50 years of national reunification - March 26, 1975: Complete liberation of Thua Thien-Hue

Thua Thien-Hue Province (now Hue City) was completely liberated. (Photo: VNA)

In Thua Thien-Hue, at exactly 6:30 a.m. on March 26, 1975, the "Determined to Fight, Determined to Win" flag of our army flew on top of Ky Dai-Phu Van Lau. Thua Thien-Hue Province (now Hue City under the Central Government) was completely liberated.

In Thua Thien-Hue province, by March 26, 1975, through attacks and uprisings, we had destroyed and captured the entire enemy force, including: 1st Infantry Division, 147th Marine Brigade, 2 Commando Brigades, 1 Armored Cavalry Brigade, 3 Armored Regiments, 8 Artillery Battalions, 15 Battalions and 21 Security Companies, 319 Civil Guard Platoons, 7,000 police, the entire puppet government system and more than 36,000 civil defense forces; and captured all enemy weapons and means of war.

With this resounding victory, we destroyed the enemy's strongest shield in the North, opened the door wide to continue developing the offensive to the South, liberated Da Nang city, defeated the enemy's intention to withdraw troops to the central coast, and pushed the puppet army into an irreversible collapse.

In Quang Nam, at 5:00 a.m. on March 26, 1975, a part of Brigade 52 occupied Chu Lai base, liberating Chu Lai.

Meanwhile, Division 2, Artillery Regiment 572, Anti-Aircraft Regiment 573, Armored Regiment 574 also moved their formations to Thang Binh, Que Son, ready to advance to liberate Da Nang.

Also on March 26, 1975, at the 2nd Corps Forward Command Headquarters, comrades in the Command and Chief of Staff met to discuss the plan to use Regiment 18, Division 325 to continue developing the attack to the South as planned and decided to use Regiment 9, Division 304 to advance to the South in the direction of Route 14.

On Route 1 of the 2nd Corps, the battle to open the way to attack Da Nang by Regiment 18 of Division 325 took place right when the mission to liberate Thua Thien-Hue province had not yet ended.

On March 26, 1975, Regiment 18, Division 325 liberated Nuoc Ngot and Thua Luu, and destroyed Tho Son stronghold.

On Route 14, the 9th Infantry Regiment, 304th Division was assigned a Tank Battalion, an Engineer Battalion, an Anti-Aircraft Battalion, and an Artillery Battalion, and quickly marched to attack Da Nang from the Northwest.

To solve logistical difficulties, on March 26, 1975, the Corps Logistics Department quickly organized forces to recover and manage enemy logistics bases in Phu Bai, Hamlet 5, and used them to distribute to units.

On the same day, the Tri-Thien Military Region Command and the 2nd Corps Command received a directive from the General Staff stating: The basic task of Thua Thien-Hue is to continue searching for the remaining soldiers... After destroying all the remaining enemy units, the B5 force must quickly withdraw its troops and prepare to change direction to attack and liberate Da Nang.

Thus, Da Nang was surrounded and isolated from three directions: North, South and West; at the same time, it was completely cut off from the remaining areas occupied by the enemy.

On the enemy side, realizing that Da Nang city was being fiercely threatened by our army from all directions, and the risk of falling was imminent, the US imperialists hastily set up an air bridge to evacuate the US Consulate in Da Nang and the families of some officers and staff of the puppet government to Saigon to avoid being attacked.

Many puppet officers gathered their belongings and tried to escape. The remaining troops from Hue and Tam Ky town ran back to destroy, loot, and kill each other, making Da Nang city even more chaotic.

In Binh Dinh province, on March 26, 1975, Regiment 93 and Hoai Nhon district forces liberated Tam Quan town.

On the Ho Chi Minh trail, on March 26, 1975, the 571st Automobile Division received orders to concentrate 1,000 vehicles along with the automobile transport force of the Transport Department (General Department of Logistics), the 1st Corps' mobile force, and the Ministry's strategic reserve force, from Vinh Linh to Dong Xoai to prepare to participate in the campaign to liberate Saigon.

Establishment of the Tay Nguyen Army Corps

In order to continue building mobile main force corps, creating "decisive punches", on March 26, 1975, General Vo Nguyen Giap, Minister of National Defense, signed Decision No. 54/QD-QD to establish the Tay Nguyen Corps, with the public name B3, under the Ministry of National Defense.

The Tay Nguyen Army Corps was commanded by comrade Vu Lang and political commissar Dang Vu Hiep./.

[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].

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/50-nam-thong-nhat-dat-nuoc-ngay-2631975-hoan-toan-giai-phong-thua-thien-hue-post1022677.vnp