50 years of national reunification: April 1, 1975: Liberation of Phu Yen province

Our 105mm artillery and 120mm mortars located at Hoa Thang fired strongly, paralyzing the enemy's artillery positions.

Liberation army pursuing the enemy at Nhan mountain, Phu Yen (documentary photo).

At the same time, our tanks followed Route 7 to support Battalion 4, Regiment 2 to capture the targets of Ong Chu bridge, Da Rang bridge and Nhan Thap.

At 5:45 a.m., our troops captured Dao hamlet, the war zone airport, developed along Route 6, Le Loi Street, and captured the Treasury Office and the civil service area. Meanwhile, in the north of the town, Regiment 64 of Division 320 captured the provincial road, the Police Office, Regiment 47, Go Da, Chop Mountain, and Chai Mountain. Battalion 96, Company 25 and a part of the 189th Mixed Artillery Battalion attacked the enemy in Sam Mountain, Long Tuong, Lam Hamlet, Quy Hau, Phuoc Khanh, Phuoc Hau...

Promoting the spirit of rapid attack, by 8:00 a.m. of the same day, the 320th Division of the Central Highlands Corps, in coordination with local troops, had completely taken control of Tuy Hoa town, then successively liberated most of the districts in the province such as Tuy An, Song Cau, Dong Xuan; captured puppet Brigadier General Tran Van Cam and Colonel Vi Van Binh.

By 11:00 a.m. on April 1, 1975, Tuy Hoa town and the entire Phu Yen province were completely liberated.

After Quang Ngai was liberated, thousands of puppet soldiers on the Route 7 front from the Central Highlands to Phu Yen came to present themselves to the revolutionary government and surrendered their weapons. Photo: VNA

* In Khanh Hoa, after the 3rd Airborne Brigade was destroyed and disbanded, in the early morning of April 1, 1975, the enemy troops at Lam Son Training Center, the special forces and artillery in Duc My panicked and fled through Ninh Hoa town. Our armed units continued to attack and smash the steel gate of Phuong Hoang Pass, the enemy's western defense line of Ninh Hoa. By April 1, 1975, most of the rural areas and Van Gia town of Ninh Hoa were liberated.

Liberation Army tanks enter to liberate Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa), April 2, 1975. Photo: VNA archive

- On the enemy side: on the morning of April 1, 1975, the enemy quickly reorganized Brigade 468 and sent it to Nha Trang to reinforce the 3rd Airborne Brigade. However, because our 10th Division and 25th Regiment had severely damaged the 3rd Airborne Brigade at Ma Drac Pass, at 10:00 a.m. the same day, puppet President Nguyen Van Thieu had to cancel the above order.

Upon receiving news that Tuy Hoa and Quy Nhon towns had fallen, the enemy realized that they could not hold Nha Trang, so at 3:00 p.m. the same day, they had to withdraw the Marine Division to Vung Tau and move the Navy Command and Military Region 2 elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the puppet 2nd Corps Commander General Pham Van Phu ordered the 2nd Air Division to retreat, causing chaos in Nha Trang. The enemy declared martial law in the city and withdrew the US Consulate in Nha Trang to Saigon.

By the night of the same day, enemy troops in Da Lat and the entire Tuyen Duc province also panicked and retreated to Phan Rang.

* Faced with new developments, at 6:00 p.m. on April 1, 1975, General Vo Nguyen Giap, Politburo member, Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense, telegraphed to comrades Pham Hung, Le Duc Tho, Van Tien Dung, and Tran Van Tra, stating the opinion of the Politburo: “The opportunity to launch a general offensive and uprising in Saigon - Gia Dinh is ripe. From this moment on, the final strategic decisive battle of our army and people has begun... We must firmly grasp the strategic opportunity, be determined to carry out a general offensive and uprising, and successfully end the war of liberation in the shortest time possible. It is best to start and end in April this year, without delay... We must act "Speedy, bold, unexpected, sure to win"... The current surprise is no longer in the main direction. The enemy knows that we will definitely attack Saigon, but they think that we need to prepare for 1-2 months. Therefore, the current surprise is mainly at speed. On the one hand, we need to mobilize forces quickly and at lightning speed, on the other hand, we need to use existing forces immediately to act promptly, without waiting… Must be fast, fast to win completely, definitely win completely”.

Prime Minister Pham Van Dong visited Phu Yen province after the day the South was completely liberated and the country was reunified. Photo: Document/VNA

In compliance with the directives of the Politburo and the Central Military Commission, the General Staff ordered the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Corps to march at lightning speed to the key battlefield in the South. The 1st Corps (leaving the 308th Division to protect the North), departed from Tam Diep (Ha Nam Ninh province, now Ninh Binh province), on April 1, 1975 marched along the Western Truong Son road to Dong Xoai in the direction of North Saigon. The 2nd Corps, leaving the recently liberated city of Da Nang, followed Highway 1, fighting the enemy as they went, advancing towards the Southeast of Saigon. The 3rd Corps departed from the Central Highlands, marched along Highway 14 and Highway 20, and gathered forces at Dau Tieng, in the direction of Northwestern Saigon.

The General Department of Logistics, the General Department of Engineering, and the 559th Division mobilized all forces and means of transporting troops and materials to the battlefield. The whole country was filled with the atmosphere of going to war. The roads leading to Saigon were filled with trucks carrying troops, artillery tractors, ammunition trucks, rice trucks, etc.

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[ Source: VNA; Historical Moments: Ho Chi Minh Campaign 1975, People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2005; Campaigns that were decisive for victory in the Great Spring Victory of 1975, People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2010; Historical Events and Figures, People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2015; Historical Decisions, People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2015; Ministry of National Defense - Vietnam Military History Institute: Vietnam Military History, Volume 11, National Political Publishing House Truth, Hanoi, 2019; General Van Tien Dung: Great Spring Victory, People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2024; From the Battle of Phai Khat, Na Ngan to the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, People's Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2024 ].

Hoang Yen/Vietnam News Agency (synthesis)

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/nhan-vat-su-kien/50-nam-thong-nhat-dat-nuoc-ngay-141975-giai-phong-tinh-phu-yen-20250401064522756.htm