Can Tho, historic April days

A section of the painting at the exhibition booth "The 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising in Can Tho Province" at Can Tho City Museum. Photo: DUY KHOI

In the dry season of 1974-1975, in Can Tho, although the enemy tried to pacify and encroach, the number of troops was severely reduced and morale was low. The enemy advocated withdrawing their posts and converging to hold important positions, tightly defending the Vong Cung line to protect the headquarters of Tactical Zone IV.

In that situation, the Regional Party Committee decided to mobilize all forces, promote three-pronged attacks, attack everywhere, implement the policy of wearing down and destroying many forces, expanding the liberated areas, creating a position and force to advance to victory in the 1974-1975 dry season. Chosen by the Regional Party Committee as a key area, the Can Tho Provincial Party Committee was determined to win in the 1974-1975 dry season.

On December 5, 1974, we opened the campaign, the main force of the Zone combined with the Long My local army to attack the Fourteen Thousand sub-region, killing and capturing 50 enemies. In Phung Hiep, we destroyed the rear base of Battalion 478 near the town. In Chau Thanh, the Tay Do Battalion destroyed the Eight Thousand outpost (Tan Hoa commune). In O Mon, we destroyed the Ca Thien outpost. On the night of December 8, 1974, the Tay Do Battalion attacked and destroyed the One Thousand outpost, destroying 2 105mm cannons, a 50-ton ammunition depot, and eliminating 144 enemies from combat. The army and people of Chau Thanh A destroyed the Muong Khai outpost (Nhon Nghia), the Kinh Thay Cai outpost (Thanh Xuan)... Continuously in the last days of 1974 and the beginning of 1975, we attacked and won in many areas in the province. Many enemy outposts were destroyed.

At the same time, the political struggle movement was very vibrant, with tens of thousands of people rushing forward with the armed forces to surround the police stations, and to serve as civilian laborers on the battlefield... Typically, in Thot Not, the mass movement to fight against conscription took place strongly. In January 1975, in O Mon, Chau Thanh, more than 10,000 people directly fought against the enemy's raids and looting. In Long My, hundreds of people fought against the enemy's raids and looting of rice, and prevented enemy armored vehicles from raiding the rice fields.

The military propaganda front also coordinated with the armed and political fronts, most notably the desertion movement of enemy soldiers who brought guns back to join the revolution, the uprising movement to occupy the fort, destroy evil, and the movement of soldiers' families demanding that their husbands and children not be allowed to join the army, which was quite lively. From there, it caused a state of confusion and confusion in the enemy ranks.

The uprising forces took control of Tra Noc airport at noon on April 30, 1975. Source: "Can Tho Gazetteer", Can Tho Provincial Party Committee, People's Committee, 2002

In the first 4 months of 1975, the army and people of Can Tho eliminated 3,096 enemies from combat, destroyed 1 battalion, 5 companies, 2 police platoons, 1 sub-region, 1 sub-region, forced the surrender and withdrawal of 161 posts, 12 bunkers, destroyed 12 vehicles, and sank 13 ships. In the 1974-1975 dry season campaign, we completely liberated 5 communes, basically liberated 7 communes, 25 hamlets with 45,000 people, bringing the total population in the liberated area of ​​the whole province to over 170,000 people.

From April 22 to 24, 1975, the Provincial Party Standing Committee met at Chu Hang Port, Vinh Tuong Commune, Long My District, to implement the Central Resolution, at the same time assess the situation, review the plan, and arrange armed forces to determine to liberate Can Tho province, contributing to the liberation of the South.

On April 26, 1975, Nguyen Van Thieu resigned, making the enemy even more confused and panicked.

The revolutionary opportunity had come, on April 26, 1975, the Standing Committee of the Zone Party Committee issued the attack order. Can Tho was the first key point of the Zone, our forces were divided into two directions: the first direction approached the Vong Cung road, preparing to enter Can Tho city; the second direction advanced to Xom Chai, preparing to cross the Can Tho river and enter the city.

On April 28, 1975, the US consulate in Can Tho withdrew, causing high-ranking generals of the puppet army and government to be extremely confused.

Throughout the day and night of April 28 and 29, 1975, our main force troops marched through the enemy's defense lines. At 10:00 a.m. on April 30, 1975, Tay Do Battalion and the main force of the Zone approached the Vong Cung road, smashing two main enemy regiments and armored vehicles blocking the Vong Cung road.

