lake in front of the refinery. The water depth of the lake is 1.5~3 meters, and there are boats in the lake that can go directly to the refinery. After the paratroopers fell into the water, some swam to the shore path, and some boarded the boat and landed. But as soon as they got together, they were blocked by machine gun fire in the factory bunker and could not get close to the oil plant. At 9 o'clock in the evening, they found out the situation and used the darkness of night to attack the oil factory. At 2300 hours, he broke into the refinery and occupied the office building. The next day, the remnants of the enemy were destroyed and the whole refinery was occupied.

In this surprise attack, the allies stationed on the island were superior in many ways, but they were beaten everywhere in the battle, losing ground and losing the war. There are many reasons, the most important one is poor organization and command; The coordination between the Dutch, British and Australian armies is not good; The officers and men guarding the island are generally afraid of the enemy. The bombing before the Japanese airborne greatly hit their morale; After the airborne assault, the reinforcements sent to the airport could not be stopped. After the airport fell, the defenders of various units were in a state of panic and chaos.

15, 10, the chief of staff of the Japanese air force and the brigade commander of the first paratrooper brigade landed at the airport next to Pakistan, and they immediately ordered the second echelon of paratroopers, that is, the reserve team, to fight. In the afternoon 1: 40, the reserve team parachuted at the airport next to Pakistan. Then, they used vehicles and weapons seized from Dutch troops guarding the island to attack Pakistan's neighbors. After a brief exchange of fire with the defenders on the Muxi River Bridge, they quickly entered the city next to Pakistan. After being stationed near Pakistan for two weeks, the airborne troops left the city on the 24th and returned to Phnom Penh.

Through the first airborne assault operation carried out by the navy and the army at the beginning of the Pacific War, the Japanese army deeply felt the important role of airborne assault operation and the significance of establishing a strong airborne force. However, it is too late to do so now. It is impossible for them to produce enough transport planes and airborne weapons and equipment in a short time, and there is no time to organize the paratroopers needed for training. So in the next few battles, they had to miss many airborne assault fighters, but they were helpless.