50 years of national reunification: April 20, 1975 - Directive on preparing for general uprising

On April 20, 1975, the Standing Committee of the Saigon-Gia Dinh City Party Committee issued a directive stating that organizations needed to proactively coordinate with the main army corps to complete the general uprising task, no later than May 1, 1975.

On April 9, 1975, our troops attacked Xuan Loc town, the enemy's key defensive base protecting Saigon from the Northeast. On April 21, the enemy troops in Xuan Loc fled, and the gateway to Saigon from the Northeast was opened. Immediately after the loss of Xuan Loc, President Nguyen Van Thieu resigned. Photo: VNA

On April 20, 1975, the Standing Committee of the Saigon-Gia Dinh City Party Committee issued a directive to the forces to prepare for a general uprising. The directive stated that organizations needed to proactively coordinate with the main army corps to complete the general uprising task by May 1, 1975 at the latest.

Previously, on the night of April 20, 1975, facing the risk of being annihilated, the enemy troops in Xuan Loc retreated along Interprovincial Highway No. 2 to Ba Ria. The 4th Corps and units of Military Region 7 intercepted and destroyed a large part of them.

Saigon-Gia Dinh Party Committee orders preparations for general uprising

In preparation for the general offensive and uprising, from the beginning of April 1975, the Standing Committee of the Saigon-Gia Dinh City Party Committee assigned specific tasks to each force.

The armed forces are ready to fight to support the uprising masses, build corridors and springboards, capture bridgeheads in the suburbs and targets in the city.

The security forces were organized into four clusters ready to coordinate in capturing the General Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the district police departments; the military intelligence force was ready to capture the headquarters of the enemy's central intelligence agency.

Workers are ready to occupy and protect factories and enterprises, especially power and water plants.

The City Youth Union forces are ready to launch mass uprisings in the areas of Ban Co, Vuon Chuoi, Da Kao, Tan Dinh, Phu Nhuan, Khanh Hoi - Vinh Hoi, Tan Phu, and Bay Hien. The Hoa Van Committee arranges cadres to direct the uprising in 10 key areas in districts 5, 6, and 11.

The Transportation Department organizes rescue, supply, medical, sanitation, and printing teams.

The Military Affairs Committee and the Intelligence Committee perform tasks according to assigned functions.

The people of suburban Saigon coordinated the uprising in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

Immediately after the April 20 Directive of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, the armed forces and people of Saigon-Gia Dinh urgently completed all preparations, ready to seize the opportunity to coordinate with the main army corps to liberate the city.

The enemy troops in Xuan Loc retreated.

On the night of April 20, 1975, facing the risk of being annihilated, the enemy troops in Xuan Loc retreated along Interprovincial Highway No. 2 to Ba Ria. The 4th Corps and units of Military Region 7 intercepted and destroyed a large part of them.

At the same time, Division 5 (Group 232) attacked the enemy's defense area in Thu Thua-Ben Luc and consolidated the foothold in the west of Tan An town, destroying enemy outposts and posts, opening the way to bring technical weapons to the north of Highway 4. Division 3 and Division 9 organized operations in small units, set up artillery positions right on the support route for the infantry, opened the An Ninh and Loc Giang areas, creating a foothold to attack Saigon.

On the same day, deploying forces to occupy the battlefield in preparation for the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, Regiment 148 (Division 316, Corps 3) suddenly attacked and captured the Bau Nau and Tra Vo strongholds, then defeated the enemy counterattacking forces, controlling a 7 km long section on Highway 22 from Cam An to Ben Muong.

The main force of the 8th Division of Zone 8, the 24th and 88th Regiments reinforced by the Region, and two battalions of the Long An local army stepped up their activities, destroying 45 enemy posts and military sub-regions, liberating 12 communes in the districts of Chau Thanh, Cau Duoc, and Tan Tru. The 4th Division (Military Zone 9) brought its forces close to Can Tho. Special forces attacked and controlled Tra Noc airport.

On April 20, 1975, the leading force of the 2nd Corps - the eastern wing - advanced to Rung La, nearly 20 km from Xuan Loc.

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