At the same time, on April 28 and 29, 1975, the mass forces in the inner city rose up and stormed the American bases at the beginning of Highway 19 and 67 Hung Vuong. The workers of the BGI soft drink company took charge of the machines when the company owners ran after the Americans and were ready to wait for the revolutionary forces to come and hand them over. The masses in some areas in Can Tho City such as An Binh Commune and Hung Loi Ward rose up and took control of the bases of the puppet and militia apparatus in the wards and hamlets, gathered civil defense guns to equip the self-defense forces, hung the front flag, and led the way for the troops to enter the city. Our base rose up in Thoi Thuan Hamlet, occupied Tra Noc Market, and guarded Tra Noc Bridge. The mass uprising forces took advantage of the soldiers at Tra Noc Airport to seize guns and threaten the Colonel commanding the airport (Ba Do), and all the soldiers there surrendered. Then, the 20th Regiment main force arrived to occupy the airport at 18:00.

At 11:00 a.m. on April 30, 1975, our internal forces released 4,000 new recruits and deserters who were arrested at the conscription camp No. 4, Mac Tu Sanh Street (now April 30 Street). At 11:30 a.m., the field police company of Battalion 410 stationed at Dau Sau fled, 3 bases in the civil defense occupied the station, gathered 60 guns and handed them over to the uprising force. At 12:00 p.m., under the guidance of the Uprising Command Committee, Doctor Le Van Thuan, General Secretary of the Red Cross Society, went to the two prison camps of Kham Lon and Cau Bac, opened the doors and released over 6,000 political prisoners and
common offender

The number of political prisoners and common criminals in the two prisons and the number of new recruits in the military camp were released into the streets to cheer the revolution. The military prisoners in the prison camp were guided by our base to break into the prison, occupy the weapons and equipment warehouse, and establish the Quyet Thang I and Quyet Thang II Battalions with about 700 soldiers to take over and maintain order in the city.

At 2:30 p.m. on April 30, 1975, our armed self-defense forces occupied Can Tho Radio Station. At the Radio Station, there was a company of security soldiers and 4 vehicles, commanded by Captain Nguyen Van Hao, our insider, who ordered the soldiers to demobilize, collect their guns in storage, creating conditions for our forces to occupy the Radio Station. At 3:00 p.m., comrade Nguyen Van Luu (Nam Binh) on behalf of the Can Tho City Uprising Committee read the call for the people to rise up together with the armed forces to liberate the city.

Map - developments of the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising in Can Tho province. Source: "Can Tho Gazetteer", Provincial Party Committee, People's Committee of Can Tho province, 2002

At 5:00 p.m. on April 30, 1975, the Tay Do Battalion and the City Commandos crushed a puppet commando company in Rau Ram, opened the way to Cai Rang, coordinated with the military force to capture an armored vehicle squadron, and advanced from Dau Sau to Hoa Binh Avenue to occupy the Provincial Palace.
puppet chief

At 6:30 p.m., our forces threatened to occupy the puppet Provincial Governor's Palace, overwhelmed and controlled the commanders of the 21st Division, creating more power and strength for the Provincial Front Command, forcing General Mach Van Truong, Commander of the puppet 21st Division, to order his subordinates to lay down their guns and surrender. Nguyen Khoa Nam, Commander, and Le Van Hung, Deputy Commander of Region IV, had no way out and had to commit suicide at their residence at 8:30 p.m. on April 30, 1975.

The army and people of Can Tho province, with the support of the Zone's forces, completely liberated Can Tho city at 6:30 p.m. on April 30, 1975, eliminating the entire puppet army and government system of Phong Dinh province and the headquarters of the IV Tactical Zone, the last stronghold of the US-puppet regime in the West.

Districts in the province also attacked and rebelled, liberating themselves.

Phung Hiep district was liberated at 7:00 a.m., Ke Sach district was liberated at 4:00 p.m., Chau Thanh district was liberated at 5:00 p.m., O Mon district was liberated at 9:00 p.m., on April 30, 1975. Long My district was liberated at 8:00 a.m. the next day, May 1, 1975. Thot Not district was liberated at 3:00 p.m., April 30, 1975; only the two communes: Tan Loc Dong and Tan Loc Tay were liberated on May 4, 1975.

The second key point of the province was Vi Thanh town - the provincial capital of Chuong Thien. Provincial Governor Ho Ngoc Can stubbornly counterattacked fiercely to defend to the death. The town's armed forces coordinated with the provincial forces and the uprising masses to surround and fight fiercely all day and night on April 30, 1975, only to be able to push them out. The provincial governor was captured, the soldiers surrendered. Vi Thanh town was liberated at 8:00 a.m. on May 1, 1975.

The 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising of the army and people of Can Tho province achieved complete victory, liberating the beloved homeland of Can Tho, contributing to the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country.

Those were the milestones of the army and people of Can Tho half a century ago. Those historical events further deepened the heroic and heroic historical tradition of Can Tho.

PV

(This article is abridged from the book "Can Tho Gazetteer", Provincial Party Committee, People's Committee of Can Tho province, 2002)

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/can-tho-nhung-ngay-thang-tu-lich-su-a185360.